Christmas crafts

Recycled Glass Christmas Balls

By editor ⋅ December 27, 2009 ⋅ Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

If you have some glass Christmas balls that are looking a little tired and worn, there are many ways to recycle them and get them looking not only good again, but better than ever.

Embellished Glass Ball

To embellish a glass ball, in a similar style to the one shown at right, all you need is a scrap of ribbon, a hot glue gun and glue sticks, plus an assortment of embellishments. These might include tiny pine cones, berries, miniature Christmas figures, buttons or curls of ribbon. Use our photo for inspiration and create a whole new look for a painted glass ball.

Removing Paint from Christmas Ornaments

If the paint is flaking off badly, you have two choices - either cover it, or remove it. To remove the paint, first take off the metal clip and cap and set aside. Be careful when handling the top edges as the glass is very thin and sharp. Soak the glass ball in a dish of bleach for 15 minutes, then rinse in clear water. The paint should slide off fairly easily. Wipe the outside of the ball with a dishcloth then clean and dry the inside with cotton swabs like Q-tips.

Filled Glass Ball Ornaments

Once the glass is free of paint, you can continue to embellish the glass ball as you like.

See our page on Decorating Glass Ball Ornaments for ideas on filling the ornaments for a variety of pleasing effects.

Doily or Lace Ornaments

Another elegant look can be achieved by simply covering the glass balls with circles of lace or doilies.

Look how romantic and feminine these Christmas Doily Ornaments are (shown at left), and although the Doily ‘n’ Tassel Ball Ornaments, (shown at right) are made with styrofoam balls, I do believe they could also be easily done with a glass ball base.

Tags: balls, christmas, embellished, glass, ornaments, recycled