I made this light bulb ornament the same year I made the angel, snowman, and penguin , in December of 2000.
However, I never wrote a tutorial on this version. In fact, I made several of these, gave a couple as gifts and sold the rest in the craft store I used to own.
I’ll do my best to give you some general instructions in case you want to make one, but it’s been a while, so bear with me!
I’m not going to write the instructions out formally as I usually do, only because I might miss a step as it’s been 9 years since I made it.
So here goes.
Before I do though, here’s a video I made showing how to paint pine trees. For the light bulb ornament in this post, I used a tiny paint brush for the lights, giving them a soft glow.
I usually prepare my light bulbs by making sure they are free of dust, rinsing in water, wiping off, then giving them a rinse in white vinegar. Usually I paint them with a brush, but this particular one I used spray cans. The reason I did that, and you can hopefully see in the photo below, was the create a sunset effect that would be more difficult with a brush (not impossible, just more difficult).
I sprayed the bulb with a mauve first. Most of it won’t show in the finished product, but it’s still an important factor. After that was dry, I sprayed the top half with a dusty country blue, putting a thicker layer toward the top and just a dusting near the middle. The idea was to blend the blue into the mauve.
Note: You have to be careful with spray paint as it will run if you have a heavy trigger finger. Better to err on the side of caution and use several light sprays, letting them dry in between.
Next I painted the Christmas tree. That seems to be the “wow” factor of this ornament, and people comment on what talent I have, but really, the trees are very, very simple. Just check out the video demonstration above.
After adding the tree, and then the snow on the branches, I used a small paint brush and dabbed off all the excess paint, then gently dabbed on the “lights”. They blend into the snow and look like they are really glowing. :)
To add the “falling snow” I splattered it with watered down white paint using a tooth brush.
I glued some rick rack around the neck of the bulb, gluing a loop of ribbon underneath the rick rack.
Lastly, I used Sno-Tex snow paint to cover the top of the bulb and to coat the bottom of the bulb as well.
And of course, the finishing touch was 2-3 coats of clear acrylic sealer (I used matte, not gloss).
How’s that for a tutorial? I feel like I could go make another one now! ;)
- light bulb
- paint
- toothbrush
- paintbrush
- I usually prepare my light bulbs by making sure they are free of dust, rinsing in water, wiping off, then giving them a rinse in white vinegar. Usually I paint them with a brush, but this particular one I used spray cans. The reason I did that was to the create a sunset effect that would be more difficult with a brush (not impossible, just more difficult).
- I sprayed the bulb with a mauve first. Most of it won’t show in the finished product, but it’s still an important factor. After that was dry, I sprayed the top half with a dusty country blue, putting a thicker layer toward the top and just a dusting near the middle. The idea was to blend the blue into the mauve.
- Next I painted the Christmas tree. That seems to be the “wow” factor of this ornament, and people comment on what talent I have, but really, the trees are very, very simple. Just check out the video demonstration above.
- After adding the tree, and then the snow on the branches, I used a small paint brush and dabbed off all the excess paint, then gently dabbed on the “lights”.
- To add the “falling snow” I splattered it with watered down white paint using a tooth brush.
- I glued some rick rack around the neck of the bulb, gluing a loop of ribbon underneath the rick rack.
- Lastly, I used Sno-Tex snow paint to cover the top of the bulb and to coat the bottom of the bulb as well.
- And of course, the finishing touch was 2-3 coats of clear acrylic sealer (I used matte, not gloss).
Amanda Formaro
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Hi Amanda what web site did you use to help you with the ornaments?
Hi Donna! I’m not exactly sure what you mean? I didn’t use a website. There was a tutorial on a site MANY MANY years ago (probably 1999) where I learned to make the trees, but that’s long gone now. That’s why I made the video in this post, to help people see how the trees are made.
I love the ornaments. I made probably 8 last yr and have saved every lightbulb that has blown since then.
So, you have to show some more designs for inspirational. I may give the same people duplicate. Lol
I had fun making them. I took a styrofoam board and made holes the size of the bulbs to set them in while the top dried Fun project
Great idea Debbie!
Thank you for sharing all of your creative ideas. I want to try to make this ornament. Would you please tell me what kind of paint you used for the tree? Would a child’s watercolor kit work?
Hi Julie! For the actual tree it’s best to use acrylic craft paint, like Americana. I don’t think watercolors would adhere as well. Hope you have fun making it!