Woodturning Christmas Ornaments

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Woodturning Christmas tree ornaments are small spindle projects: an icicle-shaped finial, a ball or globe with a top and bottom finial, a little turned tree, or a snowman made of stacked balls. Turn them between centers or in a chuck from dry hardwood about 1 to 2-1/2 inches square, using small, sharp tools at spindle speeds. Most take an hour or less.

They are also some of the best practice you can get. Ornaments teach beads, coves, thin details and parting off, on wood that costs almost nothing. This guide covers five ornaments, the tools and blanks you need, and the safety points from the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) that matter most on small, fast-spinning work.

What you need

Small work rewards small tools. A thin parting tool like the Robert Sorby 865H (1/16 inch) wastes little wood and gives fine control; see our lathe chisels guide.

Safety on small work

Small parts feel harmless, but they spin fast and sit close to your fingers.

• Eye and face protection. The AAW's guidebook says safety glasses or goggles with side protection are the minimum for small items, and full face shields are needed for any work involving chucks and faceplates. Since most ornaments end up in a chuck, wear the shield.
• Speed. The AAW suggests about 3,000 RPM for stock 1 inch or less, 2,500 at 1.5 inches and 2,000 at 2 inches. Start lower while the blank is square.
• Tool rest close. Keep it close to the work, switch off before moving it, and rotate by hand after each adjustment.
• Remove the rest to sand. Small parts make it tempting to sand around the rest. Do not.
• No cloth rags. Apply finish with a paper towel; the AAW says never to use cloth on a rotating object.
• Sound wood. Thin finials magnify any crack. Discard cracked blanks, as the AAW advises.

Ornament 1: icicle finial

The icicle is the classic beginner ornament, and the bottom finial on most globe ornaments.

1. Blank: 1 x 1 x 6 inches of dense hardwood.
2. Mount in a chuck, or between centers with a small tenon turned on one end for the chuck.
3. Rough round with the tailstock up, at a moderate speed.
4. Shape the top first: a small bead or ball where the hanging hole will go.
5. Work from the tip back toward the chuck in short sections, finishing each one before moving on, so the thicker wood near the chuck supports the cut. Bring the tailstock away only when you shape the very tip.
6. Add details: a few beads and coves, a long slender taper.
7. Sand and finish with the rest removed, then part off at the top.
8. Drill a small hole for a screw eye.

If the point starts to whip, stop, lower the speed, sharpen the tool and take lighter passes. Shaping the point in short steps from the tip back keeps the thicker wood behind it supporting the cut.

Ornament 2: hollow globe with finials

The traditional three-part ornament: a lightweight globe with a top finial and an icicle below.

1. Globe blank: 2 to 2-1/2 inches square, 3 inches long. Mount between centers.
2. Turn a ball. Mark the center line, then shape both halves symmetrically.
3. Drill through the axis. Mount the ball in a chuck (or a jam chuck) and drill a hole through it on the lathe's center line, about 3/8 to 1/2 inch, using a drill chuck in the tailstock. The AAW's drilling tip: seat the taper fully and extend the quill only far enough for the chuck to seat.
4. Hollow through the hole with small bent hollowing tools or a small carbide hollowing tool to lighten the globe. Work slowly and check wall thickness often.
5. Turn the top finial with a tenon that fits the top hole, and an icicle with a tenon for the bottom hole.
6. Glue the finials in, aligning the grain or contrasting the species.

Contrasting woods look striking: a pale maple globe with walnut finials, or the reverse. See our wood blanks for turning for spindle squares.

Ornament 3: turned snowman

A snowman is a short spindle with three balls of decreasing size and a hat.

1. Blank: 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 x 5 inches of pale wood such as maple or holly.
2. Mount in a chuck with the tailstock up.
3. Rough round and mark the divisions: hat, head, middle, base.
4. Shape the balls with a spindle gouge, leaving small coves between them.
5. Turn the hat at the tailstock end: a brim and a short top. You can turn a separate dark-wood hat and glue it on.
6. Sand, finish and part off.
7. Decorate with a wood-burning pen or paint: eyes, buttons and a carved or turned nose.

A flat base lets the snowman stand on a shelf; a screw eye in the hat lets it hang.

Ornament 4: mini Christmas tree

1. Blank: 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 x 5 inches.
2. Turn a cone, wide at the base, pointed at the top.
3. Cut a series of steps or V-grooves down the cone with a skew or detail gouge to suggest branches.
4. Add a small trunk and base, or leave a tenon to glue into a separate base.
5. Finish with green dye or leave it natural.

Ornament 5: bell

1. Blank: 2 x 2 x 4 inches in a chuck.
2. Shape the outside of a bell: a flared rim, a waisted body and a rounded top.
3. Hollow the inside lightly from the open end with a small gouge or scraper.
4. Turn a small clapper on a separate short spindle and glue it inside on a thread or pin.
5. Drill the top for a hanging loop.

Sizes at a glance

Finishing turned wood ornaments

• Friction polish goes on fast on the lathe and gives a bright shine.
• Wax gives a soft, low sheen.
• Wipe-on oil or varnish is more durable for ornaments that will be handled every year.

Whatever you use, apply it with a paper towel and follow the finish maker's ventilation and drying instructions.

Common mistakes

• Thinning the wood near the chuck too early. Work from the tip back toward the chuck.
• Too much speed on a long, thin finial. If it whips, slow down.
• Dull tools. Small parts need a keen edge more than big ones.
• Gluing cracked blanks. Discard them.
• Making the ornament too heavy. Hollow globes and keep finials slender.
• Sanding with the rest in place.

Turning ornaments in batches

Ornaments make great batch projects. Cut all your blanks at once, rough them all round, then do each step (shaping, sanding, finishing, parting off) on every piece before moving on. You stay in rhythm, your tool presentation improves with every repeat, and the set comes out more consistent. Keep a finished example on the bench as a reference, and set calipers once for the key diameters, such as the globe's widest point and each finial's tenon.

Label species as you go, so you can pair contrasting woods later. Small, dense offcuts from other projects are ideal, and a box of them can become a whole tree's worth of ornaments.

FAQ

More projects

Ornaments are a natural next step after the projects in our wood lathe projects for beginners. For more ideas, see our wood turning ideas, and for a matching holiday centerpiece, our guide to woodturning candle holders.