Fame does not an elf make.
Really, it’s not a given — which is all the more reason to give a salute to the 22 celebrities who joined our mission to create holiday cheer through our 2nd annual “Have a Ball” auction.
These famous folks — from the worlds of design, theater, food, sports, television, radio, music, art and beyond — let their creative juices loose on a 3-inch plastic foam ball we gave them. Some adorned it, some bejeweled it, some bypassed it entirely on the way to making something truly celebratory.
Yet, in the end, all the ornaments (made with a budget cap of $10) have things in common: Each shows something of the heart and inner stirrings of its maker (not to mention his or her autograph). And each can be yours. They all will be found on the auction block at chicagotribune.com/ornaments, with online bidding starting Sunday and ending at noon Dec. 17.
Last year, readers bid away, with the highest bid ($330) going to the ornament made by Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith and his wife, MaryAnne. Altogether, the 23 ornaments raised $2,965, with proceeds benefiting Chicago Tribune Holiday Giving, a campaign of Chicago Tribune Charities, a McCormick Tribune Foundation Fund.
Likewise, when you bid and buy this year, you will be contributing to the Holiday Giving fund, which fights homelessness, hunger and illiteracy in the Chicago area.
So cruise the photo gallery of H&G elves below and check out the other 16 “Have a Ball” ornaments on PAGES 4-5. Then bid, bid, bid.
To do that, go to chicagotribune.com/ornaments. Minimum bid is $25. Winning bidders will be notified Dec. 18 and receive their ornament before Christmas.
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The who’s who of H&G’s celebrity ornament challenge
Angela Adams
Designer
Tatsu Aoki
Musician
Lin Brehmer
WXRT-FM deejay
Kathy Brock
WLS-Ch. 7 ancho
Dionisio Ceballos
Artist/filmmaker
Fong Choo
Ceramist
Brice Cooper
Interior designer/HGTV host
Joan Houlehen
Ornament-make
John Kass
Chicago Tribune columnist
Stacy Keach
Actor
Jim Lasko
Redmoon Theater artistic director
Tim Long
Chicago History Museum curator
Herbert Migdoll
Joffrey Ballet design director
Karim Rashid
Designer
Rachael Ray
Cookbook author, TV host
Kim Seiter
Textile designer
Tony Stavish
Interior designer
Southpaw
White Sox mascot
Dorothy Tucker
WBBM-Ch. 2 reporter
Lord Wedgwood
Wedgwood heir and spokesman
John Williams
WGN radio host
Robyn Mineko Williams
Hubbard Street Dance Co. dancer
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HAVE A BALL
Want to try your hand at making ornaments like these?
All of our celebrity ornament-makers have shared materials lists and instructions — and their holiday wishes for the world.
The Nutcracker Ornament
Who made this: Herbert Migdoll
Who’s that? Artist and design director for the Joffrey Ballet, whose production of “The Nutcracker” runs through Dec. 27 at the Auditorium Theatre (www.joffrey.com)
Holiday wish for the world: “Kindness to each other all over the world and somehow ending the war.”
— Beth Botts, ebotts@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: The Christmas of “The Nutcracker”
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
3 color photocopies ($4)
1 bottle Mod Podge, decoupage glaze ($3)
1 sponge brush ($2)
White and gold paint (on hand)
Hazelnut (on hand)
Nutcracker doll (on hand)
Total: $9
Equipment needed: Digital camera, scissors
Steps to make it
1. Photograph nutcracker doll’s head with a hazelnut in its mouth.
2. Print out photo and make three color photocopies large enough for head to cover one side of ball.
3. Cut out faces from copies and use decoupage glaze to apply them to ball, cutting triangular notches to make paper conform to sphere.
4. Touch up edges with paint.
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The `I Made It Myself’ Ornament
Who made this: John Williams
Who’s that? Host of the John Williams Show on WGN-AM 720 (3 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays)
Holiday wish for the world: “Understanding.”
— Elaine Matsushita,ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas and the whole winter season
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ball (provided)
12-by-12-inch sheet of foil (“What — 10 cents?)
Spray glue ($2)
Pine/christmas tree shavings (virtually free)
Glitter (79 cents)
Rhinestones ($1.98)
Total: About $4.87
Steps to make it
1. Wrap Styrofoam ball in foil and twist excess to a strand that you can then hold and hook around.
2. Hold the ball and spray the foil with glue. Then sprinkle the glitter on.
3. Spray and sprinkle the shavings on.
4. Add a light coating of glue/glitter on top.
5. I glue gunned the rhinestone on last, but this would best be done first.
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The Christmas Angel Ornament
Who made this: Joan Houlehen
Who’s that? Professional ornament-maker
Holiday wish for the world: “A more civil society.”
–Mary Daniels, mdaniels@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ball (provided)
Styrofoam glue ($3.49)
4 ounces of Royal Glitter ($2.24)
Package of mixed rhinestones (99 cents)
Package of 3 mm rhinestones ($1.99)
Cardboard scrap
Star cutouts or stickers (found)
Total cost: $8.71
Steps to make it
1. Apply glue to half of Styrofoam ball; sprinkle with glitter. Let dry overnight. Repeat with other half.
2. Take an image you like. Paste it onto a piece of cardboard. Cut it out of the cardboard, leaving an inch of extra space on the bottom (do not rhinestone this part) to insert in the sphere. Apply glue and rhinestones to one side. Let dry one day. Repeat on the other side.
3. Cut slit in top of ball. Insert cardboard into slit.
4. Apply rhinestones around cardboard image.
5. Apply star cutout or stickers around ball.
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The `This Just In’ Ornament
Who made this: Kathy Brock
Who’s that? News anchor at WLS-Ch. 7
Holiday wish for the world: “Good health and peace.”
— Elaine Matsushita,ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
Cardboard box
Blue cardboard stock ($2.10)
Glitter, beads ($1.95)
Old TV antenna (found object)
Wrapping paper (scraps)
ABC sticker (I had this, but you can download an image from the Internet)
Earring wire (I had this, but any wire or hook will do)
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
Straight pins
Paint ($2.29)
Rubber cement ($2.72)
Total: $9.06
Steps to make it
1. Paint and paper the inside of box.
2. Cut out TV shape from box top, add cardboard glitter buttons and glitter TV frame.
3. Cut foam ball to make ABC 7 logo, or another shape, enhance with sticker. Use straight pins to hold the circles together.
4. Paint and add glitter to the dome and base for the TV. These can be built from the foam and cardboard scraps.
5. Cut old TV antennas, add glitter to the tops for fun. Use as the feet and antenna of the TV.
6. Glue TV face onto box.
7. Hang ABC 7 ornament inside using the earring wire.
(Note: Brock’s finished piece is about 7 inches wide and 13 inches tall.)
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The World Music & Peace Ornament
Who made this: Tatsu Aoki
Who’s that? Musician/jazz bassist
Holiday wish for the world: “Peace. We need to get along. If we can sacrifice all the greed, all the world would be a much more peaceful place. We’re always trying to do this through music.”
— Elaine Matsushita,ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Any day in May, which is Asian American Heritage Month.
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
Photocopied text (Aoki used Japanese musical notation)
Paperclip
Old CD
Total: $0
Equipment needed: X-Acto knife, glue
Steps to make it
1. Select paper/pattern to photocopy.
2. Tear photocopy by hand.
3. Glue photocopy onto foam ball.
4. Cut CD in a spiral pattern.
5. Cut paper clip in half and use to affix hanger to foam ball and hold CD spiral onto foam ball.
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The 114 Days and Counting Ornament
Who made this: John Kass (Disclosure: “I delegated — my ideas and pins. [Got] help from someone who is a loyal cat hater.”)
Who’s that? Chicago Tribune columnist
Holiday wish for the world: “Peace and a pennant in 2007 for the great Chicago White Sox.”
— Elaine Matsushita,ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
Black marker or India ink ($3)
Wite-Out ($2)
2 push pins (pilfered from the Chicago Tribune)
White Sox logo
Inspiration from Sox games since 1995 ($17,500 in tickets, not including parking)
Total: “Priceless”
Steps to make it:
1. Be a crazed Sox fan (Editor’s note: apparently Kass is not giving away any of his artistic secrets.)
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The Wedgwood Ornament
Who made this: Lord Wedgwood
Who’s that: Great-great-grandson of Wedgwood fine china founder Josiah Wedgwood and spokesman for the brand.
Holiday wish for the world: To bring joy to all sick children
–Tran Ha, tha@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Celebrates St. Nicholas
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
2 pieces of double-sided ribbon, 10 inches long, 5 inches wide (all materials found at home)
1 9-by-9-inch square gold tissue paper
Total: $0
Equipment needed: Scotch tape
Steps to make it
1. Place ornament in middle of tissue paper. Fold corners up until Styrofoam is covered. Cut away any excess. Tape corners into place at the top of the ornament.
2. Place ornament in the middle of ribbon. Bring ends to the top; tie ribbon into a knot. Repeat with second ribbon, placing it perpendicular to the first one.
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The Old (Snow)man Winter Ornament
Who made this: Stacy Keach
Who’s that? Stage, screen (“American History X”) and television (“Mike Hammer”) actor who recently played the title role in the Goodman Theatre’s production of “King Lear.”
Holiday wish for the world: Peace & love.
— Nina Metz, home&garden@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: A snowman is a favorite symbol of winter. . . . I wanted to implement a dramatically different and unusual take on an iconic figure.
Materials needed (and cost):
2-inch foam ball ($2.96)
3-inch foam ball (provided)
4-inch foam ball ($2.96 for a two-pack)
Elmer Squeeze Creations Glitter Glue ($2.50)
Found objects (courtesy of Goodman Theatre): sequins, 4 yards of gold wired ribbon, toothpicks, plastic knife, paper plate, medallion, tacky glue, wax paper, straight pins, twigs, buttons
Total: $8.42
Steps to make the 4-inch sphere
1. Using plastic knife, level bottom of sphere so it sits flat.
2. Spread Elmer’s Squeeze Creations Glitter Glue over sphere; use a toothpick to distribute everywhere except the bottom. Set aside on wax paper to dry.
3. If using a medallion or small frame, lay frame against the sphere when the glue has dried and trace around it.
4. Using plastic knife, follow lines you’ve made and carve out a recessed circle to inset the frame.
5. Spread tacky glue into recessed circle and press frame into it.
Steps to make the 3-inch sphere
1. Using a straight pin, secure end of wired gold ribbon into sphere and wrap ribbon around the ball, crisscrossing on each “end” so the ribbon is evenly distributed.
2. When completely covered, use a second straight pin to secure end of ribbon (or tuck it under the first straight pin).
Steps to make the 2-inch sphere
1. Spread handful of sequins onto a paper plate.
2. Stick a toothpick into the sphere.
3. Holding sphere by the toothpick, cover it with tacky glue.
4. Roll sphere in sequins, fully covering.
5. Gently push sequins down.
To assemble all parts
1. When glue has dried, stick toothpick previously inserted into 2-inch sphere into top of the 3-inch sphere.
2. Stick 2 toothpicks into bottom of 3-inch sphere and insert into 4-inch sphere.
3. Insert twig into each side of 3-inch sphere for arms.
4. Tie ribbon around “neck” for a scarf.
5. Pin buttons on the “chest.”
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The Fern Ball Ornament
Who made this: Kim Seiter
Who’s that? A graphic/textile designer at Studio Printworksin Hoboken, N. J. Seiter creates wallpaper designs and develops new products for Printworks, which reproduces museum quality vintage wallpapers as well as develops new designs.
Holiday wish for the world: Peace.
–Mary Daniels, mdaniels@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas and the New Year.
Materials needed (and cost):
Ornament ball ($1.99)
Wallpaper: “Fern” (free at Studio Printworks; you can use your own)
Glue (99 cents)
Glitter ($1)
Nail (found)
Small piece of wire (found)
Total: $3.98
Steps to make it
1. Cut wallpaper (or a picture) into 1/2-inch-wide strips about 8 inches long.
2. Put glue on back of strips and place them on ball from top to bottom, connecting design in the middle of strips only.
3. Add glue to areas you want to accent and sprinkle glitter onto the wet glue. Shake off excess.
4. Take nail with wire on it and stick into the ball (as a hanger).
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The `Gold Over Red’ Ornament
Who made this: Dionisio Ceballos
Who’s that? Mexico-born artist and filmmaker who painted reproductions of the work of Frida Kahlo for the movie “Frida.”
Holiday wish for the world: “Awareness of our divine self.”
–Mary Daniels, mdaniels@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
White house paint
Red house paint
White glue
Small sheet gold leaf
Total: $10
Equipment needed: Small brushes for paint and glue.
Steps to make it
1. Paint sphere white and allow to dry.
2. Paint sphere red and allow to dry.
3. Apply white glue when the sphere is almost dry.
4. Apply gold leaf with fingers, but the important part is that the glue should not be totally wet at the moment of applying it, but almost dry. The glue that works best is a shellac product that you can buy at The Home Depot. Apply it and allow it to dry about 10 to 15 minutes. Then apply the gold leaf and scrub lightly with a brush.
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The My Heart, My Soul, My Spirit Ornament
Who made this: Dorothy Tucker
Who’s that? Reporter for WBBM-Ch. 2.
Holiday wish for the world: “I wish everyone would turn purple so we could end racism.”
— Elaine Matsushita,ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: I have wonderful memories of Christmas as a child and I try to recreate that same magic for my three children, two teenage boys and a preteen daughter. This ornament is dedicated to them. I affectionately call them my heart, my soul and my spirit. When they travel the world without me, whether it’s in the neighborhood or overseas I remind them that they carry a part of me with them and they must return safely because I cannot live without my “heart,” I would be nothing without my “soul” and life would have no meaning without my “spirit.”
Materials needed (and cost):
Glass ornament
String of sequins (49 cents a yard; 5 inches each of white, blue and gold)
Stickers ($1.29 to $3.49)
5 mm rhinestones ($1.29)
Total: $8.83
Equipment needed: Glue and Crazy Glue
Steps to make it
1. Glue ribbons to ball to create three separate fields.
2. Add stickers in each field. (“I bought one pack of little hearts for $1.29 and stuck on 15 on one side. I bought a pack of stars for the same price and placed nine on the ball and my final sticker was an expensive pack of fireworks, $3.49. That almost broke the bank, but they were perfect picture to represent my “spirit,” my daughter, who’s a little fireball.”)
3. Glue on rhinestones with Crazy Glue. (“I placed blue rhinestones in the center of every star, multicolored rhinestones on the hearts, and added nine rhinestones at the center and tips of the firework sticker.”)
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MAKE A BID
These autographed ornaments not only look good, they also do good when you buy them at auction. Proceeds benefit the Chicago Tribune Holiday Giving campaign. Go to chicagotribune/ornaments. Auction ends at noon Dec. 17.
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The Jingle, Jingle Ornament
Who made this: Jim Lasko
Who’s that? Artistic director of Redmoon Theater, which presents puppetry-laced outdoor spectacles in Chicago parks and other original theater.
Holiday wish for the world: “Peace in Darfur; competence in Iraq; enough to eat worldwide.”
–Beth Botts, ebotts@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: “Capitalistic Christmas”
Materials needed:
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
Sturdy galvanized steel wire
Gold paint (or holiday wrapping paper), red paint
Photocopies of coins (place pocket change on copier glass)
Monofilament fishing line (for hanging)
Red ribbon or fabric scrap for bow
Glue
Cost: About 14 cents (most materials used were on hand)
Equipment needed: Knife
Steps to make it
1. Paint foam ball gold (or glue holiday wrapping paper over it).
2. With sharp knife, cut ball into slices about 3/8 inches thick.
3. Paint flat surfaces of each disk red.
4. Cut out coin copies and glue to surfaces of disks, allowing some red paint to show.
5. Cut wire about 5 inches long and bend a loop in one end. With loop at top, string foam disks on wire, spaced about 3/8 inches apart, so coins show. Dab glue to secure each disk.
6. With small brush, carefully reach in and paint wire gold.
7. Attach fishing-line loop for hanging. Bend wire to secure bottom disk. Tie on bow.
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The Stars and Stripes Ornament
Who made this: Fong Choo
Who’s that? An American ceramist famous for his signature teapots. Born in Singapore, Choo also is an adjunct faculty member and resident artist at Bellarmine University in Louisville.
Holiday wish for the world: “World peace.”
–Mary Daniels, mdaniels@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ball (provided)
Deep blue glitter (99 cents)
Assorted spangles ($2.79)
Strips of glitter (99 cents)
Spray glue from The Home Depot ($5.50)
Total: $10.27
Equipment needed:
Scissors
Steps to make it
1. Spray ball with spray glue.
2. Rub the blue glitter all over the ball.
3. Cut the strips of glitter into approximately 2-inch lengths.
4. Attach the spangles on one end of the strips.
5. Randomly pierce the strips into the ball.
6. Leave one as a tail, just because.
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The All That Glitters Ornament
Who made this: Tony Stavish
Who’s that? Chicago-based interior designer (AW Stavish Designs). Stavish is known for his classic style and his lush use of materials — and he’s particularly adept at giving a big look to small spaces. His work has been featured in a number of magazines and books.
Holiday wish for the world: “May you have . . . a song in your heart, a spring in your step and freedrom from the oppression of the holiday cheese cube platter.”
–Karen Klages, kklages@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: All the winter holidays of the world.
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
20 gauge wire
28 gauge wire
Gold glitter
Silver glitter
2-by-2-inch piece of cardboard, could be from a cereal box
Box of 2-inch corsage/floral pins, pewter color #0962 (you need about 15 pins)
2 3/4-inch to 1-inch wood beads, predrilled
Aleene’s Tacky Glue
Total: $14 (will make multiple balls)
Equipment needed: Needle-nose pliers
Steps to make it
1. Insert a corsage/floral pin into foam ball (anywhere) as a way of holding onto the ball.
2. Smear glue evenly over foam ball — one half at a time. Sprinkle gold glitter over wet glue. Wait to dry. Repeat on other half.
3. Repeat Step 2 for wood beads.
4. Out of cardboard, cut a star or any shape you desire. Using a 4-inch piece of 20-gauge wire, pierce the star through its top. Cover both sides with glue, then silver glitter. Let dry.
5. Softly bend in half two 34-inch lengths of 20-gauge wire to create a loop. Twist the wire approximately 1 inch down from the looped top.
6. Insert wood bead to cover wire twist.
7. Gather evenly all four wire lengths. About 6 to 7 inches down from wood bead, bend the group of wires to a 90-degree angle. (It will look like the letter “L.”) This creates a consistent length to connect to foam ball.
8. To create decorative loops in wire, separate the wires. At 1 1/2 inches down from wood bead, grasp the wire with the needle-nose pliers and wrap the wire around the tip. Repeat two more times every 3/4 inch. Do that for all four wires.
9. Insert four corsage/floral pins evenly spaced around circumference of the foam ball.
10. At the L-bend, loop each wire individually around the shaft of pin.
11. Repeat Step No. 8 on all four wires going down toward the base.
12. Gather four pieces at bottom and softly twist, then insert remaining wood bead to cover twist.
13. Add the star by pushing open end up through wooden bead between other four wires. Create needle-nose wrap loops to hold in place.
14. Cover wire twist behind star by wrapping with 23-gauge wire.
15. Add random needle-nose wrap loops beneath star, snip off excess wire.
16. Finally, insert rest of corsage/floral pins into the foam ball.
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The These Are a Few of My Favorite Things Ornament
Who made this: Robyn Mineko Williams
Who’s that: Chicago native and dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Holiday wish for the world: “Genuine smiles and laughter … and a piece of my grandma’s pumpkin pie!”
–Beth Botts, ebotts@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: The entire winter holiday season
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
Origami paper (“scavenged from my apartment”)
Sparkly beads (scavenged)
Clear mosaic round tiles, $3.50
Craft spray adhesive, $4
Images from old magazines (scavenged)
Craft glue (on hand)
Total: $7.50
Equipment needed: Scissors
Steps to make it
1. Cut strips of origami paper. Spray with adhesive and arrange on foam ball.
2. Search for and cut out small images of favorite things — yours or ornament recipient’s (“words, photos, cartoons, anything!”)
3. Cut out images to the size of tiles.
4. Spray fronts of images with adhesive and press a mosaic tile on each one, so image shows through tile. Let dry.
5. Arrange tiles on ornament and glue in place. Glue sparkly beads on ball between tiles.
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The `The Hair Is Always Greener’ Ornament
Who made this: Southpaw
Who’s that? White Sox mascot
Holiday wish for the world: “I wish for smiles, happiness, laughter and lots of rock ‘n’ roll as the White Sox prepare to win the Championship in 2007.”
— Elaine Matsushita,ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Southpaw’s dedication to the White Sox
Materials needed (and cost):
Southpaw plush key chain (from my room)
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
Tin foil (from the front office break room at U.S. Cellular Field)
White Sox replica Championship ring (free giveaway at a 2006 game)
Picture of Southpaw (from the Internet)
Pins (found in desk drawer)
Southpaw hair (priceless)
Total: $0
Equipment needed: X-Acto knife
Steps to make it
1. Shave out the middle of the foam ball with X-Acto knife to make a “display” area. Be careful — the knife’s sharp. Keep Band-Aids around just in case.
2. Cover foam ball with Southpaw hair or other fabric. Do not cover the display area. Use pins to keep hair/fabric in place.
3. Cut out picture of Southpaw (or another friend) and tape it in the back of the display area.
4. Use ribbon and pins to fasten replica Championship ring (or another fun object you’d like to showcase). The ring should hang out of the display area so it can be seen.
5. Cover the rest of the display area with tin foil so you can’t see any of the foam ball.
6. Pin Southpaw plush key chain (or another one of your favorite plush toys) to the top of the ornament.
7. Sit back, relax and admire the masterpiece you just created.
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The Dot Calm Ornament
Who made this: Angela Adams
Who’s that? Maine-based (mod and organic) product designer. Does everything from hand-tufted wool rugs and bedding to glassware, tiles, stationery and handbags.
Holiday wish for the world: “Peace.”
— Karen Klages, kklages@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
3/4-inch black electrical tape ($1.39 a roll)
White thumb tacks (99 cents a package)
Total: $2.38
Equipment needed: Scissors
Steps to make it
1. Select electrical tape color.
2. Decide on tape design; apply to ball.
3. Be sure to slide ribbon or other hanging device under tape.
4. Add tacks along the tape areas.
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The Out of This World Ornament
Who made this: Lin Brehmer
Who’s that: WXRT-FM morning deejay
Holiday wish for the world: “We stop selling zero tolerance as a virtue. More tolerance is what we need.”
–Marjorie David, mcdavid@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas. “When I looked at the Styrofoam sphere, I immediately began to think about Santa and the time-space continuum. This sent my imagination spinning into outer space. …
I hope someone gives it a little love.”
Materials need:
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
Acrylic paints ($2.99)
Old CD
Glue
Total: $2.99
Equipment needed:
Brush (I used a model brush my son had)
Steps to make it
1. Paint ribbons of color onto Styrofoam ball, allowing to dry between layers.
2. Slice Styrofoam ball in half.
3. Place Styrofoam halves on either side of CD. Glue into place.
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The Karimornament
Who made this: Karim Rashid
Who’s that? New York-based product and interior designer; lover of the Digital Age; and as close as it gets to being a design celebrity in this country (he wears non-black attire — could be all-white or all-pink; travels with an entourage; moonlights as a deejay; has written a self-help book on designing one’s life). His design repertoire includes perfume bottles, garbage cans, sofas, lamps, sunglasses, hotels, restaurants and a handheld vacuum cleaner whose base glows in the dark.
Holiday wish for the world: “Kosmik Love.”
–Karen Klages, kklages@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Digital Craft Day.
Materials needed (and cost):
Pink string
Soft plastic CD case
Pins (straight or T-shaped)
Tape
Total: $0 (He used objects from his studio.)
Equipment needed: Scissors or a small cutting knife or blade
Steps to make it
1. Cut soft CD case into a square and cut circle out of center.
2. Cut notches a little shy of 1/4 inches apart along two sides and two holes on diagonal corners.
3. Temporarily secure ball to middle of the square with two pins and tape.
4. Cut one long piece of string (about 12 feet).
5. Wrap string around the ball working from the middle out on either side and securing string into the notches.
6. Remove pins and tape.
7. Secure string through hole and hang.
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The Isn’t She Lovely Ornament
Who made this: Timothy A. Long
Who’s that? Curator of costumes, Chicago History Museum, and curator of the museum’s “Dior: The New Look” exhibit (through May 20)
Holiday wish for the world: “A little more time to enjoy it all!”
–Beth Botts, ebotts@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas 1950
Materials needed (and cost):
Styrofoam ornament (provided)
1/4 yard unbleached cotton muslin ($1)
1/4 yard red wool crepe ($3.45)
Total cost: $4.45
Equipment needed: File or sandpaper, needle and thread, straight pins
Steps to make it
1. Using file or sandpaper, shave Styrofoam ball into a human form.
2. Cover Styrofoam with muslin so it looks like a mannequin or dress form and stitch in place.
3. Drape crepe fabric into style of your choice and secure by pressing straight pins into foam. Add hanging loop.
– – –
The Holiday `Pornament’ Ornament
Who made this: Brice Cooper
Who’s that: Interior stylist/host of HGTV’s “Design on a Dime”
Holiday wish for the world: To rediscover creativity
–Marjorie David, mcdavid@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: National Deviation Day, celebrating the day when it’s OK to be just a little off.
Materials:
Color photocopies (from library book of pinup girls).
Spray adhesive ($8)
Ball and ribbon ($2)
Total: $10
Equipment needed: Color copier (use copier at work; they won’t know, Cooper says.)
Steps to make it
1. Using a color copier, photocopy pages from book.
2. Cut out figures as well as square shapes from the copies.
3. Spray ball with adhesive. Attach squares to the ball. Glue cutout figures onto ball.
4. Write captions (“naughty,” “nice,” “naughty&nice”) on computer; print out. Cut out captions, glue onto figures in appropriate places.
5. Attach ribbon.
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The Pan-o-rama Ornament
Who made this: Rachael Ray
Who’s that? Cookbook author, host of the “Rachael Ray” TV show on WBBM-Ch. 2, as well as four shows on Food Network.
Holiday wish for the world: “Peace and full stomachs!”
— Elaine Matsushita,ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
Child’s toy cooking set ($7)
Pack of old-fashioned candy buttons ($1)
Ornament hook (5 cents)
1 piece of construction paper (5 cents)
Total: $9.10 (includes glue sticks, see below)
Equipment needed: Hot glue gun and 2 glue sticks (25 cents), small bottle of Elmer’s glue (75 cents)
Steps to make it
1. Use glue gun to stick plastic utensils onto plate in a radial pattern.
2. Stick button candy onto pan with Elmer’s glue.
3. Glue yellow plate to pan with hot glue gun.
4. Cut out message (I chose “YUM-O”) from a magazine; glue it to plate.
5. Glue plate with utensils to pan with hot glue gun.
6. Attach ornament hook to pan handle.
7. (I cut a construction-paper circle so I could sign it and glue it to plate.)
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ematsushita@tribune.com
