How to Make a Birch Buddy Ornament

• Tracing paper
• Transfer paper
• 1/8 X 6 X 4-inch Baltic birch plywood
• Scroll saw and #5R blade
• Drill and 1/16-inch drill bit
• 100- and 150-grit sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Wood sealer
• Paper grocery paper
• Paintbrushes: #8 synthetic flat, #10/0 synthetic liner, and spatter brush or old toothbrush
• Acrylic crafts paints: buttermilk, cranberry, clay, brown, black, khaki, and cinnamon (We used DecoArt Americana Acrylic Colors: Buttermilk DA3, Cranberry Wine DA112, Georgia Clay DA17, Honey Brown DA163, Lamp Black DA67, Khaki Tan DA173, and Light Cinnamon DA114)
• Antiquing medium
• 12-inch length of twine
• Two 3/8-inch-diameter red buttons
• Crafts glue

Download Birch Buddy Ornament pattern

 

1. Transfer ornament outline onto the Baltic Burch plywood. Cut out the shape using a scroll saw with a #5R blade.
2. Drill a hole at the top of the head. Sand all surfaces with 100- and then 150-grit sandpaper. Wipe away sanding dust with a tack cloth.
3. Apply wood sealer to all surfaces; let dry. Sand all surfaces again with the 150-grit sandpaper. Wipe away sanding dust with tack cloth.
4. Transfer the main pattern lines to the ornament. (There is no need to copy the details yet, because a base coat will be applied.) Lightly sand with a paper grocery sack to remove any fuzz; wipe away sanding dust with tack cloth.
5. With the #8 flat brush, base-coat the head and body buttermilk, the jacket cranberry, and the mittens brown. Let the paint dry. Lightly brush cranberry on the cheeks, paint the nose clay, and dot the eyes and mouth black. Shade the jacket with cranberry and black mixed 4:1; dilute the mixture with water to the consistency of ink and use a liner brush to paint the lines on the snowman and cinnamon shading on the mittens.
6. Apply antiquing medium to the ornament, and let dry. Dilute black with water to the consistency of ink. Dip a spatter brush or an old toothbrush into the paint; spatter the ornament. Let dry.
7. Thread a 6-inch piece of twine through the hole in the ornament; knot the ends. Cut the remaining 6 inches of twine into two pieces. Thread each piece through the holes in a button and tie a knot close to the button. Trim the ends. Glue the buttons to the snowman's coat.