I always try to find ways to celebrate Christmas in a conscious and meaningful way.

In today's world, we can so easily get caught up in all the glitz of Christmas. The beautiful Christmas lights, sparkly ornaments, fun crackers, candy cane, and elaborate gifts.

And although I love these things and enjoy the excitement that goes with Christmas, such as a gorgeous Christmas tree with all the glam, I try to remind myself and teach Ava about what Christmas is all about.

One way of reminding ourselves of the beautiful gift of the birth of Jesus Christ is by putting up a Christmas tree in our barn. For me, it brings so much significance and a reminder of Jesus being born in a stable, among animals, and laid down in a manger filled with hay.

I am so excited to share this simple tree as part of my Seasons of Home Holiday Decor Series. Scroll down to take a look at my talented friends and their trees.

Our barn christmas tree in 2021! It’s a little more glammed up this year

A Farm-Themed Christmas Tree

I usually keep our barn tree simple, decorating it only with some fairy lights and maybe a few ornaments.

I wanted to incorporate a fun farm theme this year, so I made these cute farm-themed ornaments! They seemed appropriate for the barn setting, and we had such a fun time making them.

I also added pinecone ornaments dusted in white and a few dried pompous grasses from around our farm for a rustic touch. As you may know, I love using foraged items for decorations! The tree is from King of Christmas. I love it because it’s easy to put up every year and will last us for a long time. You can get it HERE

I love the inner fulfillment from making handmade ornaments for our Christmas tree and other uses. I am all about getting back to the basics, making things with our hands, and being more conscious about our consumerism habits.

Making your own ornaments are fun, unique, pleasing, and cost-effective! For every occasion, you can make a few new ones to add to your collection and every time making it, it is time well spent with loved ones!

This is the recipe I use every time to make our ornaments, and it is very easy as it only requires three ingredients.

You can find the recipe below! I love these specifically because they are a pure white vs a traditional salt dough ornament.

Handmade Christmas Ornaments

You will need:

2 cups baking soda
1 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cup water
Holiday and farm-themed cookie cutters (or whatever theme you desire)
Piece of string to hang the ornaments

Directions:

Combine the baking soda and cornstarch in a medium pot. Add water and mix well.
Place the pot over medium heat, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens. When you reach a 'mashed potatoes' consistency, remove from heat.
Form the dough into a ball and cover it with a damp cloth. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use the cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
Gently poke a hole at the top of each ornament with a drinking straw.
Let your ornaments air dry for 24 hours, flipping them once.
And voila, you have yourself DIY ornaments!
If you prefer, you can paint or spray paint them or sprinkle them with glitter for a touch of glam.

A few pointers when making the ornaments:

If the dough seems too dry, add a few drops of water to help roll out a smooth dough. If it's too wet, let it dry a little bit.
After cutting out a few shapes, you can add a few drops of water, roll back into a ball, and roll out again.
Use a spatula when lifting them from your countertop to a baking sheet to dry.
When drying them, add a damp paper towel on top, so they don't dry out too fast. If the ornaments dry out too fast, they may break.
Let them dry for 24 hours, flipping them halfway through.
This recipe gave me about 40-50 small ornaments. That's quite a lot for such a simple recipe!

What I love about DIY ornaments, especially the farm-themed and heart ones, is that you can use them for other special occasions or parties too!

You can build a lovely collection and always have something special to decorate with or add to your tablescapes. And they can also serve as unique thank-you gifts for your guests!

Here are some more DIY ornaments I have made for inspiration:

Salt-Dough Stars For Our Christmas Mantel