DIY Plastic Ornament Ideas to Make for Christmas
DIY Plastic Ornament Ideas to Make for Christmas
Starting in August, you can find plastic ornaments on major sale at nearly every art supply store. I love that they're a blank canvas - ready to create anything your mind can imagine.
I prefer the clear plastic ornaments because they aren't fragile and therefore can be used with kids of all ages and they're easily shipped.
Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, there are so many fun ways to make art with these fillable ornaments. Not only have I created dozens of different ornaments using the clear plastic ball ornaments, but last year I used them for DIY Christmas ornaments to give as gifts! An inexpensive way to show someone you care is to make them some beautiful ornaments this holiday season.
So...let's give these plastic ornaments a new look with these fillable ornament ideas.
Glitter no-mess ornaments
You've probably seen this DIY among the vast sea of creative ideas, but I love the way this one comes out and it is super easy! Like, super duper easy!
How to Decorate:
Materials Needed:
Polycrylic or Mod Podge
Instructions:
Use a small funnel or syringe to add a small amount of polycrylic to your ornament
Swirl around to coat the entire inside
Pour out any excess
Add the funnel and pour glitter inside the ornament. It is ok if you use too much because you will be pouring out any excess.
Let dry
Glue on the cap - you do not want the glitter coming out!
Yes! That. Is. It. Seriously, so easy. Much more fun to make glitter ornaments with supplies from the craft store instead of buying them. Seriously, when I made them, I made 10 in just under 15 minutes!
Disco ball ornament - solid color
Everyone loves disco balls and there are so many ways to turn clear ornament balls into a masterpiece. For this DIY, you will be embellishing the outside of the ornament instead of the inside. In a few easy steps, you will have just taken your Christmas decor to the next level.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and grab some clear Christmas ball ornaments.
How to Decorate:
Materials Needed:
Disco stickers (these come in a variety of colors)
Instructions:
Remove the clear ornaments from their packaging.
Start adding the disco ball stickers. In my opinion, it is challenging to add the disco stickers perfectly. While you can absolutely paint the ball first, I don't really think it is necessary because if you look at store-bought disco ornaments, they are far from perfect.
No one will notice if there is a small amount of space between stickers. That being said, try to place the stickers as close as possible. The disco stickers are VERY sticky so do not peel off the backing until you are ready to use each individual one.
You can either use colored disco stickers or you can use some alcohol inks to tint the disco ball into a uniform color. See the next tutorial to see what I mean.
Let dry
Glue on the cap
Now, are you ready to take your silver disco ball ornaments to the next level?
Alcohol ink disco ball ornament
In my experience, everyone loves the transformation of clear plastic ornament balls. This one will not disappoint. Choose your color scheme, grab your supplies and let's get to it!
This is such a cute way (and such an easy way) to give handmade ornaments that have the wow factor.
How to Decorate:
Materials Needed:
Disco stickers (these come in a variety of colors): alternatively, you can totally buy disco ornaments ready made and then just add the color. News flash: I did this and it saved me so much time. However, the disco ball ornaments are typically more expensive than the clear balls.
Makeup sponges
Table covering
Gloves
Well-ventilated space: the alcohol inks are made with both pigment and rubbing alcohol. Be sure to work in a well-ventilated space because the smell can get strong if you are making lots of these!
Instructions:
Add a table covering to your workspace
Take the clear plastic fillable ornament ball out of the packaging
Add the disco stickers (see above for the tutorial)
Put on your gloves and crack a window if possible (the alcohol ink smells like rubbing alcohol)
Put a few drops of alcohol ink onto a makeup sponge.
Start dabbing on the alcohol ink. Try overlapping different colors to make them more interest. Experiment with different color schemes to see what you like best.
The tinted disco ball ornaments are not only one of my favorite ways to add color, they are also a great gift. In addition, these are a great anthro dupe. Can you believe Anthropologie was selling these for $40? You can make so many and sell them if you want. Seriously.
Pour Painted Ornaments
The thing I love most about clear ornament crafts is that they are relatively low mess and easy to use. These pour-painted ornaments will not make a big mess even if you are using colorful or black paint. Still should be pretty low mess.
How to Decorate:
Materials Needed:
Acrylic craft paint (get the less expensive craft paints because they have a super easy squeeze top which is what makes this low mess)
Table covering
That's it. Yes, that is all you need to make these
Instructions:
Protect your table with a table cloth or craft paper
Shake your craft paint and remove seal that might have come from the manufacturer
Open up the top of your ornament
Squirt a small amount of paint into the ornament
Swirl the ornament until the entire inside of the ornament is coated in color
Get creative and try swirling a few different colors together to make them more unique.
Pour out any excess paint
Let dry for several hours
This is also a great anthro dupe since Anthropologie sells an expensive set of these every year. If you want to make them exactly like the anthro version, try using glass ornaments instead.
This is a great project for creating custom holiday ornaments, personalized gifts, or adding a pop of color to any room. You can also experiment with texture by using sponges to create a soft, marble-like finish. If you want to learn about the best acrylic paints, check out this post.
Pressed Flower Ornaments
If you've been following along for a while, you might have noticed that I love gardening and I love flowers. Each summer I preserve my fresh flowers in books to keep for crafts. If you'd like to learn how to preserve flowers, check out this post. You can also make these with leaves. Here are the instructions for preserving leaves.
How to Decorate:
Materials Needed:
Plastic or glass ornaments - I used flat ornaments, but round ones work well, too
Pressed flowers - you can buy these or preserve your own
Condiment cup for mod podge
Instructions:
Protect your table with a table cloth or craft paper
Pour some mod podge into your condiment cup
Using your foam brush, dab a bit of mod podge onto the surface of the ornament
Place a pressed flower onto the surface
Use the foam brush again and apply mod podge on top of the flower
Keep going until the entire ornament is covered
Add a final coat of mod podge to the entire ornament
Totally optional, you can add paint or glitter to the inside using the above method for pourable paint ornaments or for the glitter ornaments.
Let dry for several hours
Glue the top on
Happy Face Ornaments
I sort of discovered this ornament by accident when I was making a yellow ornament. It just looked like a happy face to me. So I went with it and used my cricut to make a happy face using vinyl. Obviously not everyone has a Cricut. But if you do, this is a fun project to make!
How to Decorate:
Materials Needed:
Plastic or glass ornaments - you will want to use flat ornaments for this project for the best outcome
Yellow acrylic craft paint - if you want to learn about acrylic paints, check out this post I wrote with a full study on all of the different kinds of acrylic paint. For this project, you will only need regular acrylic craft paint - nothing special or expensive!
Cricut to cut vinyl or purchase happy face decal - you will only need the eyes and mouth
Table covering
Instructions:
Protect your table with a table cloth or craft paper
Shake your craft paint and remove seal that might have come from the manufacturer
Open up the top of your ornament
Squirt a small amount of yellow paint into the ornament (by the way, I always use yellow, but you can try a different kind of paint if that suits you better - happy faces come in all colors)
Swirl the ornament until the entire inside of the ornament is coated in color
Pour out any excess paint
Let dry for several hours
Glue the top back on
Cut the happy face using your cricut on black adhesive vinyl
Apply transfer tape to the top of the vinyl and apply to the ornament.
Another fun idea using this method would be to add a snowman face to the surface.
Happy Crafting!
Making homemade ornaments using clear plastic balls (or clear glass ornaments) is one of the easiest ways to make your own ornaments or home decor. Homemade Christmas ornaments are both impressive and beautiful and there are so many different ways to make unique Christmas ornaments.
I've included all of the full tutorials for you so that you now have some great ideas to get you through the holiday season. However, if you have any fun ideas for special ornaments or you want to go in a completely different direction, let me know some of your clear ornament ideas to try!
Merry Christmas!
Want to make more DIY holiday decor? Check out how to make rhinestone ornaments or rhinestone stockings!
