Natural DIY Acorn marble ornaments are fun Christmas crafts and decorations that will help you add festive rustic bling to your Christmas tree. (First published December 20, 2016; this post is updated and republished to improve the content.)
Homemade acorn marble ornaments are a simple nature craft with a rustic look that kids can help make for the Christmas tree. Have you ever wondered, “What can I do with all my acorns?” or “What can I make from acorns?” Creating DIY acorn marble ornaments is a unique and enchanting way to use these natural treasures to bring a touch of natural charm to your holiday decor. This delightful DIY project transforms ordinary acorns into sparkling treasures, perfect for adorning your Christmas or Yule tree.
As these homemade glass ornaments dangle from the branches of your tree, they catch and refract light, creating a dazzling display that celebrates the beauty of nature and the warmth of the holiday season. And they can also be made into necklaces that make great homemade Christmas gifts. Put these gorgeous rustic natural DIY ornaments on your Christmas craft list this November or December! You might also enjoy these Christmas Ornaments for kids and adults.
What do acorns symbolize, and what does an acorn ornament symbolize?
Symbolically and metaphorically, acorns represent growth, strength, and potential. Within each acorn lies great potential because it carries with it the seed that makes the rebirth of life possible.“From little acorns come mighty oaks.” In other words, the simple acorn mirrors the potential for growth and transformation within each of us. And serve as a reminder that even the smallest seed can grow to be strong and magnificent. Here are some of the common symbolic meanings associated with acorns and acorn ornaments around the world:
- Growth, Strength, and Potential: The acorn is the seed of the mighty oak tree, symbolizing potential and strength. Just as a towering oak grows from a tiny acorn, these ornaments can represent the growth of new projects, ideas, or beginnings.
- Prosperity and Good Luck: In some cultures, the acorn is seen as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. So, some hang acorn ornaments to bring good fortune and success into the coming year.
- Resilience and Perseverance: Oak trees are known for their longevity and resilience. So acorn ornaments symbolize the ability to stand firm and persevere through difficult times, much like an oak tree that withstands storms and seasons.
- Renewal and Rebirth: Since acorns are seeds, they also symbolize renewal and rebirth, fitting themes for the Christmas season and often associated with new beginnings and the rejuvenation of life.
- Tradition and Heritage: In some traditions, acorns are used to honor ancestors or as a connection to heritage, particularly in cultures where oak trees are native and have historical significance.
- Connection to Nature: Using natural materials in Christmas decorations, like acorns, pinecones, or walnut shells, emphasizes a connection to the natural world, reminding us of the beauty and simplicity of nature in the form of a lovely little ornament on the Christmas or Yule tree.
Celebrate the cycle of life and good luck by hanging this gorgeous glass marble acorn ornament on your Christmas tree! You might also enjoy making this Baby Jesus Ornament in a walnut shell.
What do acorns represent in the bible?
“The acorn is God’s promise to us, that His best is yet to come if we just hold on to Him and let go of our finite understandings. It is all too easy to exhaust ourselves in futile attempts at ensuring the acorn grows.” (Source: When GOD Gives You An Acorn)
How to Make Acorn Ornaments
Wondering what kind of decorations you can make with acorns? Using acorn caps and marbles to make Christmas decorations is a creative and eco-friendly crafting idea that blends the charm of nature with the playful sparkle of marbles in seasonal colors. This project starts with collecting acorn caps, often found beneath oak trees. The size and shape of the caps can vary, adding a unique character to each ornament.
When my daughter and I made acorn marble necklaces, we thought they would also make fabulous DIY Christmas ornaments. They turned out better than expected. Our Christmas tree looks gorgeous with the colorful acorn ornaments draped throughout its branches and boughs alongside our other DIY ornaments. Make these easy homemade Christmas ornaments with your children to add a touch of festive holiday bling to your Christmas tree!
Acorn Marble Ornament Craft Supplies:
- Acorn caps; collect them in nature or use THESE or THESE.
- Round glass marbles: we used red marbles, green marbles, blue marbles, ice blue marbles, and clear marbles. Or, try dogs’ eye marbles, glow-in-the-dark marbles, or this lovely collection of mixed green and blue marbles.
- Drill and drill bit.
- Safety glasses and safety glasses for kids.
- Twine
- Scissors
- Glue gun (and glue sticks), E6000 Craft Adhesive or B7000 Jewelry Glue.
How do you make acorns safe for crafts?
If you collect acorns outside in nature, as suggested in the step-by-step instructions below. It’s best to clean and dry them to make them safe for crafting before making acorn marble Christmas ornament crafts with them. While acorn caps are less likely to be unsafe, it’s always best to err on the side of caution when using them to make Christmas crafts and decorations. Follow the simple steps in the instructions below to clean and dry acorns before making Christmas crafts and decorations with them.
How to Make Baked DIY Marble Ornaments (optional)
For even more fun, bake glass marbles and allow them to cool before making them into acorn necklaces or acorn ornaments. Baking marbles give them a gorgeous, cracked look that really catches the eye. However, baking them can also make marbles more dangerous and vulnerable to breaking and other accidents. So please use caution if you choose this option.
We prefer dogs’ eye marble ornaments to be left unbaked. But clear and colored, and cats’ eye marble acorn charms look excellent with baked marbles. Learn how to bake marbles to make Christmas ornaments with baked marbles and acorn caps with the video tutorial and step-by-step directions below. You might also enjoy this collection of Homemade Gifts Kids Can Make.
How to Bake Marbles for DIY Acorn Christmas Ornaments
Learn how to bake marble for acorn crafts and DIY projects HERE.
Natural DIY Acorn Marble Christmas Ornaments Step-by-Step Tutorial
Before starting this easy Christmas craft project, please read through the instructions to make marble ornaments with acorn caps so you know the steps involved and what to expect to make a more informed choice about the ornaments craft supplies you will use to make these easy Christmas crafts.
Related: Christmas Traditions for a Magical Holiday
1. Collect acorns to make acorn ornaments.
- Go on a nature hunt to find some acorn caps to make rustic acorn ornaments.
- Look around and underneath oak trees; you should find plenty of them. But please remember that different oak varieties will have differently shaped leaves and slightly different acorns. Happy hunting!
2. Clean and dry acorns.
Follow the step-by-step directions below to clean and dry acorns to make them safe for making acorn Christmas ornaments and necklaces.
- First, throw away moldy, decaying, or broken acorns or acorn tops.
- Rinse acorns in a bowl of soapy water.
- Separate and remove the acorn caps from the top of each acorn if not already removed.
- Use a toothbrush to wipe away dirt and debris and clean contaminants from the acorn and the acorn caps.
- Remove the acorns from the water and place them on a towel.
- Gently pat dry with another towel.
- Allow the acorns to air dry for 1-2 hours.
- Spread the acorns onto a cookie tray or baking sheet in a single layer.
- Cook them for 1-2 hours in a 200-degree Feireinheight oven.
- Leave the oven slightly cracked to allow any remaining moisture to escape.
- Please turn them every 20 to 30 minutes to ensure they don’t overbake or burn.
- Turn the oven off and remove the acorns from the oven.
- Throw away any acorns that are burned or destroyed.
- Allow them to cool before continuing to the next step.
Related: Rustic Alphabet Wood Slice Ornaments
3. Match marbles with acorn caps.
- Put marbles inside each acorn cap to see which acorn caps will fit a marble.
- Not all acorn caps will work correctly on any given marble. Some acorn caps are too big for marble ornaments, while others are too small.
- Some large acorn caps will fit a larger round glass shooter marble, so you can make DIY acorn marble ornaments a little larger than regular-sized marbles.
- Several varieties of oak grow where we live, so we found quite a stash of different varieties of acorn caps to make into homemade marble ornaments. You can see several of the acorn caps we found and used to make DIY marble ornaments with acorn caps in the photograph below.
4. Cut sections of twine or string.
- Use scissors to cut 4 to 8-inch twine in as many sections as needed for the number of acorn caps and marbles you have paired together.
- The length of twine or string needed for each section depends on the size and type of the Yule or Christmas tree on which you will hang your acorn ornaments. So, cut sections of twine into a hanging loop as long as you need them to be.
Related: Angel Peg Doll Christmas Ornament
5. Drill little holes into the acorn caps.
- First, put safety glasses on anyone using a drill or watching to keep the acorn cap dust safely out of everyone’s eyes.
- Then, put a small drill bit into the handheld drill.
- Next, drill two little holes into the acorn cap on either side of the stem, as shown in the photo tutorial below and our DIY acorn necklace video tutorial–> HERE.
- Repeat this step by drilling two holes into the tops of the acorns until you have drilled holes into each acorn cap you want to make into a marble ornament.
6. Thread twine or string onto each acorn cap to make a hanger for each ornament.
- There are a few ways to attach a string to an acorn. The first time we made acorn necklaces, we strung them in a way that made them easy to tie and wear to the length desired. In other words, the knot is tied outside of the acorn cap.
- However, for this acorn Christmas ornament craft project, we opted to glue the knot inside the top of the acorn cap of each acorn marble ornament so the marble Christmas ornaments would look better on the Christmas tree.
- To learn how to tie the knot outside the acorn cap to make each hanging loop, read the instructions for how we made acorn marble necklaces and watch the video tutorial–> HERE.
- Or tie the knot inside the acorn cap so it’s not visible on the hanging loop with the step-by-step instructions below:
- First, thread a 4 to 8-inch section of jute twine through the holes you pre-drilled into the acorn cap.
- Next, tie the ends of the string or twine together so the knot is hidden inside the acorn cap.
- Look at the photo tutorial above to see how we secured the ornament hanger onto the acorn cap.
Check out how we made Acorn Marble Necklaces for more photos and tips.
Related: Ultimate Eco-Friendly Gift Guide for Kids
7. Glue marbles inside of the acorn cap to finish DIY acorn Christmas ornaments.
- First, use a hot glue gun to place a dollop of glue inside of the acorn cap.
- Then, quickly place a marble into the glue before the glue dries.
- Update 2017: If you want to ensure the marble does not pop out of the acorn ornament, we recommend E6000 Craft Adhesive. It is EXTREMELY toxic, so please follow the manufacturer’s directions if you choose to use it. We use it outside without any children nearby. Safety first!
- Update 2023: B7000 Jewelry glue is a new, non-toxic glue to bond the marble into the acorn cap. Unlike E6000 Adhesive, it causes no harm to hands and has a low odor.
Related: How to Make Beaded Snowflake Ornaments
Benefits of Crafting with Natural Materials to Make Christmas Crafts and DIY Holiday Decorations
Crafting with natural materials for Christmas and other DIY decorations offers a blend of environmental sustainability and creative expression. Utilizing items from nature’s bounty, such as acorn caps and colorful glass marbles, to create these sweet acorn ornaments reduces waste and adds a unique, organic touch to festive decor. You might also enjoy collecting some of nature’s treasures and making the rustic Christmas ornaments on the list below:
- Rhinestone Pinecone Ornaments
- Alphabet Wood Slice Ornaments
- Baby Jesus in Half-Walnut Shell
- Orange Slice Ornaments
These natural elements bring an earthy, authentic feel to any space, fostering a connection with nature even in urban settings. Additionally, crafting with natural materials can be a therapeutic and rewarding experience, providing a calming break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It encourages resourcefulness and innovation as crafters repurpose readily available items into beautiful, eco-friendly creations. Using natural materials also makes each piece unique and adds a rustic festive charm to holiday decorations.
Handmade Rustic DIY Christmas Ornaments
DIY rustic acorn marble ornaments make an excellent Christmas craft and decoration for the Christmas tree. Or look at this list of homemade Christmas Ornaments for several more festive holiday craft ideas. Making homemade Christmas ornaments is a fun Christmas activity the whole family can enjoy together.
Handmade nature crafts like this also make a great hostess gift idea. For more gift ideas, check out our Ultimate Gift Guide with DIY and ready-made ideas for the whole family!
For even more holiday ideas, look at this list of Christmas Traditions. You might also enjoy these fun winter activities with a printable bucket list for kids and families.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
More Homemade DIY Christmas Ornaments
- Walnut Shell Manger Ornaments
- DIY Wooden Peg Doll Angel Ornaments
- Wooden Peg Doll Elf Ornaments
- DIY Beaded Snowflake Ornaments
- Snowman Head Christmas Ornaments
- Alphabet Wood Slice Rustic Ornaments
- DIY Snowman Ornaments
Sasha says
Hi there, what diameter marbles did you use?
nell says
Hi Sasha,
So sorry about the delayed response. We have linked to all the supplies that we used in the supplies section above. We used a combination of standard playing marbles you can find in the toy store and round translucent marbles commonly found in the floral department. Because acorn caps come in all shapes and sizes its hard to tell you which will work for you. Some acorn caps are too tiny for marbles, while others are too big, and a few are just large enough to fit a shooter marble. Use what works!
Angela says
Where do you purchase the marbles?
Nell Regan M.A. says
Hi Angela! You can find them at most toy stores, some floral stores, and at the Amazon Affiliate links provided in the list of acorn marble ornament craft supplies.