Create a rustic DIY twig picture frame ornament using simple materials like twigs, twine, and watercolor paper—perfect for handmade holiday decor or gifts!
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How to Make a DIY Twig Picture Frame Ornament
If you’re looking for a super simple, super rustic ornament craft that uses mostly what you already have around the house (and yard), this little Twig Picture Frame Ornament is for you. It’s the perfect way to turn tiny bits of art, old greeting cards, or image transfers into adorable keepsakes!
Why I love this craft
The inspiration for this craft:
Video Tutorial: Twig Picture Frame Ornament
Watch this quick video to see how this craft came together:
Christmas Ornament Gifts & DIYs
This craft was part of a compilation video over on my YouTube Channel, along with DIY Upcycled Spice Jar Snow Globe Ornaments, Mini Busted Canvas Christmas Ornaments, DIY Yarn-Wrapped Star Ornaments (Using Scrap Cardboard!), Acrylic Christmas Ornaments, Dollar Store Jumbo Lightbulb Ornaments, Jar Lid Christmas Ornaments, DIY Upcycled Spice Jar Snow Globe Ornaments, Dollar Tree tumbling tower Christmas ornaments, Names of Jesus Christmas Ornaments, Berry and Holly Globe Ornaments, and Red Tin Tile Ornaments – Easy Dollar Tree Craft.
DIY Twig Picture Frame Ornament
This easy DIY ornament tutorial shows you how to turn twigs and tiny artwork into a rustic picture frame keepsake—budget-friendly and beautiful.
Materials
- Watercolor paper, it’s thicker and has more texture than regular cardstock
- Small image transfers, tiny printables, or greeting card scraps
- Twigs from your yard
- Twine
- Felt (optional, for backing)
Tools
- Heavy-duty craft scissors
- Hot glue gun
Instructions
- Watch the video. Follow along with the video tutorial for a step-by-step walkthrough of how to make your own ornament.
- Create Your Tiny Artwork. Start with a piece of watercolor paper, and choose your image. Rub the image transfer onto the paper (I just use my fingernail instead of a fancy smoothing tool). You can even layer two images on top of each other if you like. Peel off the backing and trim your paper down to size.
- Prep the Twigs. Cut the twigs down to size with heavy-duty craft scissors. You want each twig to be slightly longer than the edge of your artwork so they can overlap at the corners. Don’t worry if the twigs are a little curved - the natural, uneven look adds to the rustic charm.
- Make the Twig Frame. Take your twine and hot glue one end to the back of a twig. Then, crisscross the corners where the twigs meet and wrap the twine around several times (three wraps one way, then three the other way). Secure the end with a dab of hot glue and trim off the excess. Repeat for all four corners.
- Attach the Art. Your twigs won't lie perfectly flat, so don’t try to glue your artwork all the way around. Just focus on adding a few small dabs of hot glue where the sticks naturally make contact with the paper. Three or four solid contact points are more than enough. (Pro tip: if you overdo it with the glue—like I did—you can scrape off the excess with a craft knife or pen blade.).
- Add a Hanger. Cut a small length of twine, and hot glue the tail ends to the back of the watercolor paper to form a hanger.
- Finish the Back. To give the back a more polished, finished look, I cut a small piece of felt and glued it over the back of the watercolor paper.
- That’s It! You now have a sweet little handmade ornament that’s rustic, meaningful, and totally customizable. Make a bunch as gifts, or create a whole series for your own holiday tree.
The Finished Craft
Don’t forget to PIN this DIY Christmas Ornament for later:
