Welcome to Day #7 of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments, and time for some family fun!

Today we add a personalized touch and more splash to our trees. We layer family members’ handprints in beautiful, metallic colors to create an ornament that is your family’s alone. Layers of Love Ornaments are simple and fun to make!

Materials and Tools:

• Willing family members
• Paper and pencil
• Access to a copy machine, OR
  a scanner and computer with image editing software.
• White card stock to print patterns
• Scotch tape
• Metallic and/or glitter card stock in assorted colors
  (from the scrapbooking section of your craft store)
• Detail cutting scissors
• Stiff felt (for the backing)
• Tacky craft glue
• Foam brush
• “Mini” hole punch
• Waxed paper
• Thin wire & wire cutters, thin ribbon, or ornament hanger

Instructions:
1. With pencil and paper, trace each family member’s hand.

2. Copy or scan your traced handprints.

3. Reduce the handprint images. Reduce and print images of your handprints much smaller than the actual hands, so finished product comes out a good ornament size.

Do this on a copier, or on your computer using image editing software and your scanned images. I reduced our handprints to 15 percent of actual size. You be the judge – I think 15 – 20 percent is a good range.

4. Copy your reduced handprints onto white card stock. These images will be your patterns for the ornament.

5. Loosely cut around each pattern.

6. Plan your color scheme for each ornament from your selection of metallic and glitter card stock. You’ll layer the hands from smallest to largest, front to back, so
plan accordingly.

7. Make a small loop of scotch tape and tape each pattern to its colorful card stock.

8. Using detail cutting scissorscarefully cut out each handprint form the metallic or glitter card stock.

9. Cut a backing for the largest handprint from stiff felt. I had white on hand, but I think a dark green (the color of your tree) would work even better.

10. Working one layer at a time and back to front, glue your ornament together. With your foam brush apply a thin, even coat of craft glue first to the “back” hand, to attach it to the stiff felt. Press it down firmly all over. Then glue the next hand on top of that one and work your way forward.

Notes: I found it helpful to hold each little hand by its edges while I used the edge of the foam brush to apply the glue to the back of it. I also had a moist paper towel handy, to quickly wipe off any glue that seeped through when I applied each layer.

11. When you’ve assembled all the layers, press your ornaments to dry. I sandwiched them in a layer of waxed paper and plopped on some heavy books.

12. When your ornaments are dry, punch a hole at the top of each. Add your wire, ribbon or ornament hanger, and that’s it!

Your Layers of Love are ready to adorn your tree. I also think these would be lovely hanging from a garland or a wreath.

Thanks being handy with us on Day #7 of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments! Now get the family and go out and play in the snow (or the park)!

Next time join us for Day #8 when we use a popular design motif….