Gift Idea: Tree Branch Ornament

Ornaments are such a nice, meaningful gift to give during the holidays, so we really wanted to make some.

As you know from some of our past projects, we love using elements from nature. So as we were brainstorming a special ornament to make for our families, this seemed perfect. Inexpensive, easy, customizable and very much our style. 

You will need: A tree branch, a drill, a knife or saw, five beads, thread and a needle. 

First, cut your pieces to size. You'll want to start with the longest one at the bottom and make the pieces progressively smaller. We cut 5 for the tree including a small one for the top and a vertical pice for the trunk. 

Then using pliers and a drill, put a hole in the center of each piece of branch.

For the piece for the trunk, you need to drill through vertically (see the image below).

Finally the fun part. Choose the beads you'd like to use and lay out your branch pieces. We plan to use different beads for each ornament we make.

Last simply thread them together and create a loop at the top.

I'm going to make it a tradition to hand-make an ornament each year. How about you? Do you collect ornaments for your tree or give them as gifts?