Make an Old-Fashioned Sled Ornament

sled-ornament

I’m pretty certain that this will be the final ornament for our Nostalgic Home for the Holidays tree.  I feel like I could keep going forever, but I still have a whole other tree to show you! For this last one I had to go with an oldie but goodie ornament. This popsicle stick sled has been around forever. You might have even made one when you were small, or been given one by a child. I love a traditional ornament something fierce, but sometimes the classics are due for an update. I added a couple of tweaks to make it strong enough to last because this tree will be a favorite for years to come.

step-1

For each ornament you’ll need four regular popsicle sticks and four tongue depressor style popsicle sticks. Paint two of the smaller sticks silver. Trim the other two sticks so that they’re the same size as the width of all four large sticks. I wanted the sled to look like stained wood so to paint the large sticks and the little trimmed pieces I took red acrylic paint and watered it way way down. The watery paint worked like a wood stain, thin enough for the wood to absorb it and not just sit on top hiding the grain of the wood.

step-2

Glue the four large sticks together. I just used good old Elmer’s glue, but remember that a little goes a long way. Then glue your trimmed pieces across as supports, just a little below the curve of those popsicle sticks. Let it get good and dry.

step-4

Tie a piece of thread or ribbon in a loop to serve as the ornament hanger. Place the loop on top of the supports, then thread the the silver sticks through it. Glue the silver sticks down on top of the supports.

step-5

When everything is dry you can decorate the front. I printed these statements on thick white paper and snipped the ends into little swallowtails. To glue them down I used hot glue instead of a liquid glue. I really prefer to use hot glue when possible on paper. It’s too thick for the paper to absorb so you don’t get any warping like you would with a liquid glue.

sled

This tree was a whole year in the making, but I absolutely love how it turned out. We had our annual open house last night and this tree received the most charming compliments. So many people commented on different ornaments reminding them of decorations they had as a child or saw at their grandma’s house, and I took that as the best praise ever. This tree feels like home.

Tomorrow starts our second tree and I have so many tutorials I have to cram in two a day until Christmas. But it’s worth it! Starting tomorrow: The Christmas Kitch Tree!

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