We put our Christmas tree up on the weekend and it was the best day ever!! The four of us went down into the dark corners of the basement while our 1 year old was napping (which is amazing itself…), and wiped the dust off all of the Christmas decorations. My 5 year old and 3 year old carried armfuls of decorations, I carried the ornaments, and my handsome and strong husband dragged up the tree. (Artificial trees are heavy!!)

For the first time ever, my girls are old enough that they were excited about putting up the Christmas tree AND they actually wanted to help decorate it. My 5 year old dug through the ornament box, excited to find all the crafty little doo dads she made last year in junior kindergarten. And my 3 year old dug through the box yelling, “Oh look! There are teddy bears! There are snowflakes! Ooooo… There’s a STAR!!!”

While I was feeding their baby brother his snack in the kitchen, they took the ornaments and hung them ALL on the low branches on one side of the tree. I almost burst out laughing when I walked in and saw them all in one spot! (And I may or may not have cringed on the inside…) I could totally relate to this quote I saw on Facebook the other day, “I didn’t know I had OCD until I watched my kids hang ornaments on the tree wherever they wanted.” haha YES!

Luckily, about 5 minutes after they got the ornaments onto the tree, they pulled all of the ornaments off the tree, and put them in a big pile in the corner behind it. In stealthy mommy fashion, I grabbed as many as I could from their pile and spread them out evenly. And the tree actually looked pretty good when we were done! Handmade ornaments and all! In my husband’s words, our tree is “just the right amount of tacky!” Ha!

When we were done decorating – for the first time ever – we all sat down and watched a movie as a family! I’ve dreamed of having a day like that my entire life! To have kids excited to help me decorate the tree! And kids that will sit still long enough to watch a movie! Ahhh… such a great day!

38 Handmade Christmas Ornaments

Homemade ornaments don’t have to be tacky. I mean, some of them definitely are (especially if you have young kids), but those are usually the ones with the best memories! Just like my husband’s description of our Christmas tree, this list has “just the right amount of tacky” ornaments. There are lots of beautiful ones you can make yourself, and then some super awesome keepsake ones that will make you smile ever year when you take them out of their box. Enjoy!

DIY Sprinkles Ornament via Gimme Some Oven

Reindeer Thumbprint Ornaments via Little Bit Funky

3D Doily Ornaments via Martha Stewart

Bottle Cap Snowman Ornaments via One Artsy Mama

DIY Cinnamon Stick Christmas Tree Ornaments via Crafts Unleashed

Paper Towel Roll Stars via Blog A La Cart

Peppermint Candy Christmas Ornaments via Hello Homebody

Wire Angel Ornament via Adventures of a DIY Mom

Acorn Ornament via Sweet Something Designs

DIY Sequins Ornaments via The Peanut Butter Lover

Ribbon and Beads Tree Ornament via Stars Inspiration

Puppy Salt Dough Ornament via Crafty Morning

DIY Ninja Turtle Ornaments via Crafting Chicks

Felty Christmas Tree via Julia Crossland

Paper Printable Ornaments via Picklebums

Ribbon Tree Homemade Christmas Ornaments via Fireflies & Mud Pies

Handmade Stitched Ornaments via Pilli Pilli – Flickr

Mosaic Ornaments from CDs via Crème de la Craft

Paper Star Ornament via Remodelista

Pom Poms and Pinecones Christmas Ornaments via One Little Project

3D Paper Ball Ornaments via How About Orange

Pinecone Elves via MMMCrafts

Onesie Ornament via Edge of Clarity – Etsy

DIY Styrofoam Ball Cupcakes via Smarty had a Party

Twine Candy Canes via Sassy & Sweet

Old Fashion Cinnamon Scented Ornaments via Smart School House

Handmade Star Wire Ornament via Alyssa & Carla

DIY Cork Reindeer via The Homeless Finch

Pinecone Gnome Ornaments via Better Homes and Gardens

Button Wreath Ornament via Martha Stewart

Almond Bird Christmas Ornament via Better Homes and Gardens

Santa Handprint Ornament using Salt Dough via Messy Little Monster

Snow Owl Ornaments via Pam’s Party and Practical Tips

Stained Clothespin Snowflake Ornaments via Stephanie Lynn

Mini Paper Angels via The Craft Train

DIY Paper Snowflake Ballerinas via Wonderful DIY

Handmade Felt Skiing Boots Ornament via Decor4all

Fingerprint Christmas Ornaments via Cutesy Crafts