One of my goals this Christmas is to make presents from craft supplies I already have on hand. That leaves me A LOT of options!!!

For this project, I used Celluclay (paper mache’ clay), Christmas themed cookie cutters, a tooth pick (to make the hole), acrylic paint (craft paint is fine), buttons and ribbon (rick rack) and craft glue. I’ll post the photos here and instructions below.

To make your own, mix the paper clay according to the instructions (just add water and squish up in a zip-lock bag), then press clay into the cookie cutters. Push the form out of the cookie cutter carefully, set on wax paper, and poke a hole in the top with a toothpick. Let dry (depending on how thick you made your ornament, could take up to three days to dry completely). Paint, decorate and hang or gift!

The paper mache’ is nice and light but also strong. You can make your ornament pretty thick (it will shrink a bit as it dries), and it will still be plenty light for hanging on the tree.

This could also be a fun craft for the kiddos. My boys are still pretty little, but Max (14 months) helped me squish up the clay and I just made extra ornaments (still drying) so Fin (3 years) could paint them.