As the holiday season draws near, there's an undeniable magic in the air. The twinkle of lights, the aroma of gingerbread cookies, and, of course, the cherished tradition of decorating the Christmas tree.
This year, why not add a special touch to your festivities with handmade Christmas ornaments? Not only do they add a unique flair to your holiday decor, but they also offer a delightful crafting experience that the whole family can enjoy!
Today Karen Horvath of MG Creations by Karen is showing us how to make beautiful DIY glitter and acrylic paint Christmas ornaments. They are simple, quick, and the perfect addition to any tree!
DIY Glitter and Acrylic Paint Christmas Ornaments
Personal Touch and Uniqueness
One of the most enchanting aspects of handmade ornaments is the personal touch they bring to your tree. Each ornament tells a story, reflecting the love and creativity of the person who made it.
Whether it's a glittering snowflake crafted by a child's hands or an elegant ribbon-wrapped bauble, these ornaments are more than decorations—they're cherished memories hanging from the branches.
With the glitter or acrylic paint ornaments that Karen is showing us, you can take the customization one step further. Use vinyl decals or scrapbook stickers to add names, images, or festive words. The results are holiday ornaments that are as personal as they come!
Don't Get too Dirty with your Dirty Pour
The acrylic paint ornaments that Karen shares are super simple and fun to make! When Karen was making her first ornaments, she was all geared up to use several of her favorite paint shades. But she realized that you can have too much of a good thing with this method.
Karen explains that using too many colors will leave us with a muddy look that doesn't show off the beautiful colors we started with. So, her recommendation is to choose only 2 colors and a white.
The white is your base color and makes the other shades pop. Karen thinks of the white as an activator that lets your pretty colors shine their brightest!
Use up your Leftover Paint
Doing a dirty pour is always fun and full of surprises. There are many reasons why this style is a favorite of artists and shoppers! But it is a bit messy and you end up with leftover paint.
Like many of us, Karen is a firm believer in not letting any of her craft supplies got to waste. So, in the video below, she shows us some ways to use up the paint drippings from our ornament pour!
Watch how Karen uses the leftover paint to make gorgeous phone grips, badge reels, and keychains! These little beauties make sure we use up all of our supplies. Plus they make great customer gifts to include with your holiday orders!
Quick Coat for the Win!
When it comes to the gorgeous glitter ornaments, Karen has a secret weapon. Our fabulous Quick Coat makes the perfect adhesive and sealant! In the past, Karen has tried this method using polyacrylic to adhere her glitter. But it didn't give good coverage for the lighter shades. And it left gaps when she used chunky glitter.
Quick Coat can handle any type of glitter, though! It does a thorough job and gives the best coverage. Even with the lightest shade or chunkiest glitter!
Watch the Video Tutorial Here!
Glitter and Acrylic Paint Christmas Ornaments Supply List
- Quick Coat
- Show Time Glitter (gold)
- Violicious Glitter (purple)
- Sparkling Waters Glitter (light blue)
- Snow Storm Glitter (white)
- Through the Clouds Glitter or Patty Simcox Glitter (light blue chunky)
- Medicine cups
- Rick's Mix Alabaster White
- Rick's Mix Silver
- Rick's Mix Lapis Blue
- Rick's Mix Blossom Red
- Hollow plastic ornaments
- Ribbon for bows
- Vinyl decals
- Silicone mat
- Protective gloves
- Krylon UV-resistant clear sealer in gloss
- Floral foam blocks
- Disposable plate
- Popsicle sticks
- Sand paper
Glitter Ornament Instructions
- Pour a bit of Quick Coat into your plastic ornament and swirl it around to cover the entire inside of your ornament. Let the excess drip out.
- Then use a funnel to pour glitter into the ornament. Hold your thumb over the opening and shake the glitter to cover the whole inside.
- Set your ornament aside to dry. Put the top back on and add any details that you want!
Acrylic Paint Ornament Instructions
- Start by setting up a stand for your ornament. Place a small foam block on top of a disposable plate. Then stick two popsicle sticks (close together) into the foam.
- Lightly sand the ornament and then put it down onto the popsicle sticks.
- Take a medicine cup and 2 colors of acrylic paint, plus white. Starting with the white, start layering small amounts of the paint into the medicine cup. Every now and then, add in a bit of silver or gold paint to add shimmer.
- Start to pour and swirl the paint onto the ornament. If it starts going too much to one side, pour more on the opposite side.
- Once you like the look of it, use a popsicle stick or your finger to take the paint that has dripped onto the plate and cover the areas of the ornament where the paint hasn't reached.
- Let the paint dry for 24-48 hours. Then add a layer of the sealer. This will prevent your paint from scratching.
- Finally, once the sealer has dried, add any decals and bows!
The Finishing Touches
We want to give a big thank you to Karen for sharing her skills and knowledge with all of us again. If you loved learning from her and want to see more of here work, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram. And you can find more awesome video tutorials like this one on our YouTube channel!
Get ready to gather your glitters and acrylic paints and embrace the magic of the season with handmade Christmas ornaments. Let your imagination soar, and watch as your tree becomes a dazzling display of personal expression and holiday cheer!
Pop of Color Shock Paints are sold exclusively at Counter Culture DIY. So now you have even more reasons to stop by!
You can find more awesome video tutorials like this one on our YouTube channel!
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Do you have an art project using any of our products that you want to share? Send it to us at support@counterculturediy.com, and we can feature them here!