By Rev. Doug Forbes

Ice cream Cone Ornaments are fun to make and provide a unique, colorful decoration for family Christmas trees.

To make ice cream cone ornaments you need:  pointed ice cream cones, shellac, small paint brushes, small unmarked silk or rubber balls that will fit half way into the top of the cones, Bibles, Bible concordances, yarn or string, tacky glue, scissors, fine tipped markers, green glitter and newspaper.

Ask your young people to use their Bibles and concordances to find their favorite Christmas Bible verses.  Allow time for each child to share his or her findings and a favorite family Christmas story.  (For younger children provide a Christmas Bible verse such as:  “Glory to God in the highest.”  Luke  2:14 A, or “Peace, good will toward men.”  Luke 2:14 B.

Give each student an ice cream cone, piece of newspaper, yarn and a ball that you have cut two small holes in the top about an inch and a half apart.  Help the children shellac the inside and outside of their cones and let them dry.  Next, have them thread yarn through the two holes and bring the two ends about three inches above the ball and tie the ends together to form a loop for tree hanging.  Carefully place a piece of rolled up newspaper in the bottom of the cone to keep the ball in place.  Use tacky glue to attach the lower half of the ball inside the cone.  Instruct each child write their Christmas Bible verse on the top of their ball.  Brush tacky glue on the outside of the cones and roll in green glitter that you have spread out on newspaper.

Once the glue has dried, hang the cones on the classroom Christmas tree for a week or two.  Take a few pictures to preserve the memories of the decorated tree.  Just before Christmas send the cones home with your students to hang on their family Christmas trees.  (You may wish to make extra ice cream ornaments for the children to use as gifts.)