One of my favorite holiday traditions is going through my cherished photos from the year to create Christmas ornaments for our tree. I love reflecting on the past year, selecting my favorite memories, and incorporating special moments from previous years. It adds a lovely personal touch to our tree.

To make the ornaments, I start by buying little frames from Amazon. Then, I print a 4x6 collage of photos at CVS. While the full price is $0.42, they often have sales that make it even cheaper. I try to fit at least eight photos in the 4x6 space for the best sizing, though it sometimes takes a few tries to find the right combination. Instead of measuring, I prefer to print and adjust based on how the placement looks.

Next, I cut the photos to size, arrange them on parchment paper, and pour resin over them just enough to cover the images. A quick hit with a brûlée torch helps remove any bubbles, and then I let them sit for 24 hours.

After that, I flip them over, using wire I create a hoop which I place on the back of the frame, and pour enough resin to cover the ends of the wire, allowing that to cure for another 24 hours. I always buy the smallest amount of resin possible since it doesn’t take much! I use a syringe to mix 10 ml at a time (30 ml per ounce), and this year, I only needed about 40 ml to make around 30 ornaments.

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