DIY Christmas Ornaments: Glitter, Paint, Artificial Snow, Cricut!

Hello Daydreamers!

In today’s tutorial, I will teach you three different techniques for making Christmas Ornaments.

• Technique #1 – Artificial Snow Ornaments
• Technique #2 – Glitter Ornaments
• Technique #3 – Painted Ornaments

In addition, if you have a Cricut machine, I also include details on how to cut and transfer vinyl to your ornaments.

If you don’t own a Cricut, I have all the information you need to have similar results.

Note: I will provide you with free SVG templates so you can make your own ornaments.

Materials

Depending on the technique you want to use, here are the materials you need:

Technique #1 Artificial Snow Ornaments

• Clear Plastic Ornaments (you can find them for super cheap at Michaels).
• Photos
• Scissors
• Artificial Snow. There are many brands out there. I used the Buffalo snowflakes, which I bought from Michaels, but they are also available on Amazon.

Technique #2 Glitter Ornaments

• Polycrylic Clear Gloss
• Glitter
• Clear Christmas Ornament
• Funnel
• Spoon
• Paper plates

Technique #3 Painted Ornaments

• Acrylic Paint
• Clear Plastic Ornament (Glass can work too)
• Paper Plates
• Funnel (optional)

Personalization Idea for Ornaments:

• Christmassy ribbon
• Cricut*
• Green Mat
• Fine-Point blade
• Adhesive Vinyl
• Transfer tape
• Weeder
• Scraper

*You DON’T NEED a Cricut to make ornaments; you can buy decals on Etsy and Amazon!

Technique # 1: Ornaments with Artificial Snowflakes

Ornaments made with artificial snowflakes are the easiest thing in the world!

The good thing about these ornaments is that they can be made in minutes, and they are perfect for a crafting session with your little ones.

The mess is minimal when you follow my steps!

Step 1

Fill your ornaments with artificial snow halfway through.

This snow is messy! (VERY) I tried to use a funnel, but the flakes didn’t go through.

After trying with a paper funnel and my bare hands (and a giant mess on my table), I put the ornaments inside the bag and filled them from there.

So easy!

And best of all, mess-free.

Step 2

Cut the photo you want to use, roll it, and insert it in the ornament.

The ideal photos are where people are little. Avoid total portrait photos because they won’t fit the ornament.

I used some of my wedding photos, but you can also use pictures of your children, grandkids, etc.

Step 3

Close the ornament and hang it on your Christmas tree. They are also perfect for a small present.

Technique #2: Make Glitter Christmas Ornaments

If you’ve seen some of my other articles, then you know that I love glitter.

I love the sparkles glitter offers, and these ornaments are so vibrant and full of life that they will make your tree look beautiful!

Step 1

Start by opening your Polycrylic container.

Something to consider with polycrylic is that a little goes a long way. With an 8fl oz, you can make a lot of them, maybe 50 – 80 ornaments?

To add polycrylic to the ornaments, use a funnel; I bought a set for this project and am so happy I did.

Bye, mess.

Take some from the container with a plastic spoon and pour it into the ornament (through the funnel).

You don’t need a lot, maybe a tablespoon (you can pour the excess back into the container). Polycrylic is very runny!

Swirl your ornament until everything is coated.

Step 2

Pour the polycrylic excess back into the container and place the ornament on a paper plate to get rid of the extra mixture.

A lot will come out, so let them rest for about five minutes.

Tip: If your ornaments have some polycrylic on the outside, use a damp paper towel to clean them up.

Step 3

It’s time to glitter up our ornaments.

Before you start this process, make sure the ornaments are completely drained.

For the glitter, I like using a funnel as well. Make sure it’s a new or clean one, though. If you are using the same one you used with the polycrylic mixture, rinse it before using it.

A little goes a long way; you only need a teaspoon.

I always like to use plenty and then return to the original container.

Swirl the ornament until everything is coated. Let me tell you that the glitter sticks to the polycrylic like MAGIC!

It’s beautiful and vibrant.

When your ornament is completely coated with glitter, use the funnel to return extra glitter to the original container.

Glitter is gold, and we don’t want to waste any of it!

Now, it’s time to let your ornament dry; I let them dry overnight.

More Glitter Ornaments

Here are more examples of the ornaments I made using this method. I also used some chunky glitter, and I think it looks terrific.

I am mesmerized by the final product.

Don’t you think they look fantastic?

The good thing about glitter ornaments is that you can find glitter of any color you like and love.

Technique #3 How to Paint Christmas Ornaments

Using paint to personalize Christmas ornaments is another excellent technique.

I love how amazing these ornaments look. But beware, these ornaments take FOREVER to dry. After two days, they were still wet inside.

Step 1

If you are using a bottle of paint (I love DecoArt paints, which are very affordable at Michaels), you don’t need a funnel; you can just pour it right into the ornament.

There are two approaches to painting Christmas Ornaments: one involves using a little bit of paint (about a tablespoon or so), and the second involves using a lot of paint and then returning extra paint to the container.

When you use a little bit of paint, this project can take forever because paint, in general, has a higher viscosity (density).

If you use a little paint, prepare to swirl a single ornament for about 30 minutes.

Nobody has time for that!

I don’t.

lol

For me, I prefer to be very generous with the paint and then return the excess to the paint container.

Tip: Place a paper towel at the top of the ornament and swirl without worrying about spilling paint everywhere.

Warning: Don’t shake the ornament; you will create bubbles in the paint, and your paint could dry with those little bubbles.

Step 2

Return extra excess paint to the original container. You can use a funnel, or you can place the ornaments upside down on the paint bottle (if they match in size).

If you use a good amount of paint, let them drain for about ten minutes or so.

Now, believe it or not, there’s still going to be extra paint inside the ornament.

Not a lot, but enough to make your project take forever to dry.

If you have extra time, I recommend you finish draining your ornaments on a paper plate for about ten more minutes.

Fun fact: My Instagram followers loved this photo, where I shared my draining methods. I would like to see you over there, so make sure to hit that follow button!

Step 3

After draining the paint from your ornaments, it’s time to let them dry! Place them on an area where you can lay them right side up.

Even if you let them drain for a long time, these ornaments take a long time to dry (2 to 3 days). You can speed up this process by having them in a ventilated area.

Don’t touch the inside of them or be very careful. I did to test the dry time, and one of them has a couple of fingerprints.

These ornaments are so pretty, and due to all kinds of paint colors available on the market, you have infinite possibilities.

I love the metallic paints!

The con of this method is the drying time, so plan if you want to make them.

Free SVG for Ornaments

As I promised, here are some SVG files to upload to Cricut Design Space. (Personal Use Only)

Usually, I don’t share the fonts I used when I make my files, but there are three fonts that I am obsessed with right now, and they are perfect for Christmas ornaments.

• Scat Cat (Skinny font)
• Vanilla Cream Font Duo

You can get them at creativefabrica.com (One of my favorite places to buy fonts).

Oh!

Just so you know, I also have a library full of free SVG files and Printables for all my subscribers, a.k.a. Daydreamers. You can see a preview right here or get access by filling out this form.

Personalize Ornaments with Cricut

You can decorate your Christmas Ornaments with some vinyl.

If you don’t own a Cricut or don’t know what this machine is about, you can read this excellent guide, where I walk you through everything you need to know.

You can still decorate your Christmas Ornaments with vinyl. Did you know you can buy decals on Etsy or Amazon? Just perform a search for “vinyl Christmas ornament decals.”

• Search on Amazon
• Search on Etsy

If you have a Cricut, congratulations!

I love some of the things you can make with vinyl and your Cricut. Let’s see what we can do with the files I just provided you with.

Step 1 – Upload Designs and Cut Vinyl

Log in to Cricut Design Space and click on the “Upload” button on the left panel of the canvas area.

At that point, you can click on “Upload Images” and follow the prompts to upload each one of the images.

When you are done uploading all the files, select them and click on “Insert Images.”

Note: Weld each design into a single layer. Learn more about “Welding” in this tutorial.

Before you cut your project, you have to resize each one of the files so they fit on your project. I recommend you check the size of the ornaments you bought because they can differ.

I kept most of them within 2×2 inches—some were 2×1.5, others 2×1.7, and so on.

Since I cut them all in one color, I selected all files and clicked on attach.

After resizing your files and attaching them, click on “Make it” to cut your project. If everything looks right, click on “continue” to select materials and cut your project.

For this project, I decided to use Premium Vinyl – Frosted Glitter. You can use either permanent or removable vinyl.

If you have a machine without a “Smart Set Dial,” select the material in Design Space. For machines with a dial, set to “Custom” to follow along.

Install the fine-point blade, place the vinyl on the Cricut mat, load it into your machine, and press the “flashing go button” to cut your project.

Note: Some of these designs have very intricate details, so take your time weeding. I recommend using a sharp blade for very intricate cuts.

When your machine is done cutting your vinyl, unload the mat and remove the vinyl by bending the mat.

If you cut multiple designs in the same vinyl sheets as I did, cut them around with scissors before you weed them.

Step 2 – Weed & Transfer Vinyl to Ornaments

We are getting closer to personalizing our Christmas ornaments with vinyl. Applying vinyl to curved surfaces should be an Olympic sport.

Don’t you think?

First, weed the design with your weeder. Remember that some of the other designs in this article have very intricate pieces, so take your time weeding.

After weeding, we are going to use transfer tape to stick the vinyl to the ornament.

If you are using glitter vinyl, you need to use Strong Grip transfer tape. If using regular vinyl, regular transfer tape is what you need.

You should just make sure that you don’t use Strong Grip transfer tape on a regular vinyl cut, as it won’t transfer to your surface.

Most transfer tapes have lines that help you keep your design straight when transferring it. Use these lines when placing the tape on your design, and then use the scraper to adhere your cut to the tape.

Although applying vinyl to curved surfaces can be frustrating, here are my top tips for transferring your design to perfection.

1. Identify the center of your ornaments.

You don’t want to complete the transfer and find out that your design is not aligned with the ornament. You can use an eraser marker to identify the center and then wipe it out clean when the transfer is complete.

2. Identify the center of your design.

Knowing the center of your design is just as important as identifying the center of the ornament. You can also mark the transfer tape with an eraser maker.

I don’t have photos of this step because I learned it the hard way. After five ornaments were ruined, I started to mark everything.

I was lucky with this purple ornament!

3. Make small cuts and join both centers.

To transfer vinyl better, make small cuts on the transfer tape; these cuts can be made during the transfer process if you see your design can’t be applied evenly.

Remove the backing from the transfer tape and vinyl and gently tap to join both centers (ornament, design). Make sure the lines of the transfer tape are aligned with the ornament as well!

With that initial tap, you have room to gently start transferring vinyl to the ornament. The key is patience!

Don’t try to transfer vinyl all in one movement; instead, with your fingers, start working on one part of your design. The cut lines on the transfer tape will allow you to transfer the other areas.

Sometimes, the initial cuts on the tape will not be enough to transfer your design smoothly. In that case, make the cuts larger as you go.

4. Remove Transfer Tape

When you’re done with the vinyl transfer, remove the transfer tape and wipe out the mark you made with the eraser marker.

That’s it!

Doesn’t it look beautiful?

I love all the shine and beautiful colors of homemade Christmas ornaments.

Embellish Ornamements + More Ideas!

But wait, there’s more (read in infomercial voice). You can add more details to your ornaments by adding some beautiful bows.

I found a very helpful video tutorial that taught me once and for all how to make them.

You can glue them with silicone to your ornament, or you can loop some twine on the back and hang them on the ornament.

In other words, these bows are the ornament of your ornament.

Check out these other Christmas ornaments I made!

I made about 20 of them for this article! I also cut more vinyl in different colors to create different vibes and effects.

Don’t they all look super beautiful?

I like the way they look with and without the bows. What are your thoughts?

Which ornament is your favorite?

Share it!

What do you think?

I hope you make the most beautiful Christmas ornaments this coming year and in the future. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @daydreamintoreality to see all of your creations.