The first thing to be considered when deciding to make a homemade ornament is what the future holds for the ornament. If this is a trinket to go on your personal family tree, a lot of personal touches can add to the sentimental value of the ornament. If it is going to Grandma's house, the same may very well hold true. For ornaments that you plan to give as gifts, you may want to take a differing approach.
For the family Christmas tree, ornaments with pictures of the family or children can be really good items. These will develop sentimental value over the years and may even become items that are passed to the children for their tree when they become adults. This can give decorating a Christmas tree the feeling of an historical event as multiple generations begin to appear on its branches.
Ornaments that can be used as a family project also make good additions to the tree. You may forget the details of the day the ornament was created, but the children rarely will. Each ornament will become a story to be shared each year as the decorations go onto the tree. This is how traditions are made. Adding dates to the ornaments can enhance this experience.
If the ornaments are to be used as gifts, it may be important to find other means to manufacture them. Unless you know in advance that the recipient of the ornament really wants a picture of your child or children on the tree, it is best to leave them off. In fact, decorating a Christmas tree is so personal to some people, they will even resent you giving them an ornament to add to their tree. In this case, it is a good idea to make the ornaments so that they can be placed on the tree or just displayed on some flat surface in the house.
Do not put food or other perishable items on a Christmas ornament. These will decay quickly. They may also draw rodents and family pets into the tree. None of these are desired results from a Christmas ornament. Also, stay away from being too strange in your designs and color selections. For gift ornaments, middle-of-the-road is the best plan. So, stay conservative.
Keep ornaments small and light weight. If they are to be placed on a tree branch, the branch has definite weight limits. Lighter ornaments work better. Also, most people have limited space on their tree for ornaments. After lights, tinsel, garland, and a myriad of other items, many trees only have room for a dozen or two ornaments. Giant ornaments will not be used because they require too much space.
Try to make the ornament fit with the decor and taste of the person that will receive it. If you know that someone likes certain items or foods, making an ornament that resembles it will help guarantee that the ornament will be displayed and liked.
