Tis The Season | DIY BEADED STAR ORNAMENTS

If you ask me Christmas decorations should long be up by now. And yet, there are some people who leave this joyous and - in most cases - aesthetically pleasing task to the very last minute. Why this is, is beyond me. I will simply assume that these individuals have neither heart nor soul and might want to consider moving to the moon once that becomes a realistic alternative to life on planet earth.

I on the other hand will keep breathing in the oxygen this planet provides and spend every waking moment in the spirit of Christmas until someone tells me that I should knock. Out. Of. It.

Is Mad Christmas a medically approved disease? Like Mad Cow, but caused by sniffing too much cinnamon and listening to Last Christmas on repeat?

Just kidding.

I hate that song.

To be fair, I understand that there are some people who simply cannot find the time to get all decked out for the holidays any sooner than their first day off of work; second, if the first is destined merely for sleeping in and knocking back eggnog.

I get it. The shopping madness, the Christmas markets, the ugly X-Mas sweaters, the gingerbread house decorating activities (I'm still waiting for my invitation) plus a daily eight-hour shift that leaves you exhausted to say the least; it can all be so very overwhelming.

So for those of you who are looking to simply stay in on a busy work night, enjoy a hot chocolate and get started on some simple holiday décor, I have just the thing!

I've been meaning to do this diy for a few years now, but always got tangled up in some other project.

These beaded star ornaments are such a classic though; easy to make, but all the more beautiful dangling from the Christmas tree or from your pet reindeer's antlers!
Plus, you can get wooden beads in bulks at any craft store and make a bunch of ornaments for your friends and family too!

Here's what you'll need to make one ornament:

TOOLS:
- side cutter

MATERIAL:
- 30 wooden beads
- craft wire
- cooking twine
- sewing thread / ribbon

Before you get started, check out the best way to paint your wooden beads here.

Step 1: Cut the wire to a length of about 80cm using your side cutter.

Step 2: String 12 beads onto one end of the wire. Bring the other end around to form a circle and thread back through the beads in the opposite direction. Adjust so that both strands have about the same length.

Step 3: Continue with one strand in the direction in which it is pointing. (I picked up the left wire which was pointing to the right, indicating to go around the beaded circle in clockwise direction.)
String two beads. Skipping the first bead, thread the wire through the second bead of the circle. Repeat this another five times until you've reached your starting point.

Step 4: Continue with the other end of the wire. Thread the wire through the adjacent bead of the inner circle and through the first bead of the outer circle. Add a bead and thread the wire through the second bead of the outer circle and through the following bead of the inner circle, and back up the outer circle before adding another bead. Continue around the circle until the star has six points.

Step 5: When you've reached your starting point, bring the two lose ends together. Pulling tight, twist the two ends together as close to the beads as possible to secure. Thread through one or two beads, then clip with the side cutter. Add some thread or ribbon for hanging.

Where will your ornaments be displayed this year?