I haven’t been this excited about a DIY ornament in a long time. I was scrolling through Free People’s website (like I do way too often) and their gilded tin ornaments totally stopped me in my tracks. They are so pretty, but of course, my first thought was, I can make those myself! So I gathered some supplies and tools, started experimenting, and before I knew it, I had my own version…and a whole set of templates to share with you.
If you’ve ever wanted to make your own tin ornaments, this is such a fun and surprisingly easy project. These embossed tin ornaments look high-end, but you only need a few tools to create all the raised details. I’m sharing a full step-by-step tutorial along with free templates such as cats, a moon, a sun, a star, and even an evil eye, so you can make your own DIY tin ornaments in any metal finish. Whether you’re into classic holiday shapes or want embossed metal ornaments with a more whimsical, folk-art look, you’ll be able to customize these however you want.
Materials for DIY tin ornaments
- metal embossing sheets or craft stamping foil (tin, copper, brass, aluminum, or a set of 3 metal sheets)
- embossing tools/dotting tools, or similar objects, like an old inkless pen
- scissors for cutting tin
- embossing mats (substitute can be a silicone baking mat, craft foam, I bought a squishy shelf liner from the dollar store)
- nail (or bradawl) and hammer
- ribbon or string
I bought these K&S 0.005 inch brass sheets locally at ACE Hardware which were on sale for $2, and you are able to get two to three ornaments out of one sheet)
For most embossed ornaments, 36–38 gauge metal sheets are ideal because they’re strong yet easy to press.
Continue reading DIY embossed tin ornaments (free templates) at Cuckoo4Design.
