Make beautiful DIY wood slice Christmas ornaments with photos or with paint. Completely customizable to your color scheme and style!
I absolutely love nature-inspired Christmas decor. It's really easy to make a cohesive, cozy look with natural elements, but there are also a lot of ways to customize and make it your own.
These DIY wooden ornaments are one example of that. Take a tree cookie, a totally natural item and create a unique and beautiful decoration.
This DIY is also pretty cost-effective. A set of 30 wood slices with string is about $12 on Amazon, then you just need some Modpodge (which I can always find at the dollar store or the craft store) and some photos or paint.
Take note- homemade ornaments are great gifts for family members! It's always fun to receive new ornaments, but it's even better when they have a personal touch, like family photos.
WHy Make Homemade Christmas Ornaments?
Anything homemade just has a special feel about it that store-bought items don't have. Every year when you pull out your handmade ornaments, you can appreciate your creativity and handiwork (and memories, if you made ornaments with photos!).
Why Use Wood Slices to Make Ornaments?
Wood slices can be used in many different ways to create ornaments. You can hang them as is (they are naturally beautiful!), paint words or pictures on them or attach photos. I haven't tried this, but using a wood-burning tool to create designs or write Christmas phrases would also be really cool!
If you love decorating with natural materials, wooden Christmas ornaments are a perfect addition.
Materials for DIY Wood SLice CHristmas Ornaments
Wood slices - You can buy precut wood slice ornaments online that even have predrilled small holes and string included. The size of ornaments I used was from 2.4" - 2.8" and that size works well for a 6 - 7 foot Christmas tree. Go for a larger size if you have a taller tree. If you're ambitious, you can make your own wooden circles. I don't quite have that skillset, so I've linked a great tutorial here!
Modpodge - Can act as both glue and a sealing topcoat, whether you do photo ornaments or painted ornaments. Modpodge is available in matte and glossy finishes, I chose to use matte for this project. I don't recommend using hot glue to attach the photo as it's harder to get a smooth finish. It tends to make the photo kind of bumpy!
Brushes - Whether you are making the photo or the painted ornaments you'll need a paint brush or foam brush (or both!) to apply the Modpodge and paint.
Twine or string - Use to create loops to hang your ornaments on the Christmas tree, but also to decorate the ornaments with bows or tassels.
Ribbon - Use as an alternative to twine or string to hang the ornaments or create decorative bows.
Photos - Use any printed photo! Just be sure the subject will fit inside the tree cookie. I ordered my photos through Walmart online and picked them up at the nearest location the next day. It was very easy and convenient!
Paint - If you are making the painted ornaments, you can use any color you like, in acrylic or chalk paint (not to be confused with chalkboard paint!). I went for black, but you could also do a festive color, like the classic red and green, or match them to your special Christmas color scheme.
Paint pens - You can get these at the dollar store in many colors and just write or draw what you'd like on the ornaments. I found a gold paint pen at Dollar Tree and love how the gold looks against my black background. If you can't find any, you can paint words on with a fine paint brush.
Cricut - If you have a Cricut or another cutting machine, you can use it to cut out vinyl decals to apply to your ornament instead of painting a word or picture.
How to Make Wood Slice Christmas Ornaments (Photos)
Materials:
Wood slices
Modpodge
Foam brush or paint brush
Photos
Twine or string
Ribbon
Instructions:
Cut the picture in a circle to fit on the wood ornament.
Option 1: Eyeball it and cut the picture down slowly until you are happy with the size.
Option 2: Cut a piece of paper to fit on the tree cookie, place this paper circle on your photo and trace around it. Now cut the picture on the line.
Make sure the surface of your wood slice is free of dust. Apply a thin layer of ModPodge to the tree cookie surface and attach your picture. Apply gentle pressure for about 15 seconds. (If you wish you can use a sheet of paper between your fingers and the photo so you don't smudge it.) Allow to dry for 10-15 minutes.
Use a pushpin or knife to poke a hole through the photo where the predrilled hole is. I went through the back first so I knew exactly where to poke.
Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge across the photo, extending beyond the photo to the edges of the ornament. Make it as smooth as possible and try not to get any in the hole. Allow to dry for 20 minutes.
Cut a string or twine to the desired length. Thread it through the ornament hole and tie it to form a loop. (you may need to push it through with a pushpin or the end of a paper clip.) Alternatively, you can tie your string into a loop first, push it through the hole and loop it over itself, pulling tight around the ornament, as I did. This way your ornament will face you when put on the tree, instead of swinging sideways.
Tie a bow with your string or ribbon at the top of the ornament for added decoration, if desired.
How to Make Wood Slice Christmas Ornaments (Painted)
Materials:
Wood slices
Paint
Paint brush
Paint pen, paint in another color or Cricut vinyl design
Modpodge
Twine or string
Ribbon
Instructions:
Ensure your wood slices are free of dust. Paint your chosen color in a circle on the slice. You could follow the lines of the tree rings or try to make a perfect circle, up to you! Allow to dry completely and apply a second coat of paint if desired. Allow to dry again.
Apply your chosen Christmasy words or images, whether drawing with a paint pen, painting with a fine brush or applying a vinyl design. Dry completely.
Apply a thin layer of Modpodge to seal in the design. Make sure your paint or ink is fully dry, or you may smear the design. (You can see I was a little too hasty!)
Cut string, twine or ribbon to the desired length. Thread it through the ornament hole and tie it to form a loop. (you may need to push it through with a pushpin or the end of a paper clip.) Alternatively, you can tie your string into a loop first, push it through the hole and loop it over itself, pulling tight around the ornament, as I did. This way your ornament will face you when put on the tree, instead of swinging sideways.
Tie a bow with your string or ribbon for added decoration, if desired.
Did you try these DIY Christmas ornaments? Tag me on Instagram @thehomeintent so I can see yours!
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Photo Wood Slice Christmas Ornaments
Active Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Make beautiful DIY wood slice Christmas ornaments with photos or with paint. Completely customizable to your color scheme and style!
Materials
Wood slices
Modpodge
Foam brush or paint brush
Photos
Twine or string
Ribbon
Instructions
Cut the picture in a circle to fit on the wood ornament. Option 1: Eyeball it and cut the picture down slowly until you are happy with the size. Option 2: Cut a piece of paper to fit on the tree cookie, place this paper circle on your photo and trace around it. Now cut the picture on the line.
Make sure the surface of your wood slice is free of dust. Apply a thin layer of ModPodge to the tree cookie surface and attach your picture. Apply gentle pressure for about 15 seconds. (If you wish you can use a sheet of paper between your fingers and the photo so you don't smudge it.) Allow to dry for 10-15 minutes.
Use a pushpin or knife to poke a hole through the photo where the predrilled hole is. I went through the back first so I knew exactly where to poke.
Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge across the photo, extending beyond the photo to the edges of the ornament. Make it as smooth as possible and try not to get any in the hole. Allow to dry for 20 minutes.
Cut a string or twine to the desired length. Thread it through the ornament hole and tie it to form a loop. (you may need to push it through with a pushpin or the end of a paper clip.) Alternatively, you can tie your string into a loop first, push it through the hole and loop it over itself, pulling tight around the ornament, as I did. This way your ornament will face you when put on the tree, instead of swinging sideways.
Tie a bow with your string or ribbon at the top of the ornament for added decoration, if desired.
Did you make this project?
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram
Painted Wood Slice Christmas Ornaments
Active Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Make beautiful DIY wood slice Christmas ornaments with photos or with paint. Completely customizable to your color scheme and style!
Materials
Wood slices
Paint
Paint brush
Paint pen, paint in another color or Cricut vinyl design
Modpodge
Twine or string
Ribbon
Instructions
Ensure your wood slices are free of dust. Paint your chosen color in a circle on the slice. You could follow the lines of the tree rings or try to make a perfect circle, up to you! Allow to dry completely and apply a second coat of paint if desired. Allow to dry again.
Apply your chosen Christmasy words or images, whether drawing with a paint pen, painting with a fine brush or applying a vinyl design. Dry completely.
Apply a thin layer of Modpodge to seal in the design. Make sure your paint or ink is fully dry, or you may smear the design.
Cut string, twine or ribbon to the desired length. Thread it through the ornament hole and tie it to form a loop. (you may need to push it through with a pushpin or the end of a paper clip.) Alternatively, you can tie your string into a loop first, push it through the hole and loop it over itself, pulling tight around the ornament, as I did. This way your ornament will face you when put on the tree, instead of swinging sideways.
Tie a bow with your string or ribbon for added decoration, if desired.
Did you make this project?
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram
If you're planning on using wood that you have cut, bake your wood slices at a low heat (approximately 200 degrees F) for 45 minutes on each side to dry out the wood and kill any critters that may be hiding in the wood. If needed, sand the surface and the edges of the wood.
Trace the wood slice round on the back of the picture and cut out. Peel the adhesive sheet off the photo and lay the photo face down on the wood slice, pressing a wet towel down to transfer. After a minute, peel off the photo and see the image transferred onto the wood. Use the wet towel to wipe any unfinished edges.
You can keep wood from splitting by applying a sealant or stabilizer, using a salt paste, applying varnish, applying paintable wax, or applying boiled linseed oil. Those methods will help you to keep wood from splitting when nailing, screwing, drying, cutting, and sawing.
You can dry wood without cracking by applying a sealant, stabilizer, or salt paste before drying. Finally, you can apply boiled linseed oil or let logs dry as boards to avoid cracking when drying. Treating wood with stabilizing solution keeps wood from cracking when drying.
If you're wondering how to transfer photos to wood, it's a relatively simple process. You'll print a photo out on a dry ink printer (like laserjet or an HP).You'll paint a medium on the front of the photo, and then smooth it onto an unfinished or painted surface.
Protect your wood panel by applying a sealant to it prior to painting. The natural chemicals that wood contains can break down a painting over time, but sealing protects wood from this.
Sealing or sizing a piece of wood greatly reduces the chance of stains, warping and rotting wood from your paint. Yes, this can happen! You should apply two coats of sealer and let it dry thoroughly in-between each layer. Sealing also provides an easier surface to apply subsequent paint layers starting with a primer.
Set a circular saw to the desired depth for your hollowed area. Use the saw to cut grooves outlining the hollowed area on the wood. Hold your chisel at an angle and hollow out the outlined area by tapping the handle to shave away the wood.
Do I need to seal wood slice ornaments? No, you don't. I didn't seal any of the ones you will see in this tutorial. However if you want to keep the edges from flaking too much or just give them a finished/polished look, you can brush them with some polycrylic or spray sealer.
Sharpies, those iconic permanent markers, can be used on far more than just paper. These pens can also be used to decorate wooden items, such as salad bowls, unfinished jewelry boxes or wooden figures, providing an effect similar to colorful wood stain.
Soak the slice in wood sealer if it's already partially dried, or denatured alcohol if the slice is less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Alternatively, mix a paste of table salt, water, cornstarch, and egg whites and brush it onto the slice. Let it air dry in a warm, well-ventilated area.
Overview. Drying out wood slices is actually really easy. All you need to do is grab some denatured alcohol, and allow the slices to soak for 24 hours for each inch of thickness.
There are countless ways to finish your wood pieces. A few favorites include: staining, painting, varnishing, and live edge wood. When you choose to use a stain or paint, there are a lot of different color options to choose from. You may want to take a scrap wood piece and experiment to make sure you like the color.
Stack firewood in a single row up off the ground so the sun and breeze can draw the moisture out the cut ends – most wood has a 30-50% moisture content when cut and you'll need to get it down to around 15-20% before you can burn it efficiently.
To cure wood, you can stack it on top of a concrete foundation outdoors and let it air dry, which takes about 1 year per 1 inch of thickness to cure. If you want to speed up the process, try moving the foundation and wood into a shed and setting up some fans inside.
To dry wood slices in an oven, you must ensure the wood slices are spread out without touching each other on the center rack. Then, you preheat the to a temperature within the range of 200°F (93°C) – 225°F (107°C). Then, you measure the average moisture of the wood slices to know how long to heat them for.
Well, Mod Podge has the answer! Transferring a photo onto just about any surface such as wood, metal, glass, terra cotta and even fabric is so easy to do using Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium! Take a look at the photo below, it was transferred onto an inexpensive wood plaque and now is preserved for years to come!
DCS Direct Jet inkjet printers are amazingly effective for digital wood printing. They allow you to print photo-quality images, logos and text directly onto wood substrates up to 6" thick. Print full-color images onto wood signage, plaques and much more with a direct to wood substrate digital printer.
Paper – Most items, especially thicker papers and scrapbook papers, are ready to use with Mod Podge as is. If you are working with thinner sheets of scrapbook paper or inkjet printouts, it may help to spray your paper with a clear acrylic sealer before Mod Podging. Spray both sides and allow to dry before using.
Clear Acrylic Sealer Mod Podge Spray: This sealer spray is used to protect paint, lacquer, varnish, stain, glue, wood and other porous surfaces. It dries clear and is non-yellowing.
This is the original Mod Podge formula – that have been around since the 1960s, so it has been well and truly tested. Classic Mod Podge can b used for :sealing wood, chipboard or terracotta prior to painting to give a smooth surface to work on.
Be sure to use acrylic paint that is formulated for glass or plastic (depending on what ornaments you're using). Don't use too much paint. Not only is it wasteful, but it will take a lot longer for your ornaments to dry. Make sure your ornaments are clean and dry.
If you are deciding to paint bare wood, you should seal all knots (spot prime) with a shellac based primer. Shellac based primers are great for sealing wood knots and sap streaks. They do carry a pungent odour, but dry very quickly and will not let the knot bleed through the top (finish) coat.
Wood burning is a fun technique, but if you don't have wood-burning tools, you can still create pretty wood-slice art. Grab some black ink pens like a standard fine point Sharpie marker and just start doodling. You'll be amazed at what you can create!
There are numerous types of craft paint, but acrylic paint seems to be the most popular choice for applying to wooden surfaces. This is because acrylic paint can adhere to almost any type of wood regardless of the wood's grain density. Acrylic paints also have the largest number of colors available.
What happens if you don't prime bare wood is not pretty. Similar to new drywall, raw wood soaks up paint like a sponge. As a result, your surface will look blotchy since pores in the woodwork unevenly absorb the paint. More importantly, the painted wood will likely peel in two or three years without primer.
Of all finishes, paints provide the most protection for wood against ultraviolet degradation and simple erosion. A painted surface retards the penetration of exterior moisture, blocks out damaging ultraviolet rays, and seals into the wood the natural resins and other oils that can otherwise be weathered out.
It's a widespread myth among woodworkers and finishers that to prevent warping it's necessary to balance moisture-vapor exchange by finishing both sides of wood. In fact, finishing the undersides of tabletops or the insides of cabinets or chests has only limited impact on reducing the likelihood of future problems.
Sealing wood slices can help to keep them from flaking and it also gives them a nice little polished look, which is a cool juxtaposition to their rugged edges and gnarled centers.
Acrylic paints works great on wood and many other types of porous material without any extra preparation so they make an excellent choice for wooden ornaments. In terms of brands and types, any will do. You can use the thinner acrylic craft paints in bottles, to the thicker heavy bodied acrylic paints in the tube.
Pour wood sealer into the container if the wood has partially dried. If your wooden slice was cut and left to dry for longer than a few days, use wood sealer as a soaking solution to help prevent cracks or splits from forming.
Lay wood slice over picture and trace around wood slice. Cut around traced lines. Using a 1″ Foam Brush* , brush over image with a medium application of Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium* .
Sealing or sizing a piece of wood greatly reduces the chance of stains, warping and rotting wood from your paint. Yes, this can happen! You should apply two coats of sealer and let it dry thoroughly in-between each layer. Sealing also provides an easier surface to apply subsequent paint layers starting with a primer.
Protect your wood panel by applying a sealant to it prior to painting. The natural chemicals that wood contains can break down a painting over time, but sealing protects wood from this.
Tips and Recommendations. Use glue or primer before painting on the slice; otherwise, your paint will be absorbed into the wood and your image will not be clear. To set your image, simply add a coat of clear varnish and let dry. Another way to set your image is to use wood polish.
Before you paint a wood craft, sand it with 140-180 grit sandpaper, wipe away the dust, and apply a coat of primer to seal the wood. When the primer is dry, use a foam brush or wide paint brush to apply as many coats of acrylic paint as you like, making sure to let it dry in between coats.
Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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