Easy techniques to add color and shine to your Christmas ornaments
by Mindy Kinsey
This article was first published in issue 53 of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts.
For most projects, scrollers use finishes that accent, preserve, and protect the beautiful varieties of wood they choose. But Christmas calls for a little glitz and glamour. Add sparkle, shine, and texture to your ornaments with these easy techniques. They’re especially useful for hiding the edges of plywood ornaments, and are a perfect way to get kids involved in holiday gift-giving.
Glitter
Glitter will stick to any wet surface, making it an easy choice for adding a little shine to an ornament. Sprinkle iridescent clear glitter or colorful sparkly glitter on immediately after spraying your ornaments with clear poly. Top with a second coat of poly to seal the glitter in place.
For the shimmer of glitter without the flakes, try painting an ornament with glitter glue. You can use it alone or with a basecoat of oil or paint.
Gold Leaf & Gilding
Turn plywood into gold! For a smooth gold finish, use sheets of gold leaf. For a hammered gold effect, use flakes. Spray the ornament with permanent adhesive and either dip it in leaf flakes or rub a sheet of leaf onto the adhesive. Gently brush off the excess leaf and spray the ornament with clear sealer.
To gild just the edges of an ornament, skip the gold leaf and reach for a gold paint pen or metallic acrylic paint. This is a great trick for hiding plywood edges on fretwork ornaments.
Texture
For an icy texture, apply undiluted acrylic paint to an ornament and let dry. Then, top the paint with a layer of crackle glaze, such as Kroma Crackle, and let the glaze dry. The glaze will crack as it dries, creating interesting shapes and textures. Leave the crackle layer white or dry-brush it with diluted acrylics for even more color.
Or, spray an ornament with white paint and sprinkle fine clear or white glitter into the wet paint to add texture and shine in one step.
Snow
For the look of new-fallen snow, use artist’s acrylic modeling paste on your ornaments. Squeeze a dab of the paste onto a piece of cardboard and stir it with a small paintbrush until it’s creamy. Then, generously paint the “snow” onto the upper edges of the ornament. You can sprinkle glitter onto the wet paste if desired.
Subtle Shine
Add translucent color and subtle shine to ornaments by using alcohol inks and glitter paints, like Glimmer Glaze. For deeper color, seal the wood before applying the ink or paint and apply several coats.
Crazy Color
To marbleize with shaving cream, squirt shaving cream onto a plate until you have a mound of cream. Drip dots of alcohol ink, food coloring, or liquid watercolor paint onto the shaving cream. Gently swirl with a toothpick, and then dip the ornaments into the color. Blot on a paper towel and let dry.
To marbleize with oil, pour boiled linseed oil into a shallow pan. Carefully float dots of alcohol ink, food coloring, or liquid watercolor paint on the surface of the oil. Gently swirl the oil with a toothpick, and then dip the ornaments into the color. Blot on a paper towel and let dry. Dispose of oily towels carefully.
To create a lacy effect, apply undiluted acrylic paint to the ornaments and let it dry. Then, place a loosely woven piece of lace over the ornaments and apply white spray paint. Add more coats per the manufacturer’s instructions if desired, and then remove the lace.
For random splatters of color, apply white or silver spray paint to the ornament and let dry. Then, pour a small puddle of acrylic paint onto a palette or plate. Dip an old, dry paintbrush or toothbrush lightly into the paint, point it at the ornament, and run your finger over the bristles to flick paint onto the ornament. Repeat with additional colors of paint. Warning: Wear a smock because this can be messy!
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