CD Christmas Ornaments

I played around with making some ornaments out of CD's last year and they just didn't click. This year my muse actually came out of retirement (she's been gone for a while) and I kicked a bunch out yesterday.

Here's how I did them:

First I picked my embellishments from my stash I picked up last year at Hobby Lobby. Next I picked my Christmas paper. To cut the paper, I used my Fiscars shape cutter on a mat and just cut around the CD, very easy and a nice cut. Another hint, green papers don't show up well on trees.

Then I worked on my layout. Do all your design work and especially stamping BEFORE you mount the paper on your CD, they warp....don't ask how I know that! I stamped, embossed, added borders with leafing pens etc. or embossed the border. This is a perfect time to get out your sparkly embossing powders.

TIP: If you are in doubt about how something stamped will look on your project, stamp it on some clear acetate and lay it on your project. You can move it around and preview it before you stamp and wish you hadn't. This works for all your stamping projects and has saved some mistakes for me and ruining a project like I did before I figured out this tip.

After you layout is complete and stamping done, I mount it to my CD that I ran through my Xyron with adhesive cartridge in. Sticky stuff on printed side. Then line your paper up with your CD and stick down. The reason I use my Xyron is when I tried to use my ATG gun for adhesive, it left some bubbles.

Then I attached my embellishments with sticky dots or stamped cut out items, some with dimmensional stickies.

The skiing snowman has the glittery snow you can buy. I got mine at Menards for $1.25 and dumped it in a ziplock bag I just applied glue where I wanted the snow and put it in the bag and pressed the 'snow' on.

TIP: If you are using buttons with shanks as embellishments, cut off the shank with a side cutters and then use a grinder to grind off the pieces that are left on the button, holding it with a needle nose pliers. You can use a Dremel too. There, 3 things you can ask for Christmas, side cutters, needle nose and Dremel if you don't have them and something ALL husbands can find. I use mine ALL the time. Oh and if you don't have Crop-a-dile, add that although they might have a time finding one! DD found mine at Hobby Lobby last year and I got it for Christmas, with 40% off coupon they are only about $15.

I use my Crop-a-dile to punch the holes in the CD for the string. It works great. Last year I was heating them and trying to use a regular punch. I think that's what discouraged me, the crop-a-dile is slick!

I plan on tying these on packages, a double gift. Make sure your reciepients know it's an ornament.