This Light Bulb Craft makes Cheap Christmas decorations from recycled materials by painting ombre colored light bulb ornaments.
These DIY Light Bulb Crafts Ornaments are an easy ombre crafts project. You can make light Bulb ornaments by recycling old Christmas light bulbs in an afternoon. We have been seeing all the recycled Light Bulb Craft on Pinterest and would love to make so many of them. Homemade cheap Christmas decorations are absolutely the best.
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There are a million ways to go over budget during the holiday season. But trimming your tree should never be one of them. Especially when you can use this DIY tutorial to turn old light bulbs into unique, one-of-a-kind family heirlooms!
Any shape of light bulb will work, but I really liked the chandelier/candelabra shaped light bulbs. And they have the best tips to mix and match and drop in between branches with my existing collection of round ornaments.
What you need for these Light Bulb Ornaments
Supplies:
- Light bulbs (any shape or size)
- Acrylic craft paint in various shades of the same color, dark to light
- Fine glitter
- Jute String
Equipment:
- Paper plates
- Hairdryer
- Sponge brush
- Scissors
Painting Ombre
Everything “ombre”- a gradient effect of various shades of a single color from dark to light – has been really popular in design for the past few years. So I wished to try painting ombre by using craft paint in four different shades of blue. It will act as the base color for my set of four light bulb ornaments. And by adding fine glitter and unbleached baker’s twine, I bought these simple glass light bulbs from the recycling bin to Pinterest reuse gold.
How to make Easy Christmas decorations from recycled materials
- First, clean the outside of your ornaments with rubbing alcohol and dry with newspaper to remove any dust or other particles. (Newspaper works better than paper towels or cloth because it doesn’t leave anything behind – a little trick I learned working in restaurants when I was a teen!)
- Next, using a sponge brush, paint one of your ornaments in the darkest shade of color, working from the metal to the tip. When the entire light bulb is covered evenly, sprinkle glitter to your desired coating all the way around.
- Then, while still holding the metal light bulb base between your fingers, dry your ornament with a paint dryer or hairdryer on high heat. Hold about six inches away from your light bulb and rotate to dry evenly, for about 30 seconds.
- Lastly, when your light bulb ornament is completely dry, knot a 6″ to 8″ length of jute string (or any other string or yarn that you like) around the metal base of the light bulb, knotting once – and tightly. Then knot the other end to create an ornament loop, and voila!
- Repeat with additional light bulbs with your lighter shades, together creating the ombre craft effect when they are hung from the tree.
Other Christmas Crafts:
Click HERE to save this Painting Ombre Light Bulb Ornaments to Pinterest
Painting ombre colored light bulb ornaments
Make Christmas decorations from recycled materials by painting ombre colored light bulb ornaments. A light bulb craft that makes cheap Christmas decorations
Cost: 10
Equipment
- Paper plates
- Hairdryer
- Sponge brush
Ingredients
- Light bulbs any shape or size
- Acrylic craft paint in various shades of the same color dark to light
- Jute String
- Fine glitter
Instructions
- First, clean the outside of your ornaments with rubbing alcohol and dry with newspaper to remove any dust or other particles. (Newspaper works better than paper towels or cloth because it doesn’t leave anything behind – a little trick I learned working in restaurants when I was a teen!)
- Next, using a sponge brush, paint one of your ornaments in the darkest shade of color, working from the metal light bulb base to the tip. When the entire light bulb is covered evenly, sprinkle glitter to your desired coating all the way around.
- Then, while still holding the metal light bulb base between your fingers, dry your ornament with a paint dryer or hairdryer on high heat. Hold about six inches away from your light bulb and rotate to dry evenly, for about 30 seconds.
- Lastly, when your light bulb ornament is completely dry, knot a 6″ to 8″ length of jute string (or any other string or yarn that you like) around the metal base of the light bulb, knotting once – and tightly. Then knot the other end to create an ornament loop, and voila!
- Repeat with additional light bulbs with your lighter shades, together creating the ombre craft effect when they are hung from the tree.
Emily Thompson
Friday 5th of December 2014
I love these!! Sharing on my FB today... wish I had some bulbs like this to make these right now!!
Nichole @ casadecrews.com
Tuesday 25th of November 2014
I always want to be crafty, but then I get lazy. These look easy and pretty, and fun! I love it
Linda Bouffard
Tuesday 25th of November 2014
Very sweet, Evelyn!!
Mandee Pogue
Tuesday 25th of November 2014
Oh.my.goodness! How adorable are these! I am definitely doing with my nieces!