These DIY Glitter Ornaments are easy to make for yourself or to give as gifts. Today we’ll show you how to transform a clear plastic ornament into a beautiful shimmery globe to hang on your Christmas tree.
As you may already know, we’ve made all kinds of different homemade ornaments with clear plastic (or glass) balls, and today’s glitter ornaments are one of the prettiest yet. They’re right up there with our pour-painted ornaments for being truly elegant and beautiful.
I’d been wanting to make these for a while, but I was having trouble figuring out how to get the glitter to stick to the inside of the plastic ball. I tried a few weeks ago, using a mix of watered down glue and glitter. I swished that around inside of the ornament, but the glue didn’t dry fast enough for everything to stay put.
Lo and behold, one of my friends recently gave me a beautiful “Grinch” ornament that she made with a glass ball. It had green glitter all over the inside, so I asked her what her secret was.
The trick to getting the glitter to stick to the inside of the ornament:
Are you ready for it? Hairspray!
Makes sense, right? Liquid hairspray is super-sticky and it dries to a clear, hard finish super-fast!
I tested the method last week, and it worked beautifully. I made the ones that you see here for myself, and I plan to make a few sets for family and friends for Christmas.
Let me show you how it’s done!
How-To: DIY Glitter Ornament
Supplies:
- clear plastic ornament with removable lid
- liquid hairspray in a pump
- glitter (any size/kind will work)
- funnel
- small disposable cup (to drain ornament into)
- thread or ribbon for hanging
Instructions:
How to Make a Glittered Ornament with a Clear Plastic Ball
- Prepare your Ornament
Remove the lid of the ornament, and set it upright in a small cup. The cup will support the ornament when you’re filling it, but you’ll also be draining any excess hairspray and glitter into it, so make sure it’s a cup that can be tossed out afterwards. We used a small take-out container.
- Add Hairspray and Glitter
F the next part, I didn’t measure anything. I just played around with things until I got the look I liked. This is more or less what you’ll do:
Remove the lid of the hairspray and pour a teaspoon or so of hairspray into your ornament. Use the funnel to prevent any spills, but wipe the funnel dry before the next step to prevent the glitter from sticking to your funnel.
Next, add a teaspoon or so of glitter to the ornament. Put your finger over the opening of the ornament and swish the glitter and hairspray all around to coat the inside of the ornament. Don’t worry if you don’t get full coverage the first time around.
- Drain
Set the ornament upside-down on your cup and let any excess hairspray drip out.
Repeat the above steps util the inside of your ornament is well-coated.
- Hang it!
Pop the lid on your ornament, and add some decorative ribbon for hanging.
How easy was that?
Wouldn’t a set of these ornaments make a lovely gift for a friend or for a neighbour or teacher this Christmas?
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
