19 DIY Festive Paper Ornaments for the Holiday Season

Paper Pincone Christmas Ornament

Last year's Christmas cards become this year's ornament project with a paper punch. Select cards in coordinating colors, then punch out shapes. Hot-glue the pieces in rows to a foam egg shape, starting at the bottom and overlapping the pieces for each row.

Related: What to Do with Old Christmas Cards

Quilled Snowflake Ornament

This tiny medallion ornament is made from thin paper strips that are coiled and pinched into circles, teardrops, and marquise shapes using a quilling technique. The Christmas ornament sparkles with glitter.

Learn More: How to Make Stunning Quilled Ornaments

Embellished Paper Christmas Ornament

Adorn your Christmas tree with these easy-to-make paper ornaments. Cut circles from holiday-pattern or plain cardstock. Add string, ribbon, buttons, and other holiday embellishments to make them one-of-a-kind. Glue a piece of gold foil to the top of the ornament to mimic the real thing, then attach an ornament hanger or piece of string to the back to hang.

Paper Pinwheel Christmas Ornament

Holiday-theme pinwheel shapes are the perfect standout paper ornament for your tree. They come together with just a few cuts and folds.

Start with two-sided scrapbook paper and cut the sheet of paper into a square. Next, make a diagonal cut from each corner to halfway to the center. Fold one side of each section toward the middle (you can use tape or a helping hand to hold the first ones in place while you work on the others) and secure all four pieces in the center with a brad.

Sheet Music Christmas Ornament

Let plain, transparent ornament balls sing by stuffing them with sheet music from your favorite Christmas carols. It's simple and cheap to make these joyful ornaments.

Rosette Paper Ornament

Heavy scrapbook papers become unique ornaments to hang on gifts, the tree, or a banister. Cut long paper rectangles, bend in half, and adhere the ends between two cardstock circles using a dab of hot glue. Use adhesive letters to spell a holiday message on the front circle.

Paper Ring Christmas Ornaments

Get the kids to help make these simple and colorful ornaments. Overlap the ends of 1¼ x 7-inch-long strips of double-sided cardstock using a glue stick to secure the rings. Punch a hole for the hanger at the overlap. Make small loops with narrow ribbon, slip both ends through the hole, slip on chunky wooden beads, the knot the ends of the ribbon.

Six-Sided Christmas Ornament

Start with a basic papier-mache ornament and get creative with bits of paper and pretty beads. Customize your embellishment selections to match your Christmas tree's color scheme and theme.

Paper Snowflake Star Ornament

Although this three-dimensional snowflake looks like it was made from several pieces of paper, it was actually crafted from just one. To make it, download our pattern, available below, and tape to a light box (or a window in direct sunlight). Tape tracing paper over the pattern. With a pencil, trace the pattern onto white cardstock. Mark all points with pinholes to ensure accuracy when you begin and end each cutting line. Starting in the center of the design and working toward the outside, carefully cut on the lines, taking care to not cut the areas that hold the shape together. Cut on all the pattern lines, then, starting with the center star, carefully twist one quarter-turn. Continue to twist each successive star until all are spun out.

Learn More: Download the Free Pattern

Patterned-Paper Tree Ornament

Dot your Christmas tree in retro-fresh cheer with ornaments that take just minutes to craft. Cover Christmas tree die cuts with patterned paper using a glue stick. Spread glue over the surface of the paper-covered ornaments and sprinkle with ultrafine diamond dust. Outline the tree boughs with green glass glitter. Punch a hole in the top of each tree and thread with a length of ribbon for a hanger. Embellish the trees with pom-poms, ribbons, and trinkets.

Editor's Tip: Use your scrapbooking leftovers to decorate your paper tree ornaments. This one sports a berry sprig and bow. See three more variations of this ornament on the next slides.

Paper Package Ornament

Put presents on your tree as well as under it with these easy-to-make gift-shape ornaments. Download the free pattern, available below, and trace twice onto scrapbook paper; cut out. Cut the slits in the pieces as indicated on the pattern. Punch holes at the top and bottom of the package shape. Slide the two pieces of paper together. Make a bow with ½-inch-wide ribbon and wire it to the top of the paper package using the punched holes to secure. Add the narrow ribbon through the hole for a hanger. Thread a miniature jingle bell onto the wire and attach through the holes at the bottom of the package.

Learn More: Download the Free Pattern

Paper Ribbon Candy Ornaments

Enjoy this calorie-free holiday candy—in ornament form. To make, thread a needle with embroidery floss and knot one end. Using clear acrylic beads and 1-inch-wide double-sided paper strips, create the candy shape by threading two beads between each layer of paper strip as you bend it back and forth. Secure the top bead by running the floss through it twice, and make a loop for hanging.

Paper Medallion Christmas Ornament

Using an ornament stamp as a template, stamp and cut out the ornament backing from red glitter cardstock. Stamp and cut the remaining ornament components using patterned cardstock. Punch a snowflake from red glitter cardstock. Assemble the ornament using foam dots to create a multidimensional look. Use crafts glue to adhere rhinestones, bow embellishments, and a red cord hanging loop.

Red Christmas Tree Ornament

Stacked layers of paper are topped with a rub-on tree transfer for this easy-to-make ornament. Cut out the desired tree image from a holiday rub-on transfer sheet. Place the image on white paper and rub over the design to transfer. Layer the paper with the transferred image onto white cardstock and secure with paper adhesive; let dry. If you want a sturdier ornament, layer multiple sheets of white cardstock and use paper adhesive to hold them together. Use a crafts knife to cut out the tree shape through the layers of paper. With a snowflake paper punch, make snowflakes from red glittery cardstock and adhere to the top of the transfer tree with an adhesive foam dot. Embellish the ornament with red rhinestone trim as desired.

Editor's Tip: Look for sets of rub-on transfer sheets with multiple trees in different sizes. Use all of the rub-ons to make a matching set of ornaments.

Shadow Box Christmas Ornament

Use the lid from a box from your wrapping supplies to craft this petite holiday shadow box. Cover the interior and exterior of the lid with holiday paper. Punch two holes in the top of the lid. Thread ribbon through the holes and tie in a bow for a hanger. For each ornament, cut a valance from holiday paper and top with a piece of gold doily. Glue a small holiday image to chipboard and attach it to the inside of the box lid. Embellish with ribbons, charms, and tinsel.

Bright Paper Snowflake Ornament

Make a colorful flurry of snowflake ornaments. Fold a square of sturdy decorative paper in half diagonally, then in half again. Make cuts on all sides. Open, press, and outline edges with crafts glue and sprinkle with glitter.

Christmas Paper Clutch Ornaments

Craft these cute holiday purse ornaments for the handbag-loving fashionista in you. Download the free pattern, available below, and trace onto cardstock; cut out. Score folds on outside; fold. Punch holes through the paper as indicated. Glue trim along flap edge. Attach a beaded wire handle, bending ends to secure. Glue trim onto flap. For closure, add adhesive-back hook-and-loop tape.

Learn More: Download the Free Pattern

Red Bird Christmas Ornament

Give these bird ornaments a place to nest in your Christmas tree. Using spray adhesive and with right sides together, adhere a layer of red glitter cardstock over solid red cardstock. Download the free pattern and trace the bird's body, wing, and tail shapes onto the papers. Cut the slits on each cutout shape as indicated on the pattern. Using a small round brush, apply red glitter glue around the edges of each shape. Use crafts glue to adhere a black sequin or bead onto the head for an eye; let dry. Assemble the bird. For a hanger, cut a length of satin ribbon, form a loop, and tie the ends in a knot. Hot-glue the loop in place on the back of the bird's body.

Learn More: Download the Free Patterns

Postcard Christmas Ornament

A vintage postcard, a narrow piece of ribbon, and a paper punch are all it takes to put together this antique-look ornament for your Christmas tree. Punch a hole in the top of a real or reproduction vintage postcard and thread narrow ribbon through the hole. Tie the ends in a bow, making a loop for hanging. To leave a valuable postcard intact, make a color photocopy. Back the ornament with color-coordinating cardstock with a ¼-inch border.