Strawberry Walnut Ornament Craft

Folks have been using walnuts as Christmas tree decorations for well over a hundred years. During Victorian times, it was common to hang gilded walnuts from the branches, which would ultimately be taken down, cracked, and eaten. Gilded walnuts still make great tree decorations, but why not go a step further with this easy strawberry walnut ornament craft? It’s inspired by one my mom used to make many years ago, using felt leaves and red craft paint with white polka dots. This version ups the bling factor a bit with rhinestones. I also subbed red nail polish for craft paint, since I couldn’t find a red hue of craft paint that seemed exactly right. Here’s how to make these ornaments.

Strawberry Walnut Ornament Craft Supplies

• Walnuts (large)
• Red nail polish (I used OPI “Not Really a Waitress” Red)
• Tiny rhinestone adhesive gems (the smallest you can find) in gold and/or silver
• Glass leaves beads (3 per ornament)
• Craft glue
• Monofilament line
• Tweezers (optional)

Strawberry Walnut Ornament Craft Instructions

• Paint each walnut with a coat of red nail polish and allow to dry completely. Depending on how well your polish covers, you may need a second coat.
• Apply the rhinestones in a random pattern. Fine-tipped tweezers may help.
• Adding the leaves will depend on the type of beads you find. If yours are like mine, with wire loops at the top, snip the wire loops from 2 of the 3 leaves. Leave the third to hold the monofilament line for hanging. Glue them to the top of the walnut (opposite the pointed end) as shown. (Tip: Fill a shallow bowl with rice and nestle the walnuts down into it to hold them still while the glue dries). When the glue is dry, cut a short length of monofilament and pass it through the remaining wire loop to make the hanger.

• If your beads don’t have wire loops, glue the leaves in place as shown. When the glue is completely dry, put another dab of glue in the center of the leaves and press a loop of monofilament into place to create a hanger.