DIY Keepsake Ornament

Ever want to give something a little extra special for a gift? Something personalized that they can keep forever to remember a special event like a birthday, shower, wedding, anniversary?  In this blog post I will teach you how to make a DIY Keepsake Ornament that has proven itself to please!  This is an EASY project, so if you are scared of the term DIY, be scared no more. : )

For this project you will only need a couple of things.  The main thing you need is the original invitation to the birthday party, baby/bridal shower, wedding, anniversary celebration, etc.

-Clear Glass ornament (I purchased mine in a pack of 4 from the Hobby Lobby)
-A pen or pencil
-A scrap-booking paper cutter (or scizzors)
-The original event invitation
-ribbon or lace

When you purchase your ornaments, take them out of the box to make sure they are all in tact.  These ornaments are a decent size (approx. 4-5 inch diameter) and I have found they work best-anything smaller is difficult to work with.

You can begin making your ornament by cutting up your invitation (vertically) into pieces a little less than a half of an inch thick.  I have found that the best method to do this is with a paper cutter so that you don’t get jagged edges like you would with a pair of scissors.  If you don’t have a small paper cutter, you can pick one up at your local craft store between $10 and $20; if you use a coupon, it could be even less!  I use Fiskars brand-they work awesome and you can use them over and over again without having to change the blade.  Check em out!  If you don’t have a paper cutter and don’t want to invest in one, thats okay too!  Just be careful when you are cutting with your scizzors so you get as smooth of edges as possible.

Once you have all of your pieces cut, take your pencil and tightly wrap the pieces of invitation around the pencil so that the paper curls…like a curly french fry! Depending the size of the invitation, you should have enough to fill the whole ornament.  The invitation I used was a 5.5 x 8.5 inch invitation which is pretty standard for invitation sizes.

Now you’re ready to take the metal top off the ornament, fill it up with the paper and put the top back on!  Tip: If there are really cool graphics or letters on the invite, I usually try to position the paper on the top or outer edge of the ornament so that it looks extra perdy! : )

All that’s left to do is add a ribbon to the top of the ornament.  I went with lace for this one (I knew her gown was lace), but you can use any type of coordinating ribbon.  I’d love to take the credit for this project idea, but it was a pinterest find.  We just love the fact that it is eco-friendly reusing the invitation and a beautiful accessory for your Christmas tree every year!  Below is the finished project and the other items we gave the happy couple for their gift.  If you like these and would like to order anything, please contact us!