DIY: Simple & Inexpensive Owl Ornament

With the holidays quickly approaching and shopping days dwindling, DIY gifts that can be made in the comfort of my own home sound pretty good right now. I always seem to have trouble coming up with universal gifts - something that everyone will enjoy - but ornaments seem to be a safe bet for most. I will start off this tutorial by saying that I am not a crafter. I have dabbled in crafting, but I think my finished products could make it on to one of those competition shows where you're given an idea but fail miserably. Making this owl ornament however, was quick, easy, inexpensive, and turned out quite nicely! I did sustain a few burns from my nemesis - the hot glue gun - but overall, this adorable owl ornament was a painless craft to make. Here are the supplies you'll need and instructions to make a simple & inexpensive (and ridiculously cute) owl ornament.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED:

• Felt: I chose to do a Barred Owl and went with very neutral colours, but you could do literally any colour combo with these ornaments. Your owl can be whimsical and fun, or more realistic looking, the choice is yours. Note: For an eco-friendly option, try using an eco felt such as Eco-fi, which is made from made from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles.
• Pine cones: Make sure they are dry or the hot glue won't stick properly. The one I used for this tutorial was a bit on the small side but worked fine. You can adjust the size of your felt pieces to suit your chosen cones. 
• Felt tip pen
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Twine
  
  * There is also dog hair in these photos - it is not required to create the ornament. Also, don't try to do this with cats around. Pine cones and twine are fun toys.

Got all the supplies ready to go? Awesome! Let's do this. 

STEP ONE: Draw all the components needed to create your owl. This includes two wings, face, facial disc, whiskers, and bill. You may also choose to add things like claws, a tail, or (like I did) a Santa hat. Using a sharp pair or scissors, cut each piece carefully. Don't worry if the pieces aren't symmetrical, owls are not always symmetrical birds. Instead of drawing your shapes directly onto the felt, try drawing them on cardboard and tracing onto the felt. This will help create less wasted felt while you choose the right shapes for your owl.

STEP TWO: Add in the details with a fine felt tip pen. The finer tip, the better - my pen was a little too thick and caused some bleeding in the felt. This step isn't necessary, but it helps to create a more realistic look. You can copy what I've done with this Barred Owl, or do a search of any owl species you'd like to model yours after and draw your own details in. 

STEP THREE: Carefully glue the facial disc/eyes to the head; the bottom of the disc should be a little over half way down the head. Next, flip the whiskers over so the details are facing down and secure the bill with glue; allow to dry. Next, glue the whiskers and bill to the facial disc and allow to dry, then glue the entire head to the pine cone. Finally, glue the wings of the owl on to the sides of the cone, with the curved edges facing inward. Set aside for a few minutes to allow glue to dry. See photos below for placement reference. * If adding a Santa hat, glue the hat just slightly behind the top of the facial disc. 

STEP FOUR: Choose your desired length of twine and tie a knot (see below). Cut the twine directly below the knot, this helps to give the glue a larger area to adhere to. If your chosen cone has a knot in the top (small indentation), fill it with hot glue and press the knotted piece of twine down into the glue; hold for a few moments while glue dries.

STEP FIVE: Hang & enjoy! 

And there you have it! Well done, you've survived another holiday craft tutorial. Time to grab some hot chocolate & a few sugar cookies and bask in the glow of Christmas lights and your impeccable crafting skills. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and can't wait to see your owl-y creations in our Facebook group Ontario Birds by WBU Barrie and WBU Newmarket!

Happy trails!

- Shayna