I wanted to make these last Christmas, but I finally got around to it this year. I love animals, and I love Christmas, so it seemed like the right thing to do. I first saw the idea here, with the original tutorial here, but I simplified it a little.

Here’s what I used and what I did:

plastic animals//screw eyelets//spray paint//ribbon

1) I gathered my animals! I bought 6 large animals instead of a bunch of tiny ones. Luckily for me, I found them on sale at Michael’s for just $1 a piece (remember how I hate paying full price)!

2) I took screw eyelets (I found them in the frame hanging section at Target) and simply screwed them into the backs of the animals (no drilling necessary). The screws have a point, so it just takes a bit of pressure as you twist to secure them in. Make sure you place the eyelet in the animal’s “center of gravity”, so it hangs properly.

3) I spray painted them! I just used a glossy white paint, but you could choose any color you want. I think the white makes them very Christmas-y. They will require several coats of paint, and when you flip them over to paint the undersides, make sure the animal/newspaper is completely dry or else they will stick. I did not use any glitter or sealer on mine.

4) I put a ribbon through the screw eyelet and tied it in a bow.

This is our first year getting an actual tree (a real one at that!) and not a little baby tree, so in addition to our growing collection, I wanted to make some “handmade” ornaments to adorn it. I think they’re super cute and can’t wait to hang them on our tree!

-wonderland sam