While I was playing on the scroll saw I thought I'd try my hand at these cute "framed" ornaments, which are similar to one I saw at a craft display. (Scroll to the bottom of this page to find the template for making the ornaments).

I made these ornaments from 1/8" hardboard (masonite), but similar ornaments could be made using cardboard or even foam core board; my crafty sister is using mat board to make her versions.

I made my ornaments two-sided, though if you wanted you could leave the back side plain. The two-sided version uses two copies of the image; most of mine came from an old page-a-day calendar, but if you're printing them, you could reverse one for the back side of the ornament. Both images are decoupaged onto the frame after the painting has been done.

To make the ornament I used the template that you can find at the bottom of the page. I sized it to about 3" wide, printed it on paper, and cut it out with scissors. I used a pencil to trace the shape onto a piece of hardboard and then cut it out on the scrollsaw (it does involve an interior cut, so I had to drill a hole for the blade before I cut out the middle).  I was kind of out of practice on the scroll saw when I made the first ones, so my cuts on these weren't perfect, but fortunately the imperfections don't show too much when the ornament is painted, and your ornament will still be attractive even if the cuts aren't quite straight. (As in everything, practice makes perfect; my technique improved markedly after I cut the first half dozen).

Once the ornament shape has been cut and lightly sanded around the edges, drill a small hole to accommodate a hook or string for hanging (at about 3/4" from the edge, or at the position indicated by the red dot on the template). Then wipe the ornament with a tack cloth to remove any sawdust residue.

Using acrylic paints, I painted the frame section one color and the image panel a different color, choosing them to coordinate with colors in the image. After painting, I set the ornament aside to dry for a half hour or so.

I printed my chosen images to approximately 1 5/8"  wide (about 1.63"), then cut and trimmed them so they would fit nicely into the image panel of the ornament.  I used podgy to glue the images in position on back and front and gave the whole ornament a coat of podgy to seal the image and to provide a little bit of shine, then set it aside overnight so the podgy could cure.

Once the ornament was thoroughly dry, I applied glitter glue to the frame portion, coordinating the color of the glitter with the color of the paint on the frame. I love the extra glitz that it adds to the ornament.

Although the samples shown were made on the scroll saw, I have  since made these ornaments using three layers of cardboard cut out and glued together with tacky glue (see the two Scottish clan ornaments at the bottom of the page). My cardboard came from discarded puzzle boxes and so was a little heavier than cereal box cardboard, which might need four layers. I traced the shapes and carefully cut them out with scissors, ensuring that they were even. Then I glued them together with tacky glue or glue stick, and once they were dry, I finished them exactly as described for the hardboard. This makes a surprisingly sturdy ornament that is lightweight enough to go on even a thin tree branch. Once they have thoroughly dried overnight, these ornaments stiffen and are difficult to distinguish from the hardboard version.

Foam-core board could also work provided you can cut it cleanly; making multiple light strokes with a sharp craft knife is the best approach. My sister -- an expert in such matters -- prefers to use mat board for the ornaments: it cuts cleanly, is sturdy enough without being too heavy for an ornament, and it takes paint well. And if you'd like to make the ornament slightly heavier, you can use a double thickness. As a bonus, you might be able to glean materials from your nearest framing store, where they would have loads of small offcuts that would be perfect for making ornaments.