Cookie Exchanges? Pshaw! Ornament Swaps are So This Year!

Here is a confession... I've never done a cookie exchange. I've always thought it would be fun but apparently that is an old fashioned idea I guess as no one in any of the crowds I've been around would have thought twice about doing one.

So I was thrilled when Erlene at  My Pinterventures suggested and orchestrated a holiday ornament exchange. I knew exactly what ornament I was going to make and to make it easier, my partner, Jamie and I are twin souls I think as she decorates her tree blue and silver and I love those colors for the holidays! To me, blue represents the crisp blue December skies and the twinkling of the silver, the sparkling snow.

Erlene partnered with over 80+ bloggers to exchange ornaments both handcrafted and specially chosen to represent the joyfulness and specialness of the season. Over the next 14 days, you'll be treated to unique ornaments designed or specially sourced to delight your eye and start the excitement of the season!

Knowing what I was going to do, I decided I'd jump right in and kick off the festivities with the other festive ladies in Group 1 which includes:

 DIY Adulation 

Tastefully Frugal           My Sweet Things

For my ornament I decided we'd revisit a previous post, the Moravian Star because it's simple, beautiful and can be created in one night for a lifetime of enjoyment.

As we've previously gone through the steps to make this, we'll do a quick synapsis here and I'll point you to the original post here for more indepth instructions.

Quick Directions for the Moravian Star 

1. Make a small triangle pattern for your points.
2. Mark out 12 of these. Remember, glass doesn't have a grain line so whatever pattern looks interesting to you, you can cut it. 
3. Using your pistol grip cutter, cut all pieces.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. If necessary, grind your edges if you have a grinder or sanding cookie.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Foil triangle pieces.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Flux and tin all the points
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Lay out four of the pieces with the points together, flux and tack soldier the points together.
   
   
   
8. Once together solider more firmly.
9. Take two more points and flux/solider them at one point.
10. Flux two areas of the star and solider this on.
11. Repeat with the other two.
12. Cross the remaining four pieces across these points.
13. Let cool.
    
    
    
    
14. Smooth any solider lines you can without causing issue to structural integrity.
15. Polish, take some fishing wire through the top. Hang or gift. You are all set.

There is still more than a little heft to this so you'd have to have a sturdy branch.

This is coming your way Jamie so no peeking at this post until you get it!

Stop by Erlene's blog for more ornaments throughout the holiday season, and if this is your first visit here, you are invited to look around and stay turned for some new projects to keep you busy during the upcoming winter months. Stop by next week for a wonderful basket project that you'll make again and again!