• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Feels Like Home™ logo

  • Shop
    • Christianity Downloads
    • Family Downloads
    • Food & Cooking Downloads
    • Hobbies & Crafts Downloads
    • Learning Downloads
  • Blog
  • Family
    • Parenting
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Marriage
    • Kids activities
      • Kids Crafts
      • Christmas Crafts for Toddlers & Preschoolers
      • Christmas Crafts for Kids
      • Christmas Crafts for Tweens & Teens
    • Learning
      • Reading & Writing
      • STEM
  • Faith
    • Bible Study
    • Encouragement
  • Recipes
    • Comfort Food
    • Eating after Bariatric Surgery
    • Gluten-Free
    • Recipes for Foodie Kids
    • Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals
  • Health
    • Mental Health
      • Hobbies & Crafts
      • Self-Care
    • Physical Health
      • Bariatric Surgery
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • SHOP
  • RECIPES
  • FAMILY
  • FAITH
  • HEALTH
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    See More:   Christmas crafts Holidays & Celebrations Kids activities Kids Crafts Learning Parenting Reading & Writing

    Last Modified: Oct 12, 2019 by Tara Ziegmont 4 Comments

    Cute Bird Ornament - DIY Christmas Craft for Kids

    12FacebookMessenger712PinterestTwitterWhatsAppEmail
    724
    SHARES

    bird Christmas ornaments

    We signed up to offer a craft at our December 4H meeting. Our club's theme is wildlife, so I wanted something that had something to do with animals. I scoured Pinterest for a Christmas ornament craft that was easy enough to be done by 6-year-olds but interesting enough for teens (as that is the age span of our club). It wasn't easy, and I ended up finding exactly nothing that would work.

    If you follow me on Instagram, you saw a picture of the Christmas tree our club decorated at Christmas Magic in York this year. It had a bird theme. The ornaments were all handmade by the club members and included toilet paper roll binoculars and birds made of painted clothespins with googly eyes and feathers hot glued on. The tree was adorable, and totally inspired the craft I ended up creating for our December meeting.

    My sweet girls showing off the tree they decorated at Christmas Magic at Rocky Ridge County Park in York. Our 4H club decorates a tree every year and this was our third time participating. The whole club makes the ornaments, and then two families take them to the park and put up the tree. It’s super fun.

    If you’ve never been to Christmas Magic, you are missing out. It’s about a mile of walking path dripping with Christmas light displays. It opens this Friday at 5pm and runs most evenings through Christmas Eve. When you go, get there about 4:45 if you can - that’s when the line is shortest. If you wait, you’ll have to sit in a mile long line just waiting to park your car. But it’s totally worth the wait. We loved it last year and can’t wait to go again this week! 

    A post shared by Tara Ziegmont (@feelslikehomeblog) on Nov 21, 2017 at 11:43am PST

    I was also inspired by the ornaments I found at the Dollar Tree store. They have simple, clear plastic ball ornaments in two sizes. The smaller size are 2 for $1 and the larger size is $1 each.

    Between the bird tree above and the $45 worth of ornaments I bought, I decided on this painted DIY bird ornament. I think they look totally hokey, and maybe the oldest kids won't appreciate them, but my own kids love them and that's what matters to me.

    DIY Bird Christmas Ornament Craft

    Materials

    • Clear plastic ball ornaments with removable tops
    • Paint in your choice of colors (see below for types of birds to paint)
    • Googly eyes (The ones I linked are self adhesive, but you will need some hot glue for the foam anyway, so I went ahead and glued them on.)
    • Orange craft foam
    • Feathers - I ordered natural colored feathers, blue feathers, white feathers, red feathers, and multi colored feathers from Amazon because I was not thrilled with the selection at my local craft stores.
    • Hot glue gun with glue sticks

    Instructions

    I didn't take pictures of the individual steps here because the birds came together so easily - this really is a craft for kids, even young ones, with a little glue gun assistance.

    1. Paint the ornaments. We experimented with rolling paint around the inside of the ornament (the bird on the left below) and painting the outside of the ornament (the bird on the right below).
      A bird Christmas ornamentPin
      As you can see, the bird with the painted inside stayed shiny while the bird with the painted outside is matte. You can also see the brush strokes on the bird that's painted outside which may bother some little painters. Joe made a bird (so there is proof that it's an okay craft for older kids - he asked to make one!), and he put three coats of paint on his bird to get the opacity and lack of brush strokes that he wanted.
      I recommend dripping the paint on the inside of the ball and rolling it around until the whole thing is coated. Then turn it upside down over the paint bottle to let the remaining paint drip back out. Easy peasy.

      Types of birds (for photos visit All About Birds which is a site I have loved and subscribed to for years)

      • Cardinal - red with a black face (we left off the black face)
      • Blue bird - blue with an orange belly - Belly will have to be painted on the outside of the ornament.
      • Robin - brown with an orange belly - Belly will have to be painted on the outside of the ornament.
      • Dove - white or gray
      • Goldfinch - yellow with black and gray wings
      • Chickadee - white, gray, and black
      • Junco - dark gray with white belly - Belly will have to be painted on the outside of the ornament.
      • Wren - brown with yellow or white belly - Belly will have to be painted on the outside of the ornament.
      • Tufted titmouse - mostly gray
    2. Put the top back on the ornament. Cut a small triangle beak out of craft foam and glue that and the eyes on.
    3. Pick 2 smaller feathers for the wings. Glue them on behind and below the eyes. I found after our first couple of birds that you need to angle the wings slightly or they look like the bird is wearing dangly earrings, as below.
      A bird Christmas ornamentPin
      Here's one where the wings are angled, and I think it looks much better.
      A red bird Christmas ornamentPin
    4. Next, glue on the tail. You have lots of options where the tail is concerned.
      Grace went for a wild hairdo on her bird, complete with neon colored feathers sticking up at odd angles.
      Allie\'s turkey Christmas ornamentPin
      I went huge on this white bird. You could trim the larger feathers if you wanted.
      A close up of feathersPin
      I did trim the tail feathers on this red bird.
      A close up of the red bird with feathers for a tailPin
      These feathers were from the natural colored pack I linked above. They were much smaller than the colored feathers, so the tail is much smaller and more sparse. Still cute, but different.
      Red bird ornament with brown feathersPin
      This bluebird ended up with big wings and a big tail.
      Blue bird ornament with orange bellyPin

    After we were finished, Joe, Grace, Allie, and I agreed that this was a pretty fun craft that we are looking forward to doing at 4H in a couple of weeks.

    Our little birdies are hanging on our Christmas tree already.

    A close up of a book coverPin

    This DIY bird Christmas ornament craft goes really nicely with the children's book The Message of the Birds which is a sweet story that's not necessarily about Christmas but works really well during this season. It does start out with a brief mention of the Christmas story and how the birds were in the rafters watching when Jesus was born to bring a special message to all the earth. As the story continues, people no longer listen to the special message, and the birds decide to try to reach the world through children. They do end up spreading the special message which is revealed at the end of the book as the message of peace.

    A collage of bird ornamentsPin

    For more kid-made Christmas ornaments, visit Mama Miss. She's have a party this week with over 50 different projects and crafts!

    A signPin

    12FacebookMessenger712PinterestTwitterWhatsAppEmail
    724
    SHARES

    More Kids Crafts

    • 30 Fun Fourth of July Crafts, Activities, Printables, & Foods for Kids
    • 12 Reasons Why Crocheting Should Be Your New Hobby
    • 30 Cool DIY Father's Day Gifts for Kids to Make for Dad or Grandpa
    • 46 Beautiful Mother's Day Craft Ideas for Kids and Adults

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Melissa says

      November 29, 2017 at 10:47 am

      These are so fun Tara - - love them!

      Reply
    2. Enzo says

      November 30, 2022 at 6:30 pm

      i Will make one of these when my mom & dad put up the tree and put the ortements!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Tara.

    Harrisburg PA mom blogger Tara Ziegmont
    I am passionate about helping women to care for themselves and their families physically, emotionally, and spiritually by making time for what matters most through a combination of delectable recipes, Christian inspiration, and family fun. If you're tired of feeling so weary and uninspired, you're in the right place. I'm so glad you're here!
    Read more about me...

    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram LinkedIn email me subscribe

    Popular Recipes

    • Cheeseburger Soup from Taste of Home
    • Cracker Barrel Copycat Fried Apples
    • Sweet Balsamic Pork Roast in the Instant Pot
    • Couldn't Be Easier Cherry Pie

    Food with an Instant Pot in the background

    AS SEEN ON

    a list of the websites where Tara Ziegmont has been featured

    Popular Bible Studies

    • A Grateful Heart - 2 week printable study
    • 10 Bible Verses on Anger
    • 13 Bible Verses on Disappointment
    • 50 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know
    • 10 Bible Verses to Overcome Worry

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    As seen on

    a list of the websites where Tara Ziegmont has been featured

    Contact Tara


    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy.

    Copyright © 2022 Feels Like Home Blog

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    SettingsAccept
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT