Quick Christmas Ornament

With Christmas approaching, lots of us are looking for easy, inexpensive crafts that our children can make to give as gifts. Many homeschool groups have Christmas parties and need crafts that any age or ability can enjoy. Or maybe you just need something to occupy excited children while you wrap presents.

One very simple, quick craft is the God's Eye ornament. Chances are, you made them in school or scouts yourself. The God's Eye comes from the Huichole Indians of Mexico. It is a symbol of the watchful eye of a loving God. You may already have the supplies needed or you can get them easily at your local craft store. All that is needed is popsicle sticks (AKA "craft sticks"), glue and yarn. For my homeschool group I bought 4 skeins in different colors of Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in a worsted (medium) weight. I prefer the varigated yarn as opposed to the solid colors because it gives the most impact with the least amount of work.

Your first step is to glue 2 craft sticks into the shape of a cross. Just one drop of glue is all you need. Wait a couple of minutes for it to dry before continuing. I like to pre-glue several crosses to have ready, especially when preparing for a crowd.

Next, hold the end of your yarn at the place where the craft sticks meet. Wrap the yarn 3 times around the sticks, then turn the cross and wrap 3 more times, forming an X. Remember to work from the end of the yarn attached to the ball. See pictures below.




Now come from under one stick and wrap the yarn around it once.

Turn the cross to the left and wrap the yarn around the next stick, coming from underneath.

Continue to turn and wrap until you have filled up the sticks. Leave 1/4 to 1/2 inch at the ends.
When you are finished, leave a 6 inch tail and cut the yarn.
Make a simple knot, then leave a loop and knot it again. Put a drop of glue on the knot and the stick.
I have found that most school age children can accomplish this craft after just a little bit of instruction. Older children like to experiment with what happens when you wrap over the sticks for awhile instead of wrapping under.

When preparing God's Eyes for a group, I would suggest rolling your yarn into several small balls of each color. This craft takes 5 minutes to make, so have extra sticks ready so they can make more than one!

Next week I'll show you a fun candle craft that is quick, easy and makes a fun gift.