Frog Christmas Ornaments

How to Make Christmas Ornaments

It is so much fun to make your own Christmas ornament.

Here are instructions and photos showing you how to make these terrific frogs. I think these homemade ornaments are very clever indeed, if I do say so myself!

I call these darling fellows "frog Christmas ornaments" because I use sparkly green materials and shiny red ribbons to make them and I usually display them at Christmastime.

I also gave them that name to distinguish them from similar ornaments I make that are simply named "frog ornaments."

Making these handmade ornaments is a great Christmas arts and crafts idea. Here's how.

Materials

55 mm clear glass ball ornament (approximately 2-1/8 inches from top to bottom, not including the cap)

• Be sure to get a glass ball with a cap with "leaves" or flaps, with spaced grooves in between, like the cap in the photo. Not all ornaments have caps like this, so be sure you get the right kind. Read Ornament Cap and Spring Wire Design for more information.

2 green "glitter stems" (sparkly green pipe cleaners)

Green metallic shred

2 sparkly ("glitter") green pompons

2 large wiggle eyes

Glue (for pompons and wiggle eyes if you don't use self-adhesive ones.)

Ribbon (I use shiny red ribbon, but use whatever color you want.)

Instructions

Remove the cap from the glass ball.

Fill ball with green metallic shred. (Use eraser end of a pencil. The rim of the ball under the cap often has sharp points of glass.)

Frog feet

Make a loop using the bottom 4-5 inches of pipe cleaner. Twist the end of the loop around the stem so it is securely fastened. (See photos below.)

You may need to use pliers to push down the sharp wire end.

Bend and pinch the looped portion of the pipe cleaner into a frog foot.

Repeat with the other pipe cleaner.

Frog legs

Holding the two tops of the pipe cleaner legs together, join them together by twisting them. (See photo at right.)

The twisted area should not include more than about the top one inch of each pipe cleaner.

Put the twisted portion of the pipe cleaners into the hole at the top of the glass ball. (See photos below.)

Replace the cap, working the pipe cleaners into slots on either side of the cap so that the frog legs extend out symmetrically on each side.

While holding the cap on with one hand, use the other hand to insert the hanger wire through the slot. You will need to press the two prongs together to fit them though the slot. Once inside the ball, the prongs will spring back open and the cap will be secure.

Bend the pipe cleaners into frog leg shapes.

Glue the pompons to the glass ball where you want the eyes to be.

Glue the wiggle eyes on top of the pompons.

Finishing touches

Tie a ribbon through the hanger wire. Tie the knot tight so it will not come undone under the weight of the hung ornament.

Using a very thin ribbon, tie a bow around the cap to complete your frog Christmas ornament.

To store your frog Christmas ornament, you may want to recycle a plastic container from the salad bar to use as an ornament storage box.

See Handmade Ornaments and the Christmas Crafts to Make page for more terrific holiday crafts projects.

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To make sparkly Frog Christmas Ornaments like this one, see the step-by-step tutorial and photos on the How To Arts and Crafts.com website.

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