DIY Ornament: “Frosted” Candy Cane Thumbprint Keepsake

Now that my kids are old enough (sort of) at 2 and 3, I thought we would start a new holiday tradition this year and start making an annual DIY ornament! They are not exactly master crafters yet, but they rock at getting their fingers in paint. So I used the inspiration from two Halloween projects we did (our thumbprint spider pumpkins and our sugar frosted Halloween luminary) to come up with a DIY ornament that kids of any age can do (and also makes an adorable keepsake for the tree).

To paint the ornament you will need:

• red and white craft paint
• a clear ornament which can be found at any craft store
• paper plate or something to contain the paint
• if your kids are like mine….paper towels or baby wipes

Painting the Ornament

My little girl is not quite 2 so not old enough yet to turn loose and let her do this project on her own. It was a perfect opportunity to make a memory with Grandma and let her guide my toddlers hand in the paint.

Dip their little thumb or finger in the red paint, dab it onto the ornament, wipe their finger clean, then repeat the process with the white paint. Continue dipping their fingers in the alternating colors and as you dab the fingers onto the ornament, guide the thumbprints into a candy cane shape.

I explained the process to my 3 year old and he was able to do fairly well mostly on his own. It had the beautiful messiness of a preschooler craft but that’s one of the best things about making these keepsakes, right?

Let the craft paint dry. When the painting is done, your ornament will look something like this. This is the one that had “help” if you couldn’t tell. 🙂

To Mod Podge and Frost the DIY Ornament You Will Need:

• your painted ornament
• Mod Podge
• brush for Mod Podge
• sugar
• paper plate for sugar

Mod Podging & Frosting the Ornament

Pour about 2 cups of sugar onto the paper plate and set aside. (Use enough sugar that you will be able to roll the ornament in it.)

Using your brush or sponge, apply a liberal coat of Mod Podge to the entire ornament, being careful to avoid the newly painted candy cane. Make sure the entire ornament other than the candy cane has Mod Podge on it.

Before the Mod Podge dries, roll the ornament in the plate of sugar. Make sure all the Mod Podge becomes covered with sugar to “frost” the ornament. You can do “touch ups” and gently add new Mod Podge if you missed any spots. When the ornament is completely covered in the sugar frosting, gently blow on it to remove any excess sugar. Set aside and let dry according to Mod Podge instructions.

You can even add ribbon or Washi tape to dress up this adorable DIY ornament keepsake. I loved the way they turned out, and I think our new holiday ornament making tradition is off to a great start!

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