How to Make a Christmas Ornament With a Clear Glass Bulb

Give homemade ornaments as gifts or holiday party favors.

Make your own Christmas ornaments to decorate your tree and create a family keepsake. Starting with a clear glass ball or even a burnt out light bulb, work with paint and other craft supplies to make ornaments with any theme or design you choose. This project is suitable for children with adult supervision. The materials you need are available at craft supply stores, but it's also a good way to use up odds and ends and leftover craft supplies you already have.

Things You'll Need

• Light bulb
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrush
• Glue
• Chenille stems, construction paper or cotton balls
• Wiggle eyes
• Pompoms
• String or fishing line
• Clear glass ball ornaments
• Glitter
• Assorted craft materials of your choice

Instructions

Light Bulb Ornaments

1. Paint Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman or Santa's face on the outside of a standard light bulb. The threaded base is the top of the head.

2. Glue on brown chenille stem antlers for Rudolph, a black paper top hat for Frosty or a cotton ball beard for Santa.

3. Glue on details, such as a red pompom for Rudolph's nose, small black pompoms for Frosty's eyes and mouth or wiggle eyes.

4. Glue a loop of string or fishing line to the tip of the threaded base to hang your ornament by.

Painted Ornaments

1. Drip watered-down paint down the outside of a clear glass ball ornament or pour a bit of paint inside and roll the ornament around to distribute the paint. Pour out any excess paint.

2. Sprinkle glitter into the wet paint or use the back of a paintbrush or a toothpick to scrape designs into the paint.

3. Paint embellishments, details or dots onto the ornament with a fine paintbrush. Let the paint dry between coats if your design includes overlapping elements.

4. Glue colored craft jewels, feathers, ribbon, beads and other embellishments to the ornament.

Filled Ornaments

1. Fill a clear glass ball ornament partway with moss, evergreen foliage, white batting, curled ribbon, tinsel, dyed feathers, beads or another filler of your choice.

2. Stuff a silk flower, a sprig of red berries, a paper snowflake or anything else that will fit down the opening of the ornament.

3. Sprinkle glitter or fake snow into the ball.

Tips & Warnings

• Spray your painted ornaments with a clear glaze to prevent chipping and peeling.

References

• Kaboose; Lightbulb Rudolph; Amanda Formaro
• All Free Crafts; How to Make Glass Ball Christmas Ornaments; Jane Lake
• Kaboose; Drip Ball Ornament Craft; Amanda Formaro