Free Christmas Crafts
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Bottle Cap Ornament
Foam Snowflake
Walnut Mice
Q-tip Snowflakes
Bead Angels
How to Make Glass Ball Christmas Ornaments
Copyright © 2004-2008 Jane Lake All Rights Reserved
Here's a satisfying way to use up left-over craft supplies and other decorations to make one-of-a-kind glass glass ball Christmas ornaments.
Use bits and pieces left over from other crafts to make this assortment of glass Christmas balls. Assemble your supplies, put on some Christmas music, and get the kids to help you make your own unique tree trims.
On this page, we provide directions for the glass balls shown on our little tree. The larger Recycled Christmas card ornaments are easy to make as well - and a great way to re-use old Christmas cards!
Glass Ball Christmas Ornaments
Supplies:
Glass Ball Decorations:
Don't be limited by these ideas! Try recycling older ornaments and decorations, and using some of the saved embellishments inside these glass balls.
1. Bead Ball Fill ball with layers of crystal beads, pearls, or seed beads or recycle costume jewellery beads.
2. and 3.Feather Balls
Snip feathers to fit each ball, and tuck inside the glass. Use the fluffy bottom of the feathers for best effect and shake in some glitter if desired.
4. and 5. Tinsel Balls
Cut small pieces of tinsel garland and push inside each ball until lightly packed.
6. and 7. Marbelized BallsDrizzle two or three colors of paint inside each ball, letting paint drip down the sides. Seal top with your finger and shake until paints mix in a pleasing design.
8. Iridescent BallStart feeding an iridescent pipe cleaner into a glass ball until filled, then trim off the excess and cap.
9. Lace BallFill ball with a scrap of Christmas lace, or any pretty lace with metallic accents to catch the light.
10. Eraser BallPut a small amount of tinsel or a piece of metallic pipe cleaner in the ball. Slide in a small candy cane eraser.
11. Glitter ballDrizzle in a small amount of glitter paint and shake until the inside of ball is covered. Turn ball upside down and let any excess paint drain out before capping.
My kids & I made 'stained glass' ball ornaments for the grandmas one year. We tore different colors of tissue paper into tiny pieces. Then I mixed white glue and water in a small dish. Put the tissue paper on the outside of the ball by 'painting' the pieces with the glue mix with cheap kids' paint brushes. When they were dry, I lightly sprayed the ornaments with a glitter mist. I wrote the kids' names and the year on each ball with a gold Sharpie. The grandmas LOVED the ornaments. You can mix up the colors or go with different shades of the same color. The effect is a 'stained glass' look.
Glass balls can be found for cheap in 6 packs at michaels or joanns
Where can you buy the plastic or glass, clear ornaments? I'd like to try this with my students. Thanks!
hey i love your ideas
I am trying to figure out how to put a photo in the glass balls. Someone told me to use overhead projector sheets cut to the diameter of the ball with the photo glued to it. Has anyone else tried to do this? (I want to make these for my students for Christmas).
There are tutorials all over the web for this craft. Using Mod Podge is the most effective way that I have found to complete this craft. Others have also cut their photos so that they "float" in the very center of the bulb (glued on each side). Personally, I do not like the "undone" feel of the latter but it is your project. One piece of advice though--these are time consuming. You may be taking on too much with so few days left until Christmas. Each ornament is tedious and takes a few hours to complete, plus they each take about 4 days to completely dry inside. I have been advised in the past that not allowing these to dry inside could spur mold growth. A blowdryer will speed this up but that would take time for such a large amount! Good luck and merry Christmas!
They make plastic ones now too, since the glass balls (especially vintage glass balls) do tend toward being very fragile.
What kind of glitter paint should be used? I used some and it didn't dry for 3 days and it looks like crap
I sprayed hairspray inside the ornament. Swirl it around to make sure it is completely covered. Then I just dumped in glitter and shook it around so it would stick to the sides.
There is a way to take the color off of old glass balls. Soak them in clorox. It will take a little elbow grease and time but it works great. Definitely NOT for the kids to do. And be sure to wear gloves. I buy old glass balls at yard sales for a little of nothing and do this to create boxes of "New" ornaments for family members
