Is your Christmas tree a reflection of your family and your kids? If you’d like to make some handmade Christmas tree decorations that include your kids and your family memories, take a look at these 5 special and easy ideas!
Most of my Christmas tree ornaments were gifted or bought before my kids were born – a very random collection of balls and trinkets. After my kids were born, I added photo frame ornaments with their pictures, a baby keepsake ornament for each, and a few handmade ornaments they made. But most of the tree decorations are still my old, random ornaments.
I’ve decided this year is going to be different. This year I want a more cohesive style for our Christmas tree – a rustic, natural and homey look, AND to make it a family-centered tree that includes my kids as much as possible.
In my search for ideas, I found some really special ways to involve the kids and create handmade Christmas tree decorations that will express our family memories. I wanted to share my favorite ideas with you so you can try them out too!
5 Handmade Christmas Tree Decorations
1. Fingerprint Clay Ornaments
I love the simple look of these clay ornaments. They can be embellished and personalized as much as you wish. This tutorial is super helpful and has a great tip for making the fingerprints stand out! Read the fingerprint clay ornaments tutorial at By Stephanie Lynn.
2. Children’s Sharpie Art Ornaments
At our winter wedding, our guests wrote notes for us on Christmas ornaments with sharpies, and my husband and I cherish them so much. So when I saw Rebecca’s version with children’s art, I thought why didn’t I think of that?! She’s brilliant. Be sure to read her post about these children’s sharpie art ornaments on Simple As That.
3. Birch Slice Photo Ornaments
Any chance to use my beloved photos of my kids in Christmas decor is a win in my books. Pair that with a natural wood slice and a super simple craft, and it’s a sure thing on my Christmas tree! Read the tutorial for these DIY birch photo ornaments on View From the Fridge.
4. Christmas Wishlist Ornaments
I like the idea of saving the kids’ Christmas wish lists each year, to be able look back and see how their interests (and handwriting) change. These wish list ornaments are a really simple and cute way to display them! You can add other items inside the ornament, or just the little wish list by itself. Read the tutorial for these Christmas wish list ornaments on Life Is Sew Daily.
5. Gratitude Garland
When displaying the kids’ wish lists on the tree, I love the idea of adding some balance with displays of gratitude as well. I came across this beautifully simple gratitude garland and just fell in love! The kids can write things that they’re grateful for on the garland, and then add to it or even make a new one each year (it’s made from paper bags after all!) Read Lauren’s entertaining tutorial for the paper bag gratitude garland on The Thinking Closet.
Bonus: Voice Recording Photo Ornament
It’s not handmade, but this is one of my favorite memory Christmas tree ornaments! I have one for each of my girls — I included a photo from their first Christmas with an adorable voice recording from their first Christmas time as well. Laughing, squealing and gurgling sounds only a baby can make, they are so sweet to play back each year and I cherish them so much! They’d be sweet for toddlers and older kids too, because they could say “Merry Christmas” and a message about their age, what they like, or their Christmas wish 🙂
Available on Amazon here (affiliate link): Voice Recording Photo Christmas Ornament
Do you have other ways to incorporate your family’s memories into your Christmas tree decorations? Which one of these is your favorite or something you want to make?
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