Easiest Way to Paint Clear Ornaments: Homemade Christmas Ornaments

Today we have super easy ornament painting ideas for kids of all ages (even toddlers and preschoolers). This homemade Christmas ornaments project was created a few years ago when clear glass ornaments first started popping up in the Christmas aisles of the local craft store. We started painting the inside of the clear Christmas ornaments with a few drops of paint and a marble and suddenly we wanted to cover the entire Christmas tree with this handmade Christmas ornaments idea!

Clear Christmas Ornaments Ideas Kids Can Do!

Today we are making homemade Christmas ornaments with clear balls using paint and a marble the easy way for a simple process perfect for kids of all ages. The resulting homemade Christmas ornament is completely tree-worthy and would make a great kid-made gift.

Related: Homemade Christmas ornaments

Have your kids help you make multiple of these homemade Christmas ornaments to decorate your Christmas tree this holiday season.

DIY Ornaments Using Clear Plastic Ornaments

Since we originally created this clear glass ornament craft, clear plastic ornaments have been invented. If you are doing this ornament craft with kids, I recommend using the clear plastic version.

Related: More fillable ideas for clear ornaments

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Supplies Needed To Make DIY Painted Ornaments

Instructions How To Paint Inside Clear Ornaments

Step 1

Remove the clear ornament cap from the top of the Christmas ball.

Step 2

Drop the marble inside of the ornament along with a drop or two of paint.

Step 3

Swirl the marble and the paint around inside the clear ornament without allowing the marble to escape until you are ready.

Step 4

When done painting your beautiful ornaments, reattach the ornament cap, add ribbon and hang on your Christmas tree.

Watch our Short Video How to Make Homemade Ornaments

What We Learned Making Painted Ornaments

• We found that you could do different colors, for best results wait between layers for each paint color to dry. We also found that you could mix the paint and glitter if patience was involved and you didn’t want perfectly spread glitter.
• If you do want a more consistent glitter layer making it glitter ornaments, I used floor wax {which dries clear} with the glitter to adhere it to the inside of the clear ball as the first layer if I wanted the glitter to be on the outside of the ornament and then once dried painted with other colors as desired.

Our Experience with DIY Painted Christmas Ornament Craft

We had a couple different clear Christmas ornaments painting ideas and each of the are easy to do – simple project! However, you can add whatever you want to them making these DIY Christmas ball ornaments all your own!

How We Created this Marble Painting Technique for Ornaments

I wanted to figure out a way to create pattern within the clear glass ball making handmade ornaments.

Kinda like building a ship in a bottle only the easy, kid version.

• We ended up using the glass version because my boys are a bit older and when we first did this the plastic and acrylic clear balls were not available.
• We had done a marble painting project awhile back and I thought that might work inside the ornament. I thought if I could plop some paint in the bottom and then gently drop a small marble inside, I could create lines with the paint by manipulating the marble.
• I found some of the kids’ magnetic spheres that fit well into the top of the ornament.  We used these instead of marbles with our acrylic craft paint.
• Because of the weight of the spheres, it was really important to roll them into place gently and then use a swirling motion instead of a shaking motion.
• We found that really heavy spheres plus glass balls could be dangerous! But ended up with lovely finished painted ornaments the majority of the time!

My kids LOVED this project and it is one of my favorite things because each could make their own ornaments with a personal touch.

I would advise that an adult take off the ornament tops and make sure there aren’t sharp surfaces there. We did end up breaking a ball, but the mess was easily contained. It reminded us of coloring Easter eggs which is always a favorite family activity.

DIY Christmas Ball Ornament Ideas

These paint swirled ornaments not only look great on your tree, but it could also make a wonderful Christmas gifts for loved ones as well. Grandparents will have a keepsake to remember their grandchild by.

This painted ornament idea for clear glass balls (or plastic!) could be used at home or in the classroom with multiple kids at once since it has limited supplies and unlimited potential!

Painted Ornament Ideas

Here are some of our favorite DIY painted Christmas ornaments that we created:

1. Clear Ball Ornament That Looks Like Clouds

This one is simply white paint in the bottom and then swirled with the marble – what pretty white ornaments.

I tried to graduate the swirling so that the white was denser at the bottom and thinned at the top of the ornament.   It reminded me of clouds.

2. Add Ribbon to Painted Clear Ornaments

This is the same ornament on a tree tied with red curling ribbon. The glass has a pretty iridescence that catches the light.

3. Clear Ball Ornament Painted with Glitter

This one used red paint first in the same swirling motion and then a secondary layer of green glitter.   In this case, we simply shook the glitter into the ball while the paint was still wet.

My 8 year old made this one.

4. Glitter & Floor Wax Layer Plus Painted Color

This was my 5 year old’s creation.   He used the floor wax first and then added both red and green glitter.

Once that dried he stuffed in some of the red and green curling ribbon.   It is hard to fully appreciate how pretty this looks in a photograph.

It is my favorite from the day.

5. Clear Ball Ornament with Wax and Glitter

This one started with white paint and then added wax and clear glitter.

The final homemade Christmas ornaments are beautiful! We could add personalized tags and they would make a great gift that the child created himself.

Homemade Christmas Ornaments Ideas for Kids

1. Clear Ornament Ideas for Kids

If you haven’t checked out our massive list of ways to fill clear ornament balls, don’t miss it! We have so many clear ornament ideas for kids.

2. Homemade Ornament Crafts for Kids

26 Homemade ornaments that kids can help make is a great resource for finding simple projects that fit the items you already have on hand. You and your kids can create homemade ornaments to give as gifts, hang on your tree and cherish for Christmases to come.

3. Super Easy Homemade Ornament Crafts

Make craft stick snowflakes with your kids is one of my favorite projects because it is deceptively simple. Simple that it only takes a few supplies and is great for crafters of all ages, but complex in the results. Hand kids these supplies with a mission to make a snowflake, and I promise no two will look the same!

Add a ribbon to these and they make great tree ornaments.

4. Easy Holiday Decoration to Make at Home

Check out our kid-made wreath project that is easy and fun and makes a great craft for home, school or church. This project can be easily assembled ahead of time for a group of kids and managed with adult supervision.

These homemade wreath ornaments look so pretty hanging together on a tree.

More Christmas Fun from Kids Activities Blog

What type of ornament are you making this year?  Tell us about it below!