Ornament Exchange Gifts: 14 Handmade Ornaments That Get Stolen First at Every Party
Ornament Exchange Gifts are the secret star of every holiday party, and the handmade ones always disappear first. If you have ever played the swap game with friends, coworkers or cousins, you know the moment. Everyone draws a number, unwraps a box, and then the stealing starts. The store bought glass ball sits there all night, while the tiny knit sweater or the little felt cardinal gets passed around the room three times. A handmade piece feels personal, it looks like it took real care, and it usually costs less than a coffee. Below are 14 easy ideas that look sweet on any tree, from a sparkly beaded star to a cinnamon stick sled. Most take under an hour, and many use things you already have in a craft drawer, so pick your favorite and get ready to be the guest everyone wants to steal from..
Ornament Exchange Gifts Everyone Wants to Unwrap
Ornament Exchange Gifts like these are what make people cheer when a box is opened. Look at this table: a beaded star, a tiny red sweater, a cinnamon sled, a felt mitten, a paper snowflake and a sweet clothespin skier, all made by hand and tucked into plain kraft boxes. Not one of them costs much, yet together they look like a little boutique display. That is the magic of handmade. Each piece below has a simple supply list and three easy steps, so you can pick one and make a few extras for friends..
You will need: A plain kraft gift box, white tissue paper, red velvet ribbon, and the supplies for the piece you choose below.
How to make it: 1. Pick one idea from this list that fits your skill and your budget. 2. Make one test piece first, then make two or three more so you have spares. 3. Nest each one in tissue inside a kraft box and tie it with ribbon.
A Sparkly Beaded Wire Star
This star catches every bit of light on the tree, so it looks far more expensive than it is. It is made from tiny glass seed beads threaded on thin craft wire and bent into six points. A small bag of beads makes several stars, so you can keep one for your own tree. It is a calm, relaxing project to do while watching a holiday movie. Gold and clear look classic, but red and green or all silver work just as well. Which colors would sparkle best on your tree?
You will need: Clear and gold glass seed beads, 24 gauge craft wire, round nose pliers, wire cutters and thin red ribbon.
How to make it: 1. Cut six pieces of wire about 5 inches long and thread beads onto each, leaving a small tail. 2. Bend each beaded wire into a V and twist the tails together to join the points into a star. 3. Add a ribbon loop at the top point.
Ornament Exchange Gifts in Tiny Knit Sweaters
Ornament Exchange Gifts do not get cuter than a tiny sweater on its own little hanger. This is the piece people squeal over, and it is usually the first one stolen in the game. If you knit, a mini sweater takes one evening with leftover yarn. If you do not, you can cut a tiny sweater shape from an old knit sweater or a felt sheet and stitch the edges. The mini wooden hanger is the detail that makes it look store bought. Do you have a sweater with holes that could become a dozen tiny ones?
You will need: Leftover worsted yarn and size 4 needles, or an old knit sweater, a mini wooden hanger, a yarn needle and thread.
How to make it: 1. Knit or cut two small sweater shapes about 3 inches wide, with short sleeves. 2. Stitch the sides and sleeves together and weave in or trim the ends. 3. Slip the sweater onto a mini wooden hanger and hang it from the hook.
A Cinnamon Stick Sled That Smells Like Christmas
This little sled smells wonderful the moment the box opens. Five cinnamon sticks sit side by side on two craft stick runners, and a tiny plaid bow with a pine sprig finishes it off. It is rustic, cozy and perfect for a farmhouse style tree. Cinnamon sticks are cheap at the grocery store, and craft sticks cost pennies, so you can make a whole set for under five dollars. Use a low temperature glue gun with adult help. Would you add a tiny bell on the front?
You will need: Five cinnamon sticks about 3 inches long, two craft sticks, a low temperature glue gun, a small plaid ribbon, a pine sprig and twine.
How to make it: 1. Trim the craft sticks and bend the front ends gently after soaking them in warm water, then let them dry. 2. Glue the cinnamon sticks side by side across the runners. 3. Glue a small plaid bow and a pine sprig on top and add a twine loop.
Ornament Exchange Gifts With a Gift Card in a Felt Mitten
Ornament Exchange Gifts can hold a little surprise, and this felt mitten is the perfect hiding spot. Tuck a coffee shop or bookstore gift card into the cuff, and the person who opens it gets two presents in one. The mitten itself is two pieces of wool felt joined with a simple blanket stitch, plus a stitched snowflake on the front. Even beginners can sew one in about thirty minutes. It also makes a lovely way to give a gift card to a teacher or neighbor. Which card would your friends love to find?
You will need: Cream wool felt, red embroidery floss, an embroidery needle, a paper mitten template, scissors, a ribbon loop and a small gift card.
How to make it: 1. Trace a mitten about 4 inches tall onto felt twice and cut both pieces. 2. Stitch a small snowflake on the front piece, then join the two pieces with a red blanket stitch, leaving the cuff open. 3. Sew a ribbon loop at the top and slide the gift card in.
A Paper Quilled Snowflake
Quilling is the old craft of rolling thin paper strips into coils and shaping them into designs. A white quilled snowflake looks like delicate lace, and nobody guesses it started as plain paper strips. It is very light, so it hangs beautifully on a tree or in a window. A basic quilling tool and a pack of white strips cost only a few dollars, and the craft is very relaxing once you get the hang of it. A coat of clear spray sealer helps it last for years. Could this become your new winter evening hobby?
You will need: White quilling paper strips about 1/8 inch wide, a slotted quilling tool, white craft glue, a toothpick, clear spray sealer and silver thread.
How to make it: 1. Roll strips into loose coils, let them relax, then pinch them into teardrop and eye shapes. 2. Glue six teardrops in a ring around a tight center coil, then add eye shapes between the points. 3. Let it dry flat, seal it and add a thread loop.
Ornament Exchange Gifts in Candy Colored Felt Balls
Ornament Exchange Gifts in candy colors always make people smile. This one starts with a plain clear ball from a dollar store pack, covered in small wool felt balls in pink, red, mint and white. It looks soft, cheerful and a little bit Scandinavian. Felt balls come in big mixed bags online and at craft stores, and one bag can cover several baubles. Pick colors that match your friend’s style, from bright rainbow to soft pastels. Would you go bright or soft for yours?
You will need: A clear plastic ball, about 40 small wool felt balls, a low temperature glue gun, and a ribbon for hanging.
How to make it: 1. Remove the cap from the ball and start gluing felt balls near the top. 2. Work around the ball in rows, pressing each felt ball close to the last one. 3. Replace the cap and add a ribbon loop.
Glitter Tipped Pine Cones With Velvet Loops
Free from the yard, finished in minutes, and loved by everyone. A pine cone with sparkly tips and a velvet ribbon loop looks like something from a fancy holiday shop. Just brush the tips with glue and dip them in fine glitter, so the cone looks frosted with snow and gold. Bake fresh cones on a foil lined tray at a low temperature first to dry them out, with adult help. Make a set of three for a gift bag. Do you have a pine tree nearby that is dropping cones right now?
You will need: Dry pine cones, white craft glue, a small paintbrush, fine white and gold glitter, red velvet ribbon and a glue gun.
How to make it: 1. Brush glue onto the tips of the cone scales. 2. Sprinkle or dip in glitter over a paper plate and tap off the extra. 3. Glue a velvet ribbon loop to the top and let it dry.
A Little Painted Scrap Wood Cottage
This sweet little house is cut from a scrap of wood and painted white with a red door and a snowy roof. It looks like a piece from a Scandinavian Christmas market. If you have a short piece of 2×2 board, an adult with a hand saw can cut a whole village of little houses in one afternoon. Kids can help paint the doors and windows. Thick white paint dabbed on the roof looks just like fresh snow. How many little houses would fit on your tree?
You will need: A scrap of 2×2 wood, a hand saw or miter box (adult help), sandpaper, white and red craft paint, thick white texture paint, a small screw eye and twine.
How to make it: 1. With adult help, cut a block about 2.5 inches long and cut the top into a roof point. 2. Sand it smooth, paint it white, then add a red door and dab thick white paint on the roof. 3. Twist in a small screw eye and add a twine loop.
Ornament Exchange Gifts for the Cook: A Bay Leaf Wreath
Ornament Exchange Gifts for the cook in the group should smell like the kitchen. This tiny bay leaf wreath looks beautiful on the tree, and after the holidays it can hang near the stove. Dried bay leaves are cheap in big bags at grocery and international stores. Glue them in an overlapping row around a small wire or cardboard ring, then add a thin red and white bow. It is a thoughtful gift that feels useful and pretty at the same time. Who in your circle loves to cook?
You will need: About 30 dried bay leaves, a 3 inch wire or sturdy cardboard ring, a low temperature glue gun, and thin red and white ribbon.
How to make it: 1. Glue the first leaf onto the ring with its tip pointing clockwise. 2. Keep adding leaves, each one overlapping the last, until the ring is covered. 3. Tie a small bow at the top and add a ribbon loop.
A Plump Felt Cardinal
Bright red cardinals feel like Christmas to so many families, and a soft felt one is always a favorite in the swap. It is two felt body pieces stitched together, stuffed with a little fiberfill, with a small wing, a black face patch and an orange beak. It sits perfectly on a branch, as if it just landed there. Many people see a cardinal as a sign of a loved one who is missed, which makes this gift extra meaningful. Who would you make this little bird for?
You will need: Red, black and orange wool felt, red thread, a needle, a little fiberfill stuffing, a paper bird template and twine.
How to make it: 1. Cut two body shapes, one wing, a small black face patch and an orange beak. 2. Stitch the face, beak and wing onto one body piece, then stitch the two bodies together, leaving a gap. 3. Stuff lightly, close the gap and add a twine loop.
Ornament Exchange Gifts That Make Everyone Laugh: The Clothespin Skier
Ornament Exchange Gifts that make people laugh are the ones that get stolen again and again. This little skier is a wooden clothespin with a pom pom hat, a felt scarf and skis made from craft sticks. Toothpicks become ski poles, and tiny wood beads make the mittens. It is a great project to make with kids, and each one comes out with its own funny personality. Make one for the skier or snow lover in your family. What would you name yours?
You will need: A wooden clothespin, two mini craft sticks, two toothpicks, small wood beads, a scrap of felt, a little yarn pom pom hat or sock cuff, and craft glue.
How to make it: 1. Glue the clothespin onto the two craft sticks so it stands like a skier. 2. Glue on a felt scarf and a tiny hat made from a sock cuff with a pom pom. 3. Glue toothpick poles to the sides with bead mittens and add a loop.
Wrap It Like a Boutique Gift
How you wrap the piece matters almost as much as the piece itself. A small kraft box, a puff of white tissue and a red and white twine bow make even a simple bauble look like it came from a boutique. Add a plain kraft tag where you can write who made it and the year, so it becomes a keepsake. Boxes protect fragile pieces, too, especially glass, during all that passing and stealing. For more ideas on what to tuck inside clear balls, see these fillable Christmas ornaments. Which wrap style suits your crowd?
You will need: Small kraft gift boxes about 4 inches square, white tissue paper, red and white baker’s twine and plain kraft tags.
How to make it: 1. Crumple tissue loosely into the box to make a soft nest. 2. Set the piece in the middle so it peeks out. 3. Close the lid, tie the twine in a bow and add a handwritten tag.
How to Host the Ornament Exchange Gifts Game
Ornament Exchange Gifts are even more fun when everyone knows the rules. Ask each guest to bring one wrapped ornament with a set price limit, often 10 or 15 dollars. Each person draws a numbered slip from a bowl. The first person opens a box, and each next player can either open a new box or steal one already opened. A piece can only be stolen three times before it is safe. People have hung decorations on trees for centuries, as you can read in this short history of the Christmas ornament, but the swap game makes them feel brand new. Will you host one this year?
You will need: One wrapped ornament per guest, a bowl, small paper slips with numbers, and a simple rule card for the table.
How to make it: 1. Set a price limit and ask guests to bring one wrapped ornament each. 2. Number the slips, fold them and let everyone draw one. 3. Play in order, allow up to three steals per piece, and let the first player take one last swap at the end.
