Perm Woman Creates Unique Cotton Christmas Ornaments

Natalia Kryzhanovskaya from Perm started making cotton ornaments on New Year«s Eve. Curiosity turned into a long-term hobby, and the craftswoman began giving her creations to loved ones. We spoke with her about how the passion began, how to make such an ornament, and where she draws inspiration.

Cotton Bunny Ornament

Natalia Kryzhanovskaya was born in Komsomolsk-on-Dnipro in Ukraine. In childhood, her family moved to the Perm Krai: relatives were scattered across the region, and her mother with little Natasha settled in Perm. The girl drew a lot and carried this hobby into adult life — but later it was replaced by ornaments.

— Back then, I drew a lot with watercolors, — Natalia told 59.RU. — And as an adult, I painted my mother»s ornaments made from primed textile with acrylic — she got into them after retirement. And one New Year«s Eve, I became interested in cotton Christmas tree ornaments.

On that festive night, January 1, 2017, Natalia came across photos of Irina Cherepanova»s ornaments online. It seemed to her that making a bunny from cotton would be the easiest. Thus, her first Christmas tree ornament appeared, and the new hobby captivated the Perm woman: ornaments started coming to mind on their own. They were fairy-tale characters, and later figures of boys and girls.

In Soviet times, Natalia shares memories, they made various ornaments that children, of course, often dropped. Among them were both glass and cotton ones — the latter didn«t break. But the craftswoman says she loves modern cotton ornaments — they are more detailed, but, like Soviet ones, can please the eye for many years.

The Perm woman publishes photos and videos of her creations in a group on VKontakte — now the community has over 2,400 subscribers. In a conversation with 59.RU, Natalia admits that making ornaments is only a hobby for her, not a lifelong pursuit. She works as a controller in the quality control department at one of the factories and receives a pension for caring for her elderly mother.

— Christmas tree ornaments are my favorite pastime in my free time, — says Natalia. — I constantly give them to my relatives and friends — they are the main appreciators of my creativity! All relatives view my hobby positively — they hang these ornaments on their trees for New Year. And if there«s something wrong with an ornament, and I overlook details, my daughter always notices and suggests: »Mom, it«s a bit uneven here, you need to fix it!»

How to Make a Cotton Ornament

It takes Natalia about three to seven days to make one ornament. The height of each figure can vary — mostly from 12 to 17 centimeters (approximately 4–7 inches). Our interviewee is sure that anyone can make such an ornament and told us how she creates such items.

— First, I make a frame or «skeleton» for the ornament from wire, and then I build up the volume with cotton, — the craftswoman tells 59.RU. — To make a face for the ornament, I sculpt a face from plasticine, and then make a mold from plaster based on it. A mold is a hollow form in which you can press a face from self-hardening clay. After that, you need to wait for it to dry, and then it can be painted.

The finished figure can be sprinkled with mica — this gives the effect of snow sparkling in the sun. And small details Natalia makes from cardboard, cotton, and other handy materials — for example, the bench on which a grandmother is sitting, Natalia made from ice cream sticks. Then she glues the already dried face and dresses the ornament — the clothes for it the Perm woman makes from cotton and starch paste.

Before the pandemic, Natalia conducted master classes on making cotton Christmas ornaments and attended meetings with other craftspeople. Over time, the Perm woman stopped doing this: master classes took a lot of energy from her. Natalia often draws inspiration from observing what happens around her, from books and films.

— One summer, I was walking in the park and saw a little boy on whose nose a butterfly landed. He was confused and looked at it, funnyly crossing his eyes, — Natalia shares with 59.RU. — I really liked it, and later I made figures of a boy and a girl, only I changed the butterfly to a bullfinch sitting on a snowman. It turned out cute and funny!

There is another cute story: once, Natalia«s grandson cut his own bangs. She remembered that she did the same in childhood, and so did the children of her acquaintances. Now the Perm woman is making a figure of a girl trying to cut her own bangs.

»If You Had a Hard Day, Take a Sheet of Paper at Home«

Natalia also has periods when it»s difficult to bring planned projects to completion.

Sometimes the relatives and friends of the Perm woman ask her to repeat a favorite ornament, but in handmade work, it«s impossible to make absolutely identical items. The finished figures of the craftswoman still differ from each other, even if slightly.

Natalia really loves handmade work and advises Perm residents on hard and busy days to try drawing — according to her, it will distract from problems and emotionally unload.

— Any handmade creativity is anti-stress. If you had a hard day, take a sheet of paper at home, wet it with water, dip a brush in watercolor paints, and just move it over the paper, — recommends Natalia. — Watercolor on wet paper spreads very beautifully, forming smooth transitions from one color to another. For this, you don«t need to know how to draw or have special skills, just try it! When the drawing dries, maybe you»ll see a beach and sea in it. And then, perhaps, you«ll want to add some details — and now you have a whole picture!

Earlier we told about Perm blacksmith Vladimir Kashin — he turns metal into author»s lamps and dishes that are sold to other countries.