Easy Mercury Glass Christmas Ornaments
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Ok…I can’t wait any longer…
I’ve been crafting and decorating for Christmas for the last few weeks and I’m excited to share it all.
Well, not all of it today, just one of the easy crafting projects I’ve been working on.
Mercury glass Christmas ornaments.
This is our first Christmas in the new house so I’ve been going a little crazy with the decorating and crafting.
I kept our holiday decor pretty traditional, as I usually do, but went a little bit overboard with the red.
I’m not sure how it happened, there never was a plan, but now every nook and cranny of our small cottage is red, with a few touches of glam here and there.
I already had a lot of red decor packed away, but not many red ornaments for the tree, so, instead of going out and buying some, I decided to make my own.
I found a box of glass ornaments that I bought last year for crafting so I used those for this project.
Supplies to make mercury glass Christmas ornaments
- glass ornaments
- Rustoleum red spray paint
- Rustoleum mirror effect spray paint
- water bottle with 1 part water to 1 part vinegar
- damp paper towel
I needed a way to “hold” the glass ornaments when I painted them so I came up with this little contraption.
It’s just a box and a dowel that was cut into four pieces.
I pushed the dowel pieces into holes that I made in the bottom of the box and…voila…an instant glass ball holder thingamajig. 🙂
Just to note that I didn’t go into this project with the intention of using mirror effect spray…yet again (I’ve used it here, here and here).
I set out to do red ornaments and, although they were pretty after they were painted, I felt like they needed a little something.
I tried to resist but the mirror effect spray paint seemed like it was the perfect choice to finish it off.
Ok, on with the project…
First I sprayed a coat of red to cover the glass (one coat was all it took).
This will be your base so if you have a few spots that aren’t completely covered it’s ok.
After the paint dried, I lightly spritzed each ornament with a vinegar and water solution.
Then I lightly sprayed the mirror effect spray.
You don’t want to spray too much because it will easily run.
The mirror effect spray dries super fast so, once it does, I gently blot the water drops off with a damp paper towel.
It’s very important to blot, not wipe.
Hang your DIY ornaments
Once the ornaments completely dry, add a hanger and they’re ready for the tree.
Rustic, glam, red, mercury glass Christmas ornaments. So easy and they were practically free.
I love how they turned out!
Thank you for stopping in!
More Easy Christmas Crafts
I created this easy and fun lightbulb banner last year with some burned out bulbs.
Reduce, reuse, recycle, right?
And this fun and easy living Christmas ornament…
Your ornaments are gorgeous. Any project that involved spray paint is a good one in my book! Pinned and sharing. Thank you for joining us at Family Joy Blog Link-Up Party this week.
Thanks so much, Cristina! You can never go wrong with a can of spray paint. 😉
Beautiful! I am feeling pressured (by me) to make many different ornaments using these empty ornaments…definitely going to try this if we get another nice day here on the north coast…northern Ohio
Thanks Lisa! I know what you mean by feeling pressured. I do this to myself every holiday season and never get all the crafts done that I’d like. Let me know how they come out, if you’re able to do them. No pressure! 😉
Your mercury glass ornaments are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing the tutorial with us at Snickerdoodle. Pinned to my Christmas Board.
Thanks so much, Beverly! They were so much fun to make, and super easy. 🙂
These are so cute!
Thanks for linking up with the Home Matter Link Party!
Have a lovely weekend,
Randi
#HomeMattersParty
Thanks so much, Randi!
Beautiful…and red? Oh! You are signing my song! 🙂
I love me a little bit of red at Christmas (ok, maybe a lot of red 😉 ).
To make the mirror effect bulbs, can you use clear plastic bulbs or will it not adhere as well? Also, when did you put the clear gloss on the bulbs? I love your decoration ideas!
Hi Kathy. I haven’t tried using the plastic bulbs, but I think that it should work on those too. Let me know if you give it a try. 🙂
The ornaments looked like candy apples before the mirror paint. They turned out great.
I am in Ohio for Thanksgiving, which we are not celebrating until Saturday, so my weekend will be busy but fun. Enjoy your quiet weekend.
They did look like candy apples, so shiny and pretty. I can’t ever leave well enough alone though. 😉
Hope you’re having a good visit. Happy Thanksgiving, my friend!
They look so pretty! I have been crafting too for my tree and home and will share it soon! We’re on the same boat here dear, too excited for Christmas!
Thanks Vel! I don’t usually start this early but got the bug to craft. 😉 Can’t wait to see what you’ve done.
Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!
They’re adorable! I’ve got to get some of this spray paint.
Brenda
Thanks Brenda! I love using this paint, clearly. I think it’s become an obsession with me. 😉
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wow – these are all beautiful! You are so organized and competent. I usually wait far longer to do any decorating and here you are doing these lovely pieces yourself. Brava!!
Thank you Margaret. I usually wait too, but was excited to get started this year. I think it’s because we’re in the new house. 😉
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!