We don’t know about you but we are full swing into our Christmas crafting over here! Today we are excited to bring you a tutorial from Lynn of HellaMadella. She is teaching us how to make resin Christmas ornaments with painted glass. They are so unique and beautiful and we can’t wait for you to check them out!
When it comes to Christmas gifts, handmade items are always a big hit. When we know that someone has put their own time, talent, and heart into the gift they have given us, we can feel the love come through. Whether it is a card from the little ones in our lives or something more complex, these are the best gifts to get!
Which also makes them the best gifts to give. We are learning how to make resin Christmas ornaments with painted glass and these beauties are perfect for gifting and keeping!
How to Make Resin Christmas Ornaments with Painted Glass
We love to see all the amazing Christmas ornaments that our artists make with resin. There are so many creative and beautiful creations. Lynn’s ornaments combine two of our favorite things (Thin Viscosity Artist Resin and Polished Painted Glass) to make unique DIY Christmas ornaments! Lynn is a talented artist who has a long history of working with glass. We are grateful to her for sharing her expertise with us!
Lynn’s Words about using Painted Glass to Make Resin Christmas Ornaments
“When I was younger I started making stained glass mosaic projects. I would travel to different stained glass supply stores and buy several pounds of their scrap glass. When I got home with my glass, I would stare at each piece in complete wondrous joy.
I would cut the pieces randomly and glue them down to many surfaces like trays and tables. Fast forward about 15 years, and now I incorporate my love of glass and broken pieces with my love of epoxy resin. There is so much satisfaction in taking something broken and repurposing it into a beautiful piece of art.
These mosaic Christmas ornaments are super fun, easy to make, and only require minimal supplies to get started. And this process isn’t just for Christmas ornaments. I have started to take many different wooden shapes and produce my ‘Not just for Christmas ornaments’. Items that can be displayed all year long are such a good thing!”
Christmas Ornament Design Variations
We love the idea of “Not just for Christmas Ornaments”! Who says we can’t display our beautiful ornament pieces at other times of the year? With all the different shapes and painted glass to choose from you can create an almost limitless amount of designs.
You could tailor them to each holiday and make others that will fit in with year round decor. We have a feeling that once we get going on these beauties it is going to be hard to stop!
These DIY ornaments can also serve double duty. We know you artists know all about multi-tasking and, with these Christmas ornaments, you can ask the same of your art! You can use them as gift tags for your other holiday gifts. Or add them to a nice bottle of wine as a last minute gift idea. If you host holiday parties you could put one ornament at each table setting. Your guests get a beautiful handmade gift from you while the ornaments add to your table decorations!
How to Make Resin Christmas Ornaments with Painted Glass
Materials
- Wooden blanks
- Rick's Mix Acrylic Paint
- Counter Culture DIY Thin Viscosity Artist Resin
- Lucky Painted Glass
- Aster Painted Glass
- Chalcedony Painted Glass
- Lazurite Painted Glass
- White craft glue
- Mixing cups
- Mixing sticks
- Tweezers
- Toothpicks and spreaders
- Glass pieces, shells, various semi-flat embellishments
- Blue painter's tape or liquid latex
- Ribbon
- Protective gloves
- Filter mask
- Silicone mat
Instructions
- I use any wooden shape I have on hand. In this project, I am using flat wooden round ball ornaments I found on Amazon. My local craft store also has many shapes available. I sometimes leave my wooden surface as is, or I prime the surface. Prime Time or Rick's Mix would work great for this. Sometimes I like to paint different colors for the background if I plan on leaving some larger empty spaces visible in between the glass or shell embellishments. I always make sure the paint is dry before gluing on my pieces.
- I sometimes draw a light design on my piece as a reference or I will put the pieces on randomly as I go. I use a simple white all purpose craft glue and tweezers to attach my pieces to the wooden shape. The glue I prefer to use dries clear. I apply a small amount of glue in the area I have decided to start at and spread it out thinly with a craft stick. Working in small sections ensures that my glue won't dry before I can place my pieces on it. If I put a piece down and don't like it's position, the craft glue will allow time for adjustment before it sets. If I do need to move pieces, I will use a toothpick so my tweezers don't get sticky from the wet glue.
- Once I have my whole piece covered and am satisfied with my design, I let my piece set overnight so I can be sure my glue is completely dry.
- No need to grout! Once I know everything is dry and the pieces are secured, I move on to the epoxy resin topcoat. First I will prep the back of my piece with either liquid latex or blue painter's tape. That way, if any drips catch underneath they can be easily removed. I prefer to use CCDIY Thin Viscosity Artist Resin for this project because I enjoy the light coverage. I love how the Thin Viscosity allows the texture and angles of the embellishments to remain. When the texture catches the light at different angles, it gives the piece movement and pretty visual effects.
- Mix and apply the resin according to the directions on the bottles. For this project, I find that usually one coat of resin is sufficient. It offers great protection and makes the piece easy to clean. Since I want the texture of my embellishments to show through, any minor imperfections in my resin will usually blend in and be unnoticeable.
- After the resin has cured according to the directions, I will peel the tape or latex off from the back. If any resin has seeped onto the back, I will sand it down. I usually paint the backs with metallic acrylic paint, followed by a clear varnish. This gives the back of the piece a nice surface, especially if I want to add a personalized message.
- Now I add my ribbon and it's done!
The Finishing Touches
We love Lynn’s beautiful resin and painted glass Christmas ornaments and we hope you do too! Working with glass isn’t something we get to do very often. But there is something so therapeutic about choosing and placing each piece. It is sure to become a favorite project for many! If you want to see another project with painted glass, check out our Mosaic Style Coaster Tutorial!
If you enjoyed learning from Lynn and want see more of her gorgeous creations you can find her on Facebook and Instagram. You can also check out her website and her Etsy page where you can see some of her amazing acrylic work! We want to give her another huge thank you for sharing her art and her process with all of us!
You can find awesome video tutorials like this one on our YouTube channel!
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