This is a holiday DIY series showcasing 10 different ways to decorate a glass ornament. This week, I have five of my favorite crafty bloggers lined up to share their brilliant ideas.   
Today’s tutorial is by crafty Victoria of A Subtle Revelry. Her blog is a treasure trove full of crafty ways to make every event special.

 

My desire to give relational gifts has grown over the last few years and I’ve come up with a sweet tradition for giving these gifts within our family. Each member of our immediate family has their own glass ornament hidden inside the Christmas tree with a small strip of paper spelling out their special relational gift for the year.

Some years the gifts are simple like an afternoon to shop together, concert tickets or a couples massage! Some are more intricate like a twelve month book club to enjoy together, or a weekend away. We try to make sure there is an immediate date attached to each gift. I love how these presents give us something to look forward to doing together after the holidays are over.

Although you could give a relational gift in any form, the monogrammed ornaments make the sentiment feel extra special. To create the holders, use simple clear ornaments and a permanent paint marker (found at local craft stores). Paint each ornament. Ours are kept modern with a simple freehand monogram initial. You could also stencil the letters or use your artistic skills to make treasured art pieces out of this project.

Once painted, place the ornaments on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes to set the marker. This will ensure the monogram becomes permanent and you can use the same ornaments yearly. Write out your gifts on bright pieces of paper and roll up to slide inside. Hang with a pretty ribbon and hide inside your tree until Christmas morning.
Hang the ornaments deep inside the tree and after all the other gifts are open everyone digs through the tree to find this one last gift. The relational gifts have increasingly become our favorites and we’ve all begun to really look forward to finding out what is inside.

In case you missed it: 
Day One: A Christmas Scene
Day Two: Gold Dipped
Day Three: Glued and Painted 
Day Four: Time Capsule 
Day Five: Retro Striped 
Day Six: Colorful Painted Baubles by Melanie