When I was a kid, we used to buy kits to make beaded ornaments. The balls were styrofoam wrapped with silky thread. Then pins with beads were stuck in them in a pattern to make a glitzy ornament for the tree. I adored those old ornaments and when I see them today, I still love them, even though they’ve lost some of the pins and the silky threads are shaggy from years of handling.
In my efforts to find ways to celebrate the holidays that don’t have to do with food, I made an ornament dripping with beads in honor of those decorations I remember from my childhood. I started with a pattern, but my ball was a different size. Also, I was just using a bunch of beads I had bought at random for this project, so they probably weren’t the right size either. The result was that as the net grew around the ball, the sections got uneven. I had to abandon the instructions and improvise. The end results are a little wonky, but I think that’s what I like about this ornament the best. It’s just like the ones we made as kids, imperfect and obviously handmade.
Do you have a favorite handmade ornament from your childhood? Do you make something like them today?