How to Make Christmas Bulbs

Create beautiful homemade Christmas bulbs on family fun night during the holidays.

Decorating for Christmas is one way to start the holiday season. Making homemade decorations adds a personal touch to the seasonal display. Enjoy a family fun night by having each member of the family create their own special Christmas decoration. Christmas bulbs are easy decorations to make. Younger children can help assemble simple bulbs while older children can create more elaborate ornaments.

Things You'll Need

• Wood balls
• Plastic balls
• Styrofoam balls
• Colored beads
• Sequins
• Glitter
• Applique shapes
• Cutouts
• Stencils
• Paint
• Markers
• Ribbon
• Artificial flowers
• Craft glue
• Hot glue gun
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Painters tape
• Christmas bulb hooks

Instructions

How to Make Beautiful Decorative Christmas Bulbs

1. 

   Use colored Styrofoam balls to add flair to homemade Christmas ornaments.

   Choose the base for the bulb. Styrofoam, wood or plastic balls make ideal bases for Christmas bulbs. Plastic balls are available in a variety of colors and provide a smooth surface that is perfect for glue. Use paint or markers to color wood balls. Add glitter for an extra sparkle. Choose different shapes. For example, use a Styrofoam cone to create an ornament in the shape of a Christmas tree. Use wood blocks to make ornaments that look like presents.

2. Use beads, sequins, applique shapes or cutouts to decorate the ornaments. Sequins add sparkle and color to Styrofoam bulbs, but should not be used by young children. Beads come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and are a versatile addition to ornaments.

   Applique shapes are available in a wide variety of shapes, colors and themes. They may be self-adhesive or glued onto the balls. Younger children can make construction paper or poster board cutouts and glue them on their ornaments, making each one a special addition to the family's holiday decor.

   Shorten the stems of artificial flowers and insert the flowers into a Styrofoam ball to make 3-D bulbs.

3. 

   Use a hot glue gun to attach decorations to wood bulbs.

   Attach decorations with straight pins or the appropriate adhesive. For example, use straight pins to attach items such as sequins to Styrofoam balls. Use craft glue on plastic balls. Use hot glue to apply decorations to wood balls. Apply cutouts with school glue, which is safe for young children to use. Allow enough time for the glue to dry completely.

4. Add names, dates or special sayings -- such as "Baby's First Christmas" -- to ornaments. Use markers to write on wood or plastic bulbs. Have the younger kids use paint and stencils to add detail to painted wood bulbs. Use painters tape to keep the stencils in place. Give personalized Christmas bulbs as gifts or party favors.

5. 

   Make lasting Chrismas memories by fashioning handmade ornaments.

   Attach an ornament hook to bulbs so they can be hung and displayed. Christmas ornament hooks are available in metal and plastic. Insert hooks into Styrofoam bulbs. Drill holes in the wood bulbs. Punch holes in the plastic bulbs.Glue the hooks in the holes. Or glue ribbons around the bulb and tie one end, making a loop to hang them on a tree.

Tips & Warnings

• Supervise children while they are making crafts.

• Some types of glue are not recommended for use on Styrofoam.

• Some markers and paint cannot be used on Styrofoam,

• Do not let young children use hot glue guns or straight pins.

• Some artificial flowers have a thin metal wire in the stem.

• Small beads and sequins are choking hazards. Keep them away from small children.

References

• Styrofoam Ball Christmas Ornaments
• Making wooden block Christmas ornaments