Welcome back to another DIY Christmas post! Handmade Christmas decor just seems so much more special, don’t you think?
I saw these ornaments on Instagram and knew I had to make my own with my Old Havana dishes from Anthropologie. I decided to have two trees downstairs, since I wanted to be able to see the lights from outside. I bought another 7′ pencil tree from Michaels to put in our dining room since the space is not big enough for a slim or full sized tree.
For this project you will need:
- 3″ Acrylic Disks (with holes makes things much easier, like these)
- Cardstock
- Elmer’s Clear Glue
- Water
- Paintbrush
- Ornament hooks or thin metal wire
- Ribbon, optional (3/8″ is a good width)
- Small hole punch (optional)
Now, I tried two other ways to make these: regular paper, clear round stickers, and Mod Podge. The method I’m using for this post gets the better results. Regular paper crinkles too much. The clear stickers would only work if 1) you have a printer that can print white; or 2) you are okay with semi-transparent and also a matte finish (even on glossy stickers). Mod Podge left streaks under the acrylic, where the diluted glue did not.
Choose photos of your favorite dishes. I chose options from Anthropologie, Dillard’s, Ginori, Fortnum & Mason, Famille Rose, and Halcyon Days. I selected the images, then pasted them into a Canva document using the template for PLS819. These are the 3″ round labels, but we just want the correct sizing. Remove the background of your image, then resize to just inside the circle for the template. Follow the instructions on the first two sheets to remove the cut lines for printing, otherwise your plates will have a black outline.
Let’s get started!
Here are my plates in the template:
Print onto cardstock and then cut out each plate. Do I wish I owned a Creative Memories Circle Cutting System? Yes, yes I do. But scissors had to suffice.
At this point, you’ll have wished you removed the plastic coating on all of the disks. If you didn’t, go ahead and do that before getting your glue ready.
Now, dilute your clear Elmer’s glue with a little water – just enough to make it easily spreadable. I used a foam paintbrush to apply the glue to the face of the plate cut out, then stuck it to the back of the acrylic disk so the image shines through the disk. Turn it over and work out any air bubbles, then set aside to dry.
After they’ve dried, poke holes in the paper through the acrylic, attach your ornament hook, then tie your ribbon in a bow at the top. Voila!
Check out how adorable these are! I love that you can customize however you want to your home. Your holiday decor should reflect you!
What other crafts are you guys making this year? Let me know in the comments!
xo, Amanda
The House on Ladd 