A simple plastic sphere. More than two dozen supremely talented souls. And one enormous challenge: Help us make the holidays merry and bright for those less fortunate by creating an ornament for our 3rd annual “Have a Ball” auction.
The rules: Create a signed, novel holiday (any holiday) decoration on a $10 budget using either the plastic round base we provided or ad lib away — folded paper, balsa wood, an empty beer can. Found objects, leftover craft items, even recycled materials were all fair game for embellishing.
Lastly, ornaments had to be reproducible, and, inside, we provide step-by-step directions for re-creating these gems at home.
Twenty-six inspiringly generous individuals — designers, actors, musicians, journalists, restaurateurs, authors and entrepreneurs, among them — took up our challenge. From a delicate wooden musical clef to an heirloom seed-filled orb to a feather-boa-covered cone, the creations are intriguing, enchanting and downright amusing (yes, we mean you, Mr. Kass).
Now it’s your turn, readers. The ornaments can be found on the auction block at chicagotribune.com/ornaments. Auction proceeds benefit Chicago Tribune Holiday Giving, a campaign of Chicago Tribune charities, a McCormick Tribune Foundation Fund. Online bidding starts Sunday [Dec. 9] and ends at noon Dec. 16; the minimum bid is $25. Winning bidders will be notified Dec. 17 and receive their ornament before Christmas.
Last year, “Have a Ball” raised $4,635 for the Holiday Giving fund, which helps combat hunger, homelessness and illiteracy in the Chicago area.
So check out the ornaments here and on Pages 6 and 7, and go online to cast your bid. You know there is someone in your life who’d adore an original ornament made by White Sox mascot Southpaw. And you’ll be pleased your holiday shopping will benefit those in need.
‘Have a Ball’ designers
Wendy Abrams
Founder, Cool Globes art project
Benny the Bull
Chicago Bulls mascot
Rachelle Carson-Begley
Actress
Roger Cline
Double bassist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Barbara D’Amato
Author
Erin Gallagher
Jewelry designer
Holly Hunt
Designer
Lisa LaPorta
Designer, HGTV host
Terry Armour
Chicago Tribune columnist
Greg Cameron
Deputy director, Museum of Contemporary Art
Fu-Tung Cheng
Designer
Casey Cooper
Principal, Botanics, Inc.
Billy Dec
President, Rockit Ranch Productions
Mireille Guiliano
President of Clicquot Inc., author
John Kass
Chicago Tribune columnist
Matt Lorenz
Interior designer/”Top Design” winner
Emmanuel Nony
Owner, Sepia restaurant
Allison Payne
WGN-TV co-anchor
Peter Sagal
Host of NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me”
Bruce Sherman
Chef/partner, North Pond restaurant
B. Smith
Lifestyle expert, author, restaurateur
Jordana Spiro
Actress (“My Boys” on TBS)
Jerry Springer
Syndicated talk-show host
Southpaw
White Sox mascot
Larry “Scrooge” Yando
Actor
Vern Yip
Interior designer, HGTV host
– – –
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 HOT IDEA ORNAMENT
Who made this: Wendy Abrams
Who’s that? Founder, Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet, last summer’s public art project that had artist-created globes throughout the city; the project’s aim (a book, “Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet,” also grew out of the project) was to inspire individuals and organizations to take action against global warming.
Holiday wish for the world: Peace on Earth, and people embracing solutions to global warming
— Shaila Wunderlich, swunderlich@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* Hama beads in varying shades of blues, greens and whites ($3)
* white ribbon about 6 inches long and 1 inch wide ($1)
Total: $4
Equipment needed:
* gel-based glue
* scissors
Steps to make it:
1. Cover most of exterior of ornament with glue.
2. Adhere beads to exterior of ornament, roughly in the pattern of a globe. As you are adhering, use beads to spread glue around to the remaining ornament exterior.
3. Once glue is dry, thread white ribbon through loop at top of ornament.
OFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL CHICAGO FLOWER ORNAMENT
Who made this: Allison Payne
Who’s that? Co-anchor, “WGN NEWS AT 9”
Holiday wish for the world: Better understanding of one another and celebration of our cultural differences
— Elaine Matsushita, ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas in Chicago! The background is green in recognition of the city’s commitment to the environment. The pink flowers are my interpretation of the prairie smoke, the flower Home&Garden readers chose as the Official Unofficial Chicago Flower in 2006. [Editor’s note: Prairie smoke, Geum triflorum, is a native plant best known for its wispy seed heads, evocative both of the presettlement Midwestern prairie and of the swirling smoke of the conflagration that rebuilt the city in 1871.] Merry Christmas Chicago — home of the most beautiful gardens in the world.
Materials needed (and cost):
* green paint ($2.50)
* pink paint ($2.50)
* paint brush ($2.50)
Total: $7.50
Steps to make it:
1. Coated ornament with green paint; let it dry 24 hours.
2. Using what little artistic talent I have — painted pink flowers all over the ornament.
THE FUR OFF MY BACK ORNAMENT
Who made this: Benny the Bull
Who’s that? Director and CEO of fun for the Chicago Bulls
Holiday wish for the world: I hope that everyone takes time out of every day to find something that makes them laugh … and then share that laughter with someone else in their life.
Elaine Matsushita, ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* cone-shaped plastic foam ($1.60)
* glue stick (99 cents)
* red feather boa ($4.99)
* piece of clear string (stole some from a button on my shirt)
* 2 bull head photos, 1 3/4 inches wide
* toothpick (from some guy’s mouth)
Total: $8.58
Equipment needed:
* scissors
* fire extinguisher
Steps to make it:
1. Wrap the boa around the base and up the side of the plastic foam cone, ending with a circle around the top. Use the glue stick to adhere the boa’s fuzzy red string to the cone.
2. Cut out 2 bull heads to fit inside the ornament. Glue them back to back with a piece of clear string sandwiched between them, sticking out of the top.
3. Suspend the string and bull heads from the top of the ornament with the string sticking up out of the top.
4. Glue a strip of the boa around the ornament (in our case, to hide the ornament’s seam and the string suspending the bull heads).
5. Push the hanger portion of the ornament into the plastic foam cone and stick a toothpick through the middle to prevent the ornament from slipping out of its newly formed base.
6. Finally, stand on your coffee table and dance until you fall off. [Editor’s note: Benny the Bull is a professional; we do not encourage you to try this at home.]
SWEET AS CANDY ORNAMENT
Who made this: B. Smith
Who’s that? Lifestyle expert, author and restaurateur
Holiday wish for the world: I am very interested in world health. My wish is to end human suffering.
Shaila Wunderlich, swunderlich@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* candy beads from baking section of grocery store or bakery ($3)
* 1 bottle of green nail polish (99 cents)
* thin strand of green garlandlike ribbon, about 6 inches long ($2.18)
* glue
Total: $6.17
Equipment needed:
* scissors
Steps to make it:
1. Open plastic ornament. Paint inside with green nail polish. Leave open on paper towel to dry.
2. Once polish is dry, close ornament, and glue candy beads to exterior.
3. Once glue is dry, thread the green garland ribbon through the ornament’s loop hole and tie in a bow.
FUR NO ART/FEAR NO ART ORNAMENT
Who made this: Greg Cameron
Who’s that? Deputy director and chief development officer of the Museum of Contemporary Art
Holiday wish for the world: Peace
— Marjorie David, mcdavid@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* faux fur
* paper for title
* 2 lengths grosgrain ribbon, black and yellow, about 30 inches long
Total: $5
Steps to make it:
1. Take time to think of idea.
2. Find inspiration piece, in this case Meret Oppenheim’s 1936 “Object (Le Dejeuner en fourrure).”
3. Insert piece of faux fur into ornament.
4. Type up and print out title of ornament.
5. Glue title onto ornament.
6. Attach ribbons.
HOLLYWOOD RECYCLED ORNAMENT
Who made this: Rachelle Carson-Begley
Who’s that? Wife of Ed Begley Jr., actress, co-star and co-producer of “Living with Ed” (a cross between reality TV and a soap opera that takes viewers inside the green life and green times and very green home of the Begleys). It premiered on HGTV earlier this year.
Holiday wish for the world: Personal self-esteem. If everyone had that, people wouldn’t have the desire to hurt one another or the planet.
— Karen Klages, kklages@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
* 2 plastic bags — one a colorful pink bag, the other white (free; I reused bags I had at home)
* Mod Podge — non-toxic glue and sealer (about $4)
* G-S Hypo cement glue — a craft glue, good for working with crystals and jewels (about $3)
* embroidery thread (free; daughter had at home)
* about 50 small sparkly jewels, pink- and clear-colored (free; daughter had at home)
* 1 trio of silk leaves (free; took off fake flowers I had at home)
* pink crocheted ribbon (recycled from a gift)
Total: about $7
Steps to make it:
1. Cut up two plastic bags. Cut vibrant pink bag into many small triangular pieces and other irregular shapes. Cut just the recycling symbols and words Reduce Recycle Reuse off white bag.
2. Glue pink pieces onto ornament, covering the entire surface of the ornament, using Mod Podge. Then glue white recycling symbols and words onto front and back of pink ornament.
3. For texture, lay embroidery thread in a freeform pattern across surface of pink ornament and use Mod Podge to secure it.
4. Glue jewels onto ornament, using the stronger cement glue.
5. Cut a hole in center of leaf trio and insert it through notch at top of ornament.
6. Insert crocheted ribbon through that notch as well.
THE PLAY IT AGAIN ORNAMENT
Who made this: Roger Cline
Who’s that? Double bassist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Holiday wish for the world: Peace
— Marjorie David, mcdavid@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* 1/32 inch plywood ($7.99 for a 1 x 2 foot piece)
* Scrap hardwood
* Paint, glue, varnish
* 1/8 inch acrylic rhinestones
Total: $2 per ornament
Steps to make them:
1. Cut out pieces with knife.
2. Laminate spiral pieces with 3-ply thickness.
3. Glue pieces together.
4. Paint and varnish ornaments.
5. Glue on rhinestones (E-6000 glue)
About these ornaments:
The ornaments are based on the clef insignia used for the bass instrument I play, the “F” clef. The swirly ornaments are the “F” clef turned on its side and laminated (three pieces of the same thin plywood) into a twisted form. The ornaments have small acrylic rhinestones glued on to reflect the festive lights of the seaon.
BOTANICAL WONDER ORNAMENT
Who made this: Casey Cooper
Who’s that: Principal of Botanicals Inc., a Chicago custom event design firm; author, with Sharon Naylor, of “What’s Your Bridal Style” (Citadel, 120 pages, $14.95), and “mother of two wonderful and wacky children.”
Holiday wish for the world: Comfort and joy
— Beth Botts, ebotts@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
* 3-inch foam ball (99 cents)
* 1 stem red spiral eucalyptus ($1)
* 1/2 yard burgundy ribbon ($1.25)
* Sewing pins (on hand)
* 6 inches sheer ribbon (75 cents)
* Feathers from dust mop (“priceless”)
* Glue gun or Elmer’s glue (on hand)
Total: $3.99
Steps to make it:
1. Pull leaves off eucalyptus.
2. Glue in scale-like fashion to 3-inch foam sphere.
3. Make bow and loop with ribbons and secure with pins.
4. Insert and glue feathers into base of sphere.
SANTA’S FRISKIEST ELF ORNAMENT
Who made this? Barbara D’Amato
Who’s that? Chicago author of “Death of a Thousand Cuts” (Tor Books, 400 pages, $7.99) and 17 other mysteries; winner of the Carl Sandburg Award and other mystery writing awards.
Holiday wish for the world: Peace
— Beth Botts, ebotts@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
* Crayola Model Magic polymer modeling compound (left over; estimated cost $1)
* 1 bottle nail polish (left over)
* 1 bottle nail polish ($4.98)
Total: $5.38
Steps to make it:
1. Mold arms and legs from modeling compound.
2. Fill ornament with modeling compound.
3. Insert arms and legs.
4. Paint ornament with nail polish.
5. Write supporting documentation and print out in Gothic type: “Santa’s youngest and friskiest elf is Ziggy, who is only 1,275 years old. Ziggy is short for Hot Ziggety. Ziggy has developed a way to put mini-elves into the ornaments he makes. The mini-elves slip out at night and polish the holiday lights, ornaments, even chandeliers. At dawn they vanish back into their ornaments. To this day, no mini-elf has ever been discovered.”
A CHICAGO CELEBRATION ORNAMENT
Who made this: Billy Dec and Meghan Teela
Who’s that? President of Rockit Ranch Productions, nightlife impresario and Chicago man about town; creative director, Rockit Ranch Producions
Holiday wish for the world: Peace
— Cindy Dampier, cdampier@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Chicago’s birthday (March 4th, so you can keep it up until spring)
Materials needed (and cost):
* white paint
* red, silver and blue glitter puff paint
Total: $8
Steps to make it:
1. Paint exterior of ball white.
2. Use glitter paint to create your own designs; ours combines lots of curved lines, circles and dots to create a look reminiscent of fireworks or confetti.
3. Tie ribbon around ornament’s hanging loop so that the plastic loop is covered.
THE THROWING-STAR ORNAMENT
Who made this: Fu-Tung Cheng (the hip and ingenious designers at Cheng Design generously made three ornaments for us)
Who’s that? Founder of the Berkeley, Calif., design firm, Cheng Design
Holiday wish for the world: Peace
— Shaila Wunderlich, swunderlich@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* 2 pieces of 3-by-6-inch origami paper ($1)
* 1 piece of ribbon, about 10 inches long (found at studio)
Total: $1
Equipment needed:
* scissors
* stapler
Steps to make it:
1. For instructions on folding origami paper into a star, visit http://folds.net/tutorial/models/shu(und erscore)2(underscore)piece/shu(underscor e)2(underscore)piece(underscore)diagrams.html.
2. Staple the ends of the ribbon to either side of the paper star, creating a loop for hanging.
THE CUBE-IN-A-GLOBE ORNAMENT
Who made this: Fu-Tung Cheng
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* 1 lined blue square Post-it Note (found at studio)
* 1 blue ribbon, about 10 inches long ($1)
Total: $1
Equipment needed: scissors
Steps to make it:
1. For instructions on folding the Post-it Note into an origami ball, visit http://web.mit.edu/2.009/www/lectures/14 (underscore)origami/origamiBallinstructions.html.2. Place Origami ball inside plastic ornament.
3. Thread ribbon through loop at top of ornament, and tie in two simple knots, creating a loop for hanging.
THE OFFICE SUPPLY ORNAMENT
Who made this: Fu-Tung Cheng
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* 6 small binder clips (found at studio)
* 2 square Post-it Notes (found at studio)
* 1 ribbon, about 10 inches long ($1)
Total: $1
Equipment needed: scissors
Steps to make it:
1. Trim off the top adhesive-strip portions of each Post-it Note.
2. Stick together the ends only of the two strips, leaving the paper in the center unattached.
3. Grasping the two ends of the strip with your thumbs and forefingers, push the strip inward, so as to create a sort of open circle.
4. Consider the two attached ends the first two “points” of what will be a six-point star. Using your fingers, begin pinching together each side of the circle’s loose paper (twice on each side), creating the remaining four points. It may be necessary to adjust other folds and trim excess paper in order to make the star even and to the correct scale. When finished, it should look like a small, six-point star with a small hole in the center.
5. Clip binder clips to each of the paper-star’s six points.
6. Thread the ribbon through one of the binder clips, and tie into two simple knots at the top and bottom, creating a loop for hanging.
A CHRISTMAS IN CHICAGO ORNAMENT
Who made this: Erin Gallagher
Who’s that? Jewelry designer with self-named atelier in the West Loop. She has traveled all over the world to bring Chicago the most beautiful gems
Holiday wish for the world: Full bellies and big laughs
— Marcia Borucki, mborucki@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* old glass ornament (free)
* adhesive gems ($2.99)
* icons gems ($3.99)
Total: $6.98 ($7.61 with tax)
Steps to make it:
1. Find an old ornament in your collection.
2. Sketch your design.
3. Decorate with sticky gems.
– – –
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.com/ornaments. Auction ends at noon Dec. 16.
THOROUGHLY MODERN MERRIMENT ORNAMENT
Who made this: Holly Hunt
Who’s that? Design maestro, CEO and owner of Holly Hunt Enterprises Inc.
Holiday wish for the world: Happiness, harmony and hope
— Karen Klages, kklages@trib une.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* Small sheet aluminum — not aluminum foil; find it at a crafts store (free; found in my studio)
* Mahogany wood veneer or other material of your choice that’s strong enough to be bent; could be cardboard that you spray paint (free; found in studio)
* Copper wire (free; found in studio)
* Rhinestones of varying sizes, 100-250 pieces ($6)
Total: $6
Equipment needed: X-Acto knife and/or heavy-duty scissors; hot glue stick and glue gun
Steps to make it:
1. Cut 2 strips of aluminum, width approximately 5/8-inch, length approximately 3 inches. Bend both pieces into a circle to fit around a tealight candle. Secure ends with hot glue.
2. Cover ornament with rhinestones using hot glue.
3. Using an X-Acto knife, cut 17 strips of veneer, approximately 1/4 inch wide and 4 1/2 inches long. Fold strips in half to create a “V” shape.
4. Attach ends of folded veneer strips to top and bottom of ornament using hot glue. Space strips evenly around the ornament.
5. Attach aluminum rings to top and bottom of ornament (using hot glue) to cover ring of veneer strips.
6. As an extra detail, wrap thin piece of copper wire around base of both aluminum rings. Glue wire down.
THE HOMEMADE ORNAMENT
Who made this: Jordana Spiro
Who’s that? Actress in the Chicago-based TBS comedy, “My Boys”
Holiday wish for the world: After world peace, obviously, lots of chocolate
— Shaila Wunderlich, swunderlich@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
To save costs and the planet, Spiro culled as many materials as she could from around her house:
* Styrofoam ball ($1)
* scrap of shimmery fabric, enough to cover Styrofoam ball (from home)
* organza ribbon with beaded border, about 10 inches long and 1 inch wide (from home)
* sprig of holly (from home)
* length of skinny ribbon, about 1/2 inch wide, in same color as organza ribbon (from home)
* thin wire, about 6 inches long (from home)
Total: $1
Equipment needed:
* glue
* needle and thread
* scissors
Steps to make it:
1. Insert the wire into the Styrofoam ball, leaving about 3 inches sticking out at the top. Bend the top of the wire over and twist to create a small loop.
2. Wrap the Styrofoam ball with the shimmery fabric. Sew and/or glue the fabric together at one end of the ball, leaving a bit of a fabric “stem.”
3. Wrap or tie a sprig of holly or pine around the fabric stem.
4. Thread the skinny ribbon through the wire loop and tie into one or two knots.
CLUCK, CLUCK, CLUCK … BURP ORNAMENT
Who made this: John Kass (with assistance from Tom Rybarczyk and Sue-Lyn Erbeck)
Who’s that? Chicago Tribune columnist (Rybarczyk also is known as Polish Spartacus, and Erbeck is a Chicago Tribune graphics coordinator)
Holiday wish for the world: Peace, love, MLS Championship for the Chicago Fire, 2008 World Series ring for the Chicago White Sox and Kass’ Beer Can Chicken for everyone!
— Elaine Matsushita, ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* rubber chickens (66 cents each or $1.99 altogether)
* Krylon crystal clear coating ($5.49)
* 1 8-ounce Miller Lite beer can (37 cents)
* Duco cement ($1.99)
* paper (we had)
Total: $9.84
Steps to make it:
1. Understand that Chumbolone equals taxpayers and that “Kass’ Beer Can Chicken”Copyright is the tastiest dish known to man next to “Kass’ Turkey Brine.”Copyright
2. Hang out at my house, boiling and microwaving plastic chickens until the whole kitchen stinks while the Polish Spartacus and I try to appropriate the City of Chicago symbol and fail.
3. Enlist the assistance of Tribune graphic designer Sue-Lyn Erbeck, who helped make the label and ordered the Polish Spartacus to glue the label using various epoxies and lacquers. Go out for a couple chili dogs. Call Spartacus on the cell phone and realize that his brain has been fried by the epoxies. “Pceh?” he mumbles. “Whee?” he asked.
4. Present the best ornament in the history of civilization to Illinois taxpayers — all for $9.84.
DIAMONDS IN ORBIT ORNAMENT
Who made this: Lisa LaPorta
Who’s that? Designer and co-host of HGTV’s “Designed to Sell”
Holiday wish for the world: Happiness
— Elaine Matsushita, ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Hanukkah/Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
* bag of acrylic gems
* crystal berry stems (6)
* silver cord
Total: $9.76
Steps to make it:
1. Fill ornament with gems (or another item).
2. Seal ornament with glue gun or Super Glue.
3. Cut and bend stems around ornament.
4. Glue stems onto ornament, overlapping them.
5. Put thread through ornament hanger.
COME TOGETHER ORNAMENT
Who made this: Matt Lorenz
Who’s that? Chicago-based interior designer and 2007 winner of Bravo’s “Top Design” show
Holiday wish for the world: Unity
— Elaine Matsushita, ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
* blue and clear beads
* Silver metal chain
* metal pendant
* Super Glue
Total: $10
Steps to make it:
1. Hang metal pendant on thin wire from center support.
2. Fill ornament one-fourth full with beads.
3. Cut metal chain and run it through the hanging hole.
THE JOYEUX NOEL ORNAMENT
Who made this: Mireille Guiliano
Who’s that? President and CEO of Clicquot Inc. and author of “French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure” (Knopf, 272 pages, $24.95) and “French Women for all Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes & Pleasure” (Knopf, 359 pages, $24.95).
Holiday wish for the world: Wishing you more mindfulness in everything you do
— Karen Klages, kklages@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
* blank piece of paper, plain white or colored
* craft glue (about $1.25)
* glitter (about $1)
* decorative pieces from scrapbooking/crafts store or just use stickers ($6)
Total: $8.25
Steps to make it:
1. I printed out the logo from “French Women Don’t Get Fat” on a piece of paper, but you can use any logo or message.
2. With a pencil, trace the outline of the ornament (mine snaps apart into two half spheres) around the logo. Then cut along the line to make a circle that fits inside the ornament.
3. Decorate the backside of the paper with decorative scrapbooking pieces or stickers or draw something yourself — I used a tiny Champagne bottle.
4. Place the circle-shaped paper between the two halves of the ornament and close tightly. It should fit perfectly and not move or shift once closed.
5. Finally, decorate the outside of the ornament. I wrote “Joyeux Noel” (which means Merry Christmas in French) in glue and when still wet, sprinkled with colorful glitter. Also glued on Christmas tree pieces from a scrapbooking store.
6. Insert ribbon through ornament notches at top.
THE OVER-THE-TOP ORNAMENT
Who made this: Emmanuel Nony
Who’s that? Restaurateur, proprietor of Sepia, a hot 2007 addition to Chicago’s restaurant scene
Holiday wish for the world: More love and tolerance
— Marcia Borucki, mborucki@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
All materials used were recycled from products on hand.
* wooden spindle from a now-closed Southport Avenue antiques shop
* leftover paint and brushes from a previous project
* plastic sheet normally used with an overhead projector
* Super Glue
* Custom pattern to print on sheet (I used the floor tile pattern from Sepia that I had on my computer)
Total: Well under $10
Steps to make it:
1. Search your basement/attic/storage room for similar items.
2. Paint the piece you will use inside the ornament. Put it aside to dry.
3. After painted piece has dried, place inside plastic ornament and glue in place.
4. Paint plastic ball as desired.
5. Print selected pattern onto plastic sheet.
6. Cut plastic sheet into octagon shape.
7. Glue onto bottom of ornament.
THE sPHONE ORNAMENT
Who made this: Peter Sagal and Rosie Sagal
Who’s that? Peter is the host of “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me,” the NPR news quiz; Rosie is Peter’s 9-year-old daughter who will be 10 in January and really wants a radio-controlled car.
Holiday wish for the world: More pies
— Elaine Matsushita, ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
The sPhone is a portable, displayable, SmartOrnament allowing instant digital communication between the user and Santa Claus.
Materials needed (and cost):
* acrylic paint ($3)
* 1 die (25 cents)
* 6 stickers (25 cents)
Total: $3.50
Steps to make it:
1. Paint one half of a clear plastic ornament with acrylic craft paint. (We used FolkArt Color #958, Christmas Red.)
2. Write down the 6 Santa Messages on the stickers. They are: “Yes!” “No!” “We’ll See” “Behave!” “My Secret!” and “Ho Ho Ho!”
3. Place 1 sticker on each side of the die.
4. Put the die inside the ornament and seal it.
To use:
Ask your question of Santa … for example, “Can I have a radio-controlled car this year?” Shake the ornament gently, thus activating the digital nanotechnology that sends your question to the North Pole. Instantly, Santa will send a digital response while the die is still rolling, causing it to land with the appropriate answer visible through the clear half of the ornament.
WARNING: DO NOT ASK SANTA THE SAME QUESTION TIWCE. He doesn’t like to be nudged.
THE SUSTAINABLE ORNAMENT
Who made this: Bruce Sherman
Who’s that? Chef and partner at North Pond Restaurant in Chicago
Holiday wish for the world: A more deliciously sustainable future
— Marcia Borucki, mborucki@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Any of the festive,family/multi-generational December holidays
I tried to design a seasonal heirloom ornament, starting with a glass — certainly more sustainable than plastic — orb and filling it with heritage seeds. The ornament can be displayed at holiday time, then (some of) the contents planted in the spring, the crops harvested and enjoyed in the summer, and the ornament refilled in the autumn with the newly saved seeds. The beautiful and meaningful decoration then passes on as an everlasting (and sustainable) gift from generation to generation, a family heirloom in all senses.
Materials needed (and cost):
* glass orb (73 cents)
* paint pens and raffia (from kids’ art chest)
* heirloom seeds (from previous plantings, generations or the diverse selection preserved and archived by the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. Seeds include: green arrow peas, Mayflower beans, calypso beans, Hidatsa Shield figure beans, Oxheart carrots, albino and Golden beets, Potimarron Squash, Bloody Butcher corn, mixed lettuces, Tetragonia spinach and Arikara sunflower.
Total: 73 cents
Steps to make it:
1. Use/buy multicolored paint pens to adorn a glass ornament with appropriate or favorite iconography — in mine, drawings of some of the heirloom vegetables to be grown from the seeds contained within.
2. Fill the orb with (your) special seeds, passed down from previous holidays, seasons, generations or the Seed Savers Exchange.
THE JOY OF SOX ORNAMENT
Who made this: Southpaw
Who’s that? Mascot for the Chicago White Sox
Holiday wish for the world: For everyone to stay warm with family, friends and love
— Elaine Matsushita, ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Materials needed (and cost):
* 2 green pipe cleaners (89 cents)
* 2 googly eyes (49 cents)
* Mini-baseball mitt and glove ($2.49)
* Baseball (free)
* Southpaw plush doll shoes (free for me, because it’s a doll of me!)
* Southpaw eyebrows (free for me, I cut them off the same doll as the shoes)
* White Sox mini-helmet (free for me)
* Picture of Ozzie Guillen or use your own favorite photo
* Real Southpaw hair (free from me)
* Mini-baseball bat (free for me)
* High-performance Super Glue (free; had it from another project)
Total: $3.87
Steps to make it:
1. Take Southpaw hair and stuff it into the top of the ornament.
2. With X-Acto knife cut a “mouth” from the laces of a baseball. Glue mouth on ornament in proper position.
3. Glue both googly eyes to the eye position on ornament.
4. Glue eyebrows from Southpaw plush doll to eyebrow position on ornament.
5. Take two green pipe cleaners and twist them into a body shape. Keep the legs extra long. Keep one arm about an inch longer than other arm.
6. Twist extra-long legs into a lasso shape and insert them into Southpaw’s shoes. The legs should now be at a normal length.
7. Tape baseball into mitt. Tape mitt onto the shorter of the pipe cleaner “hands.”
8. To turn baseball bat into a picture holder, take X-Acto knife and “cut” a slice out of the top of the bat.
9. Place your favorite photo in the bat picture holder and wrap the longer pipe cleaner arm around bat.
10. With X-Acto knife, carve out a small hole on the bottom of ornament and stick pipe cleaner neck into it to make the body stay intact with the ornament head. Fold neck piece back to make body more secure.
11. Punch a hole into the middle of the White Sox helmet.
12. Insert ribbon through ornament head, up through the helmet and tie off.
13. Enjoy your Southpaw.
STUDIO TOUR ORNAMENT
Who made this: Jerry Springer (and staff)
Who’s that? “Famous talented talk show host”
Holiday wish for the world: World peace
— Beth Botts, ebotts@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Holiday season
Materials needed (and cost):
* sparkle pens
* ribbon
* Jerry Springer ID lanyards
Total: $10
Steps to make it:
1. Color inside of ornament with sparkle pens.
2. Let dry.
3. Tie ribbons on outside.
AS THE TERRY ARMOUR WORLD TURNS ORNAMENT
Who made this: Terry Armour
Who’s that? Chicago Tribune entertainment columnist who has interviewed everybody from Michael Jordan to Russell Crowe
Holiday wish for the world: Leave O.J. alone!!! Kidding: The end of genocide in the Sudan.
— Elaine Matsushita, ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
* stickers ($2.99)
* glitter paint ($2)
* beads ($3)
* acrylic paint ($2)
* large foam ball (I had this)
Total: $9.99
Equipment needed: X-Acto knife
Steps to make it:
1. Paint foam ball with sky colors starting at top with a dark blue down to white and green for grass.
2. Apply stickers (I chose those that represent my career, which has included covering the Bears, White Sox, Inc. columnist.).
3. Paint with glitter paint.
4. Push beads into wet paint.
GOOD, CLEAN FUN ORNAMENT
Who made this: Vern Yip
Who’s that? One of America’s favorite designers and host of HGTV’s “Deserving Design, with Vern Yip”
Holiday wish for the world: May everyone know the comfort and safety of a home in 2008
— Elaine Matsushita, ematsushita@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas
Materials needed (and cost):
* Powder laundry detergent ($4)
* Metallic red star stickers ($1.89/pack)
* Sewing thread (78 cents)
Total: $6.67
Steps to make it:
1. Stick two star stickers together, back to back with thread in between.
2. Fill half globe with 2 to 3 tablespoons of detergent.
3. Lay star with string so thread files through the top of the ornament.
4. Snap other half of ornament on. Turn right-side up.
5. Adjust string length, if needed, by pulling it.
MADE OF MEMORIES ORNAMENT
Who made this: Larry Yando
Who’s that? Scrooge in the 30th anniversary production of “A Christmas Carol” at the Goodman Theatre. “I made this ornament using the materials we use in “A Christmas Carol.” The cloth pieces are scraps from costumes of me (Scrooge), Mrs. Fezziwig, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. The glittery sequin mix inside the globe is the “magic dust” that the Ghost of Christmas Present uses to do his good work/powers on stage. The gold rings symbolize the chains of the ghost of Jacob Marley. And the card is a “self-portrait.” Families duplicating this ornament should use materials meaningful for them. It could be fun for kids to make one of these every year, using pieces of their favorite clothes from that year of their lives.
What you wish for the world: Peace
— Beth Botts, ebotts@tribune.com
About this ornament
Holiday it celebrates: Christmas — past, present and future!
Materials needed (and cost):
* costume scraps from “A Christmas Carol” (provided by Goodman Theatre costume shop)
* gold wedding bands ($1.99 for package of 48)
* sequins and sparkles ($5.39 for 4 ounces)
* Photos
Total: $7.38
Steps to make it:
1. Scoop sequins and sparkles into half of plastic globe and press halves closed.
2. Link together bands and loop onto globe.
3. Cut strips of fabric.
4. Hot-glue strips of fabric from top of globe down.
5. Tie strips of fabric together with a ribbon.
6. Glue photos on ribbon.
