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Christmas ornaments and an online wood gallery

Blog by Rob Brown
Christmas ornaments

Here are some ideas for Christmas ornaments you can make.

I’ve made only a few different wooden Christmas ornaments over the years. The first were made about two years ago, and I wrote about them in this post.  They turned out well and are currently hanging in the living room. The kids get a kick out of seeing them each year.

The second ornaments were for an article in last year’s Canadian Home Woodworking and Home Improvement Dec/Jan issue, and were featured on our cover. You can read about them here. You might notice that neither of the two ornaments I made show any wood grain or colour. One is white while the others are a sparkly colour that was sprayed on. I think they’re both quite festive and look great hanging in our home.

One of our best-selling issues of all time was our Dec/Jan 2021 issue, which featured a few scroll-sawn wooden ornaments. You can read it here. It sold much better than the issue that featured my colourful ornaments. One reason for that might be because the scroll-sawn ornaments showed wood grain and colour, not to mention the fact that they were nicely designed and executed by one of our writers, Heather Craig. I guess woodworkers like seeing the beautiful grain and colour of wood!

Christmas snuck up on me this year (surprise, surprise) so I didn’t get a chance to make any ornaments. We also didn’t include any in this year’s Dec/Jan issue. Having said that, I’d like to share some ornaments with our social media followers over the next few days. Send me images of wooden ornaments you’ve built over the years and we’ll share them via Facebook and Instagram so followers can get some inspiration for this holiday season. Sure, it’s a bit on the late side, but what would Christmas be without some last-minute rushing around and late nights spent in the workshop?

To get you started, here are a few other ornaments we’ve run in in past issues.

Bob Hamilton: Turn a Christmas Ornament

Allan Cusworth: Inside-Outside Ornament

Allan Cusworth: Christmas Ornament

J.P. Rapattoni: Christmas Tree Ornament

My Ornaments

I made these colourful ornaments for last year’s Dec/Jan issue. They’re made in two parts that slide together to form the 3-D shape before they’re painted.

Christmas ornaments

Best Sellers

Heather Craig made these scroll-sawn ornaments a few years ago. Our readers really liked them.

Best Sellers

Nice Contrast

Bob Hamilton turned these maple and walnut ornaments for an article a few years ago. Is there a nicer combination than maple and walnut? I don’t think so.

Nice Contrast

Great Challenge

If you’re a turner and are up for a fun challenge, these inside-outside ornaments Allan Cusworth made are turned, split into sections and re-glued.

Great Challenge

Classic Ornament

Another one of Allan Cusworth’s turned ornaments; this is a classic style that will be enjoyed for years to come.

Classic Ornament

Pierced Turning

J.P. Rapattoni designed and made this ornament for our pages many years ago. I’m sure it’s still in action today.

Pierced Turning

Wood Symphony Gallery

Wood Symphony Gallery currently has an online exhibition of handmade wooden objects titled “The Art of Giving” that I enjoyed looking through. As I’ve mentioned before in this column, the textures, colours and forms in the exhibitions they put on are always inspiring. You can check out all the pieces here.

“Blue Box for Dreams”

Dale Lowe made this heavily textured and coloured white ash box this past year. It’s 5-1/4" in diameter.

“Blue Box for Dreams”

“M and M”

This pierced turning was made by J. Paul Fennell. It’s made from mesquite and is 7" high.

“M and M”

“Snow Wren”

Ian Bell made this beautiful little carving from Australian red cedar. It’s 6" high.

“Snow Wren”

“Wave Dancer”

This rocking vessel was made by Derek Bencomo. It’s made of Hawaiian wattle and is 10" long.

“Wave Dancer”
Published:
Last modified: December 15, 2022

Rob Brown - [email protected]

Rob is a studio furniture maker and the editor at Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement. Instagram at @RobBrownTeaches

4 Comments

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  2. Bob Hamilton you say? I had a woodturner friend (who passed away a number of years ago) by that name. Was your Bob Hamilton from Dartmouth NS, or are there woodturning Bob Hamiltons all over the place? (To say nothing of the Bob Hamilton who sends you your income tax notice of assessement… I don’t know if he is also a woodturner.)

  3. great article. I always make about a dozen Christmas tree oranaments for family and friends. Great to have some new ideas. Thanks

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