34 DIY Paper Ornaments for the Perfect Tree

Dual-Tone Paper Ornament

These two-toned ornaments will add a pop of color to any Christmas tree. The ornaments are made out of tissue paper cut into circles and gathered in the middle by a twist tie. Repeat this process with as many colors and pieces of paper as you want to create a fun and vibrant Christmas look.

Candy Ornament

These candy ornaments are as sweet as the real thing. To make these DIY paper ornaments, wrap festive tissue paper around a small ball of cotton stuffing. Twist the paper around the cotton, and secure the ends with string. Use ribbon or wire hooks to place the candies within your tree for a sweet touch to your Christmas decor.

Christmas Card Ornament

Recycle last year's cards with these DIY Christmas card ornaments. Using leftover Christmas cards and a 2-inch circle hole punch, make 20 paper circles and draw a triangle extending to the edges on the back of each circle. Then, score the lines of each triangle so they can be folded. After folding the circles into triangles, glue all triangles together with hot glue. Add a string hanger, and display your craftsmanship for all to see.

Cocktail Umbrella Ornament

Cocktail umbrellas can be used to decorate more than just drinks this holiday season. Try turning them into DIY paper ornaments. Gently pull the paper off of the stick, and add embellishments like pom-poms, glitter, and jingle bells. Hang on your tree with a piece of string.

DIY Poinsettia Ornament

You can't go wrong with poinsettias during the holiday season. To make your own, DIY paper poinsettia ornaments, cut large, medium, and small leaf shapes out of crepe paper. Gently fold the leaves to create a crease down the middle. With tape or glue, attach the leaves together, starting with the smallest in the middle and working your way out. Once finished, place your poinsettias in the branches of your tree as a focal point or filler.

Gingerbread Christmas Ornament

These DIY gingerbread ornaments are as sweet as can be! Trace and cut the outline of a gingerbread person onto two pieces of brown kraft paper. Using a line of hot glue around the seams, glue the pieces together, leaving a gap at the top unglued. Stuff your gingerbread man with cotton balls, and glue the gap shut. Make your ornament look more cookie-like by adding seam detailing, buttons, and eyes.

Christmas Book Ornament

This book ornament is the perfect way to pay homage to your favorite Christmas stories. Make a photocopy of the cover from your favorite Christmas classic and hang it on your tree for a sentimental touch.

Paper Snowflake Ornament

These DIY paper ornaments are the elevated versions of the paper snowflakes you made as a child. Begin by folding a square of craft paper in half twice, making a triangle. On one side of the triangle, make horizontal slits that get shorter the closer you get to the top without cutting all the way across. Unfold the square, join the corners closest to the center together, and secure with tape. Then, flip your paper, and attach the next innermost corners together with tape. Continue this process, making sure to flip the paper each time. Repeat with multiple squares, and staple together to create the snowflake shape.

Joyful Paper Ornament

These DIY paper ornaments serve as the perfect reminder of the reason for the season. Using cardstock shapes, choose words you want to focus on this season, like joy, love, or thankfulness. Write the word on your ornament and decorate as you wish. Let your creativity flow with doodles and calligraphy.

Folded Tree Ornament

These DIY paper ornaments are the perfect way to get your kids involved in the Christmas preparations. First, cut a small triangle out of tissue paper. Next, fold the paper accordion style, making first creases down the shape of your tree. Finally, glue the paper onto a popsicle stick and decorate with buttons, stickers, or beads.

Photo Ornament

These photo ornaments will fill your tree with cherished memories. Print or collect photos and nestle them within your tree's branches for a quick and heart-warming way to decorate for the holidays.

Folded Paper Christmas Ornament

These brightly colored paper ornaments can be made with a pair of scissors and bit of folding. To get the look:

1. Cut two firework-inspired shapes out of cardstock, with points lining the edge of circle.
2. Next, fold each point in half, creating a crease from the tip to the center of the circle.
3. Fold the lower points inward, making creases as you go.
4. Once folded, attach the two pieces of paper with hot glue.
5. Add a string or ribbon and hang on your tree.

Paper Pinecone Ornament

Last year's Christmas cards become this year's ornament project with a paper punch. Select cards in coordinating colors, then punch out shapes. Hot-glue the pieces in rows to a foam egg shape, starting at the bottom and overlapping the pieces for each row.

Letter Ornament

This DIY paper ornament is the perfect way to remember what truly matters this Christmas season. Scale down a handwritten note, then print it, punch a small hole in the top, and loop a piece of string through. Hang on your tree, and enjoy the gift that keeps on giving.

Paper Lantern Ornament

These miniature paper lanterns make decorating for Christmas quick and easy. Choose designs and colors of your liking, and hang on your tree for mess-free decor.

Quilled Snowflake Ornament

This tiny medallion ornament is made from thin paper strips that are coiled and pinched into circles, teardrops, and marquise shapes using a quilling technique. The Christmas ornament sparkles with glitter.

Embellished Paper Christmas Ornament

Complementing your other favorite Christmas ornaments, adorn your Christmas tree with these easy DIY paper ornaments. Cut circles from holiday-pattern or plain cardstock. Add string, ribbon, buttons, and other holiday embellishments to make them one-of-a-kind. Glue a piece of gold foil to the top of the ornament to mimic the real thing, then attach an ornament hanger or piece of string to the back to hang.

Paper Pinwheel Christmas Ornament

Holiday-theme pinwheel shapes are the perfect standout paper ornament for your tree. They come together with just a few cuts and folds. Start with two-sided scrapbook paper and cut the sheet of paper into a square. Next, make a diagonal cut from each corner to halfway to the center. Fold one side of each section toward the middle (you can use tape or a helping hand to hold the first ones in place while you work on the others) and secure all four pieces in the center with a brad.

Dove Ornament

Upcycle old books to create this DIY paper ornament. Remove a page from the book, and use a stencil to trace and cut out the shapes of a bird's body and two wings. Glue the shapes onto cardstock for a more durable ornament. Finally, glue the wings of the bird onto the body, and attach an accordion-folded page for its rear feathers.

Sheet Music Christmas Ornament

Let plain, transparent ornament balls sing by stuffing them with sheet music from your favorite Christmas carols. It's simple and cheap to make these joyful ornaments.

Rosette Paper Ornament

Heavy scrapbook papers become unique ornaments to hang on gifts, the tree, or a banister. Cut long paper rectangles, bend in half, and adhere the ends between two cardstock circles using a dab of hot glue. Use adhesive letters to spell a holiday message on the front circle.

Paper Ring Ornaments

Get the kids to help make these simple and colorful ornaments. Overlap the ends of 1¼ x 7-inch-long strips of double-sided cardstock using a glue stick to secure the rings. Punch a hole for the hanger at the overlap. Make small loops with narrow ribbon, slip both ends through the hole, slip on chunky wooden beads, the knot the ends of the ribbon.

Six-Sided Paper Ornament

Start with a basic papier-mache ornament and get creative with bits of paper and pretty beads. Customize your embellishment selections to match your Christmas tree's color scheme and theme.

Paper Star Ornament

Although this three-dimensional snowflake looks like it was made from several pieces of paper, it was actually crafted from just one. To make it, download our pattern, available below, and tape to a light box (or a window in direct sunlight). Tape tracing paper over the pattern. With a pencil, trace the pattern onto white cardstock. Mark all points with pinholes to ensure accuracy when you begin and end each cutting line. Starting in the center of the design and working toward the outside, carefully cut on the lines, taking care to not cut the areas that hold the shape together. Cut on all the pattern lines, then, starting with the center star, carefully twist one quarter-turn. Continue to twist each successive star until all are spun out.

Plaid Paper Tree Ornament

Dot your Christmas tree in retro-fresh cheer with ornaments that take just minutes to craft. Cover Christmas tree die cuts with patterned paper using a glue stick. Spread glue over the surface of the paper-covered ornaments and sprinkle with ultrafine diamond dust. Outline the tree boughs with green glass glitter. Punch a hole in the top of each tree and thread with a length of ribbon for a hanger. Embellish the trees with pom-poms, ribbons, and trinkets.

Paper Package Ornament

Put presents on your tree as well as under it with these easy-to-make gift-shape ornaments. Download the free pattern and trace twice onto scrapbook paper; cut out. Cut the slits in the pieces as indicated on the pattern. Punch holes at the top and bottom of the package shape. Slide the two pieces of paper together. Make a bow with ½-inch-wide ribbon and wire it to the top of the paper package using the punched holes to secure. Add the narrow ribbon through the hole for a hanger. Thread a miniature jingle bell onto the wire and attach through the holes at the bottom of the package.

Paper Ribbon Candy Ornaments

Enjoy this calorie-free holiday candy—in ornament form. To make, thread a needle with embroidery floss and knot one end. Using clear acrylic beads and 1-inch-wide double-sided paper strips, create the candy shape by threading two beads between each layer of paper strip as you bend it back and forth. Secure the top bead by running the floss through it twice, and make a loop for hanging.

Paper Medallion Christmas Ornament

Using an ornament stamp as a template, stamp and cut out the ornament backing from red glitter cardstock. Stamp and cut the remaining ornament components using patterned cardstock. Punch a snowflake from red glitter cardstock. Assemble the ornament using foam dots to create a multidimensional look. Use crafts glue to adhere rhinestones, bow embellishments, and a red cord hanging loop.

Red Christmas Tree Ornament

Stacked layers of paper are topped with a rub-on tree transfer for this easy-to-make ornament. Cut out the desired tree image from a holiday rub-on transfer sheet. Place the image on white paper and rub over the design to transfer. Layer the paper with the transferred image onto white cardstock and secure with paper adhesive; let dry. If you want a sturdier ornament, layer multiple sheets of white cardstock and use paper adhesive to hold them together. Use a crafts knife to cut out the tree shape through the layers of paper. With a snowflake paper punch, make snowflakes from red glittery cardstock and adhere to the top of the transfer tree with an adhesive foam dot. Embellish the ornament with red rhinestone trim as desired.

Shadow Box Christmas Ornament

Use the lid from a box from your wrapping supplies to craft this petite holiday shadow box. Cover the interior and exterior of the lid with holiday paper and punch two holes in the top of the lid. Thread ribbon through the holes and tie in a bow for a hanger. For each ornament, cut a valance from holiday paper and top with a piece of gold doily. Glue a small holiday image to chipboard and attach it to the inside of the box lid. Embellish with ribbons, charms, and tinsel.

Glitter Paper Snowflake Ornament

Make a colorful flurry of snowflake ornaments. Fold a square of sturdy decorative paper in half diagonally, then in half again. Make cuts on all sides. Open, press, and outline edges with crafts glue and sprinkle with glitter.

Christmas Paper Clutch Ornaments

Craft these cute holiday purse ornaments for the handbag-loving fashionista in you. Download the free pattern, available below, and trace onto cardstock; cut out. Score folds on outside; fold. Punch holes through the paper as indicated. Glue trim along flap edge. Attach a beaded wire handle, bending ends to secure. Glue trim onto flap. For closure, add adhesive-back hook-and-loop tape.

Red Bird Ornament

Give these bird ornaments a place to nest in your Christmas tree. Using spray adhesive and with right sides together, adhere a layer of red glitter cardstock over solid red cardstock. Download the free pattern and trace the bird's body, wing, and tail shapes onto the papers. Cut the slits on each cutout shape as indicated on the pattern. Using a small round brush, apply red glitter glue around the edges of each shape. Use crafts glue to adhere a black sequin or bead onto the head for an eye; let dry. Assemble the bird. For a hanger, cut a length of satin ribbon, form a loop, and tie the ends in a knot. Hot-glue the loop in place on the back of the bird's body.

Postcard Christmas Ornament

A vintage postcard, a narrow piece of ribbon, and a paper punch are all it takes to put together this antique-look ornament for your Christmas tree. Punch a hole in the top of a real or reproduction vintage postcard and thread narrow ribbon through the hole. Tie the ends in a bow, making a loop for hanging. To leave a valuable postcard intact, make a color photocopy. Back the ornament with color-coordinating cardstock with a ¼-inch border.