Need a simple and relatively inexpensive holiday project or gift? Here are three ideas for easy Christmas ornaments to make with children. These all use glass ball ornaments which should be pretty easy to find at your local craft store.

Snowman ornament: Fill these with shredded paper, leftover styrofoam. or styrofoam balls. Decorate with paint or glitter glue, and tie on a ribbon or yarn for hanging. Detailed instructions can be found here. We used glitter glue simply because that’s what we had available. We used a clothes line to hang the ornaments on while they dried. Note to use a small amount of glitter glue if hanging them to dry, otherwise gravity will pull that extra paint right off!

Snowman ornament made by one of our first year students.

Abstract painting ornament: For those of you wanting something a little more artsy, check out these beautiful and simple ornament instructions. I received one of these as a teacher gift one year from a student, and it’s still one of my favorites.

A handmade painted glass ball ornament I received as a gift from a student.

Abstract melted crayon ornament: This project produces a similar effect and final look as the ornament above, but uses crayons instead of paint.

Crayon ornaments made by Meet the Dubiens.

I hope you enjoy making one of these projects with your kids! If you’re looking for more child-tested ideas for easy Christmas ornaments or gifts, check out my post from last year!