Decorating the inside of a glass ball with paint is an excellent way to make DIY Christmas ornaments in your choice of colors. However, if you do not use the correct techniques, the paint will slide off the inside of the glass ball.
Even coverage is important to how the finished glass ball looks. Visit your local craft store, such as Michael's or Joanne, to select the paint and any additional decorations you want for the project. You may also be able to find craft materials at the Dollar store or online.
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You can use painted ornaments as home decor any time of the year rather than limiting the project to being a Christmas craft. For more detail, see some basic techniques for painting inside clear glass ornaments.
Things You'll Need
Rubbing alcohol
Acrylic paints
Empty egg carton
Narrow ribbon or metal ornament hook
Bow, decorative pick, miniature pine cones or other embellishments (optional)
Hot glue gun (optional)
Raffia, tinsel, thin beaded garland (optional)
Pencil (optional)
How to keep paint from sliding off a glass ball
1. Remove the ornament cap
Remove the hanger and metal cap from the glass ball ornament.
2. Pour rubbing alcohol inside the ornament
Pour about 1 tsp. of rubbing alcohol into the glass ball.
3. Shake and clean the ball ornament
Place your finger over the opening of the glass ball and shake it well. The alcohol cleans the inside surface of the ball, enabling the paint to stick where you want it to. The paint won't adhere if the interior has residue from the manufacture of the ball.
4. Empty and dry the clear glass ball
Pour out the alcohol. Set the glass ball with the opening facing down into an empty egg carton. Allow it to dry thoroughly.
Tip
The egg carton prevents the ball from rolling off the surface and breaking.
5. Squeeze in some acrylic paint
Place the acrylic craft paint bottle up to the opening of the glass ball at the top of the ornament. Squirt three or four drops of the paint into the ball. Rotate or tilt the ball slowly so the paint flows over the area you desire.
6. Add extra paint
Add more of the same color paint or add three or four different paint colors inside of the ornament using the same technique. Place the drops into the glass ball at a different section of the opening.
Tip
Once you are finished with this step, there should be no more than a dime-sized pool of paint in the bottom of the ball.
7. Allow the paint to set
Put the glass ball in the empty egg carton for about five minutes.
8. Rotate the glass ball
Pick up the glass ball and rotate, tilt or move it a quarter turn every 5 or 10 minutes. This allows any excess paint to cover any bare spots so that the entire surface of the inside of the ornament is covered.
9. Remove the extra paint
Pour out any excess paint once the ball looks the way you want it to look.
10. Continue to turn the ornament
Set it back into the egg carton with the opening facing up. Continue to rotate it every few hours to ensure the paint coat is even.
Tip
At this point, there rarely is any paint left, but if there is, pour out any excess paint that collects in the bottom.
11. Assemble and hang the painted glass ball ornaments
Allow three or four days of drying time for the paint to dry thoroughly before replacing the cap and hanger.
Tip
Add a bow, decorative pick, miniature pine cones or other embellishments to the outside of the ornaments with a hot glue gun, if you desire.
You can stuff raffia, tinsel, thin beaded garlands or other embellishments into the glass ball with the end of a pencil. Replace the hanger and cap and hang it up.
Add a ribbon or metal Christmas ornament hook to hang it. Place the glass ball on your Christmas tree or hang it anywhere you desire in your home.
Including DIY holiday decorations in your home decor not only adds a personal touch but also creates an opportunity for a fun day of making holiday crafts. Beautifully painted glass Christmas ornaments are a nice alternative to the plastic ball ornaments you can purchase at the store. This is an easy DIY way to clean the inside of the glass ball with rubbing alcohol and rotate the glass ball as the paint dries.