Make stunning 3-D vintage sheet music ornaments with this quick and easy tutorial using a pattern and glue gun. Just as beautiful on a tree as it is hanging from windows or garlands.
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One of our favorite weekend-after-Thanksgiving family traditions is to make some new, easy Christmas ornaments and start our holiday decorating.
When my kids were little, we made ornaments with glitter or paint, and they really got into it. As they grew older, my son lost interest but my daughter still likes to create and decorate. I
In the past we've made a whole set of book page ornaments, then simple punch ornaments one year, and easy Anthropologie knockoff tinsel ornaments another.
Then we added glittered cork ornaments, and now these stunning 3-D vintage sheet music ornaments to our handmade collection.
I think these make quite a statement, all while costing zero dollars. Isn't that the best kind of craft?
I suppose I should add the .05 that it might've cost for the glue stick, but really I usually have a ton of those on hand, so it would be hard to pinpoint an exact amount.
But everything else you need are things most of us have laying around - and the sheet music is usually easy to find from family and friends or to download from the internet.
It's simply a matter of tracing, cutting, stapling and gluing - anyone can do this! Kids can help with the tracing and cutting part, and if you have the cool temp glue gun, maybe older kids can help with that, too.
I hope you have as much fun as I did creating these easy and elegant vintage sheet music ornaments!
DIY 3-D Vintage Sheet Music Ornaments
1. Gather Materials
- Sheet music - thrift stores are the best places to find sheet music, but here is a vintage sheet music to download and here is a site with regular sheet music that you can print out on beige paper or tea stain to look old.
- Pencil
- Scissors - I like using small sharp scissors to easily maneuver around the shapes.
- Stapler
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Ornament shapes - draw or find ornament shapes with interesting edges, but not too complicated. To use the exact ornaments I did, download this free template. Print them out on cardstock or heavier weight paper to make them last longer.
- Needle and thread for hanger - use a heavier cotton thread, gold thread, or clear nylon thread if you'd like the hanger to disappear.
2. Trace & Cut Out Ornaments
Cut out ornament patterns and lay them on top of sheet music in the best way that uses the paper and captures all the music within the ornaments (don't use any of the blank edges).
Trace around the pattern edges with pencil and cut out. Cut through however many layers of paper that you can without it moving too much - I was able to cut out 4 layers at a time.
Cut enough to have 20 total paper layers for each ornament.
3. Fold and Staple
Take 10 layers of sheet music and fold in half. Repeat with remaining 10 layers. Put the 10-layer sections together with the folds opposite - in the photo above you can see one section folds up and the other down. This helps start the fanning process along.
Staple the layers together on the center fold line at the top, middle, and bottom of the ornament.
Fold and fan out a bit.
4. Create 3-D shape with Glue
Use the hot glue to help all the layers stay in a fanned-out shape: start at an area with the staples showing and add a dot of glue to each staple area, then hold together for a few seconds to dry.
Repeat this for all the layers, alternating glue dots for each layer as shown with the arrows above.
Just work your way around, fanning and gluing - it only takes 5-10 minutes.
5. Adjust and Finish
After you've finished gluing, fix any areas you see that seem off, or have big openings, with glue.
Take your thumb and help the 3-D effect by gently folding some of the layers that stick together more than you'd like.
6. Add Hanger
Use a needle to thread a hanger through the layers of paper at the top.
I used basic thread since I want them to kind of disappear, but you can use gold or clear thread - or anything you can thread through with a needle, actually.
Don't they look great?
I just love simple crafts like this, they always make me feel so accomplished, ha!
Ways to use 3-D Ornaments for Christmas
- Hang three of these ornaments in the center of an evergreen wreath wrapped with a burlap ribbon.
- Hang one in the center of a window as part of a garland.
- Use three on each side of a mantle or shelf lined with greens.
- Hang on the tree of course!
3-D Music Sheet Ornaments
Tools
- Pencil
- Scissors*
- Stapler
- Hot glue gun
Materials
- Sheet music**
- Hot glue sticks
- Ornament shapes- draw or find ornament shapes with interesting edges***
- Needle and thread for hanger- heavier cotton thread, gold thread, or clear nylon thread if you'd like the hanger to disappear
Instructions
Trace & Cut Out Ornaments
- Cut out ornament patterns and lay them on top of sheet music in the best way that uses the paper and captures all the music within the ornaments (don't use any of the blank edges).Trace around the pattern edges with pencil and cut out. Cut through however many layers of paper that you can without it moving too much - I was able to cut out 4 layers at a time. Cut enough to have 20 total paper layers for each ornament.
Fold and Staple
- Take 10 layers of sheet music and fold in half. Repeat with remaining 10 layers. Put the 10-layer sections together with the folds opposite - in the photo above you can see one section folds up and the other down. This helps start the fanning process along.Staple the layers together on the center fold line at the top, middle, and bottom of the ornament. Fold and fan out a bit.
Create 3-D shape with Glue
- Use the hot glue to help all the layers stay in a fanned-out shape: start at an area with the staples showing and add a dot of glue to each staple area, then hold together for a few seconds to dry. Repeat this for all the layers, alternating glue dots for each layer.Just work your way around, fanning and gluing - it only takes 5-10 minutes.
Adjust and Finish
- After you've finished gluing, fix any areas you see that seem off, or have big openings, with glue. Take your thumb and help the 3-D effect by gently folding some of the layers that stick together more than you'd like.
Add Hanger
- Use a needle to thread a hanger through the layers of paper at the top. I used basic thread since I want them to kind of disappear, but you can use gold or clear thread - or anything you can thread through with a needle.
Notes
Want more sheet music and book page ideas?
Check out these other easy decor ideas I've made with sheet music (all unusable student practice sheet music, by the way - nothing classic!) and book pages:
- Sheet Music Wreath (I use this every year - I LOVE it)
- Decoupaged Sheet Music-Holiday Sayings Coasters
- Vintage Sheet Music Joy Sign (from a cupboard door!)
- Book page crafts that could be made with sheet music, too: Rosette Ornament Tutorial, Quick Punch Ornaments, Paper Ring Garland (shown in a photo above - staple strips of pages together like a classic paper ring garland), and Simple Banner garlands.
Will you make the 3-D sheet music ornaments, and if you do, how will you use them?
