Product Review: Beaded ornament kits and the...

Today I finished up the beaded Christmas ornaments for the 80 or so treat bags I will be giving out to my kids on my school bus today. These ornaments are pretty much just my own design off the top of my head. You can see the ornaments in this article, http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977193044

I will finish putting the treat bags together next week. They will include one ornament, a pencil, a candy cane and some candy.

Since I had the kid's ornaments finished, I desided to start working on the kits I had bought for me. One was some holly leaves and berries from Nicole Crafts. I looked on the website, http://www.nicolecrafts.com/default.asp ,but the don't seem to have the item online. Typical. LOL But they do have lots of other stuff including projects you can do and that the kids can do. These kits are typically pretty easy to do and everything is included in the kit. You just supply the ruler, wire cutters and needle nose pliers. The instructons are easy to follow and you can complete these rather quickly.

The next two kits I have came from Toner Crafts, http://www.tonercrafts.com/default.html The two kits that I have include a beaded stocking kit that makes 10 stockings and a beaded Joy ornament. Basically, it looks like a clothes hanger with the letters J-O-Y hanging from the bottom. It is really cute. Needless to say, neither one seems to be listed on the website. I did buy them at either A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby or Michaels. (Wal-Mart didn't carry any of the beaded ornament kits this year.) Like the kits from Nicole Crafts, these are easy to do. The instructions are quite easy to follow and you supply the same "tools" as you did for the Nicole Craft kits.

I truly enjoy doing these kits as it helps me to pass the time in between my million things that I have to do. I have done angles, a tree, candles, crosses, snowflakes, and other kits when i can find them. I don't really care for the ones that look like penquins or ice cubes. I like the more Christmasy ones. And since they are made from beads, the lights on the tree make them sparkle.

On both websites, they give directions for some of the kits they sell. This way you can make them without buying the kits, so long as you have the beads and wire to do so. I am one of those goofy people who loves to have beads and wire on hand as well as other beading supplies. I am even known for keeping the directions and picture from the kits so I can make them again at a later date if I so choose too.

My husband and I only have a little 4' tree to decorate, so I usually end up sharing my ornaments from the kits with my best friend for her tree. Although my oldest daughter has been known to come over and steal some when I am not looking! Of course she only steals the completed ones! LOL