Children can quickly and easily throw together this Victorian style ornament for friends and family!

Tammy Mayrend | contributor

One of the things I look forward to is creating the opportunity for my children to make their own Christmas ornaments to give as gifts to family, friends and special people in their lives. I've done this since the kids were born, even if I only helped them hold a crayon or add beads to a wire they bent into some interesting shape. It allows them to have a special feeling of accomplishment, to get creative and to look back over the years at the great memories they have created.

This year I was also able to help my Tiger Cub Scout den do the same for their families. My challenge was the boys have different abilities and attention spans, so I needed something fairly quick, and I wanted something that would be special for the moms. It was as I was unpacking my tree ornaments, the idea hit me.

Many years ago, my mom and I took a class at a littler herb shop on old US-12. The ornament we created was something akin to old world or Victorian charm, and it used many easily accessible garening and craft items, specifically the very easy to find plant lamb's ear.

Lamb's ear is a fuzzy, sage green perennial that is found in many yards and gardens throughout Ann Arbor. The great thing is, that even with this snow, you can clip the leaves to use any time of the year even now! So if you want a quick easy peoject to keep the kids occupied this week, this Victorian style garden ornament fits the bill.

Supplies:
2 1/2-inch Styrofoam ball
12-15 lamb's ear leaves per ball
Straight pins
Assorted dried or artificial flowers or herbs, beads, pearls, gems, buttons
Ribbon
Hot glue and glue gun or white glue

Step 1) Begin by pinning the lamb's ear leaves, vein side down onto the Styrofoam ball. Smooth each leaf as it is placed.

Step 2) Add additional leaved slightly overlapping with their tips meeting at the bottom of the ball covering the Styrofoam with the stem side at the top.

Make sure the leaves match up at the bottom of the ball when pinning them, if Styrofoam shows at the top, don't worry.

Tammy Mayrend | contributor

3) Once the ball is covered with leaves, glue or pin assorted flowers, naturals, pearls and beads to the top of the ornament.

4) Add ribbon or bow to top to hang ornament. Either pin it or add glue, then pin it for security.

The sky is the limit on materials to use to top this ornament off. Natural products, herbs, dried flowers, beads added to pins — whatever you like!

Tammy Mayrend | Contributor

Step 5) Add a gem or filigree to the bottom of the ornament for a finishing touch!

Tammy Mayrend | Contributor

The boyes loved the project and easily finished it within 20 minutes with the help of an adult helper. It would be a easy kids activity though even with limited assistance.

Tammy Mayrend is a Ann Arbor search marketing professional and mother of two who blogs on low-cost local activities, events, and Ann Arbor area freebies for families at annarbormom.com.