The Look For Less - Textured Ornaments

I love finding high end décor and trying to make my own version on a budget. When I saw this stunning ornament set at Crate and Barrel, I knew my vintage inspired Christmas tree NEEDED them, but my budget wouldn't allow for $40 for a set of 6 baubles. So I made them myself!

With a little acrylic paint and an ingredient from my kitchen, I recreated these gorgeous ornaments for $5! And I was able to make 9!

The great thing about this dupe is that you can use any smooth ornaments - plastic OR glass! So if you have some old ornaments that aren't your style anymore, you can upgrade them with this DIY! Talk about a sustainable holiday DIY!

These ornaments would also make a great gift for the holidays! Knowing you hand painted these ornaments, make them an extra special present!

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Materials

• ornaments - I bought this clear glass set from Target, but any smooth ornaments would work!

• acrylic paint in your choice of colors - I bought this set a long time ago and I love the variety of colors

• paint brushes

• baking soda

• twine or ribbon

How to Make it

1. Remove the tops of the ornaments and paint those any color you like if desired. The set I purchased came with silver tops and I just gave them 2 coats of gold paint.

2. Start by painting your ornaments with a base coat of acrylic paint. To recreate the tones of the Crate and Barrel set, I painted my ornaments black, cream, and gray.

3. Allow the paint to fully dry. I hung my ornaments on the ends of a bunch of paint brushes and placed them in a cup so they could dry without touching anything.

4. Next, mix some baking soda into your 2nd layer of paint. For a quarter sized amount of paint, I mixed in about 1/2 teaspoon of soda. You want your paint to be thick, but still runny enough to apply with a brush. For this baking soda layer I used metallic paints in silver, bronze and gold. The baking soda will add texture and the base color will come through to blend in subtle ways with the top color.

5. Continue this process until you have achieved the color you want. For some of the ornaments I added multiple layers of baking soda paint for more texture.

6. Optional: when the ornaments are fully dry, sprinkle more baking soda over them and rub gently with a dry cloth or paper towel. This added a more matte finish to my ornaments and left a hazy layer that mimics the look of the Crate and Barrel set.

7. Add the tops to each ornament and string with twine.

Alternative Painting Ideas

Your ornaments do not have to be one solid color. Play around with stripes and other patterns. An ombre effect would also look great!

I hope you find some inspiration here for a way to dress up your tree a little extra special this year! I love the idea of turning old, unwanted décor into something new and beautiful - and that is my goal this holiday season! To buy less and reuse what I already own!

Looking for more affordable and sustainable Christmas inspiration? Start here!

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xoxo, L