How to Make Thrifty Christmas Ornaments Out of Paint Stirrers

This post shares my DIY paint stirrer Christmas tree ornaments. Paint stirrers are free and make a great material for ornaments!

How to Make Thrifty Christmas Ornaments Out of Paint Stirrers

I can’t stop with the DIY ornaments, I suppose. I shared a series of 7 DIYs for clear bulb ornaments recently, and today I’m sharing DIY paint stirrer Christmas tree ornaments.

We were doing our usual weekend Home Depot/Lowe’s run with Tootie last weekend when I got the idea for these ornaments. The nice guy at the paint station gave her two paint stirrers to wave around (which she did, at everyone for the remainder of the visit) and the idea just popped into my head to make something with them. As one does. So I settled on little Christmas tree ornaments.

Supplies

Paint stirrers
Dremel and small saw blade attachment
Fine-grit sandpaper
Wood glue
Measuring tape, straight edge, pencil
Craft paint (I used DecoArt paints in black and white) and small paintbrush
Drill (we have this one) and drill bit big enough for an ornament hook to fit through
Ornament hook

And here’s how I made DIY Paint Stirrer Christmas Tree Ornaments.

Always take the proper precautions and safety measures before working with any tools. Wear safety equipment and work with a professional when necessary. Happy building and stay safe!

Step 1: First I cut a small “tree trunk” piece from another paint stirrer (you could also use a Popsicle stick) and glued that down on three paint sticks like so.

making the Paint Stirrer Christmas Tree Ornaments

Step 2: Once the wood glue was dry, I took a straight edge and drew two diagonal lines to make a tree shape. I cut along those lines to form the tree shape.

(I do not recommend using something higher powered like a miter/chop saw since these are small. You would have to get your fingers pretty close to the blade!)

Step 3: After using the fine-grit sandpaper to polish up the surface, any glue, and any splintery edges, I used craft paint to paint the trunks piece. You can paint the whole tree if you want. I like the unfinished wood and black look!

Then I used my drill and a drill bit just big enough for an ornament to fit through to drill a small hole in the top of the ornament. I popped in a hanger and it was done. You could also use twine to hang them.

Guys. Paint stirrers are free, and you probably have some laying around your house or garage if you’re a DIYer. Make thyself some Christmas tree ornaments!