Last month, I played around with alcohol inks and made the prettiest pink pumpkins, so naturally I had to give alcohol ink ornaments a go. I will say that these ornaments were a bit tricker to do than the pumpkins, but after testing several methods for applying the ink to yield the best results, I am happy to say I found a simple way to make them yourself. The result is a tinted glass look reminiscent of blown glass ornaments with a subtle shine and transparent color. And I just love the saturated jewel tones that the alcohol inks created.
Supplies:
–alcohol inks in several colors
–clear glass ornaments
-rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle
-rubber gloves
-plastic or foil sheet to protect your work surface
Step One: Remove the ornament cap, spray the ornament with rubbing alcohol, and rub it around the ornament to coat it.
Step Two: Tip the ornament upside down on your work surface and squirt the alcohol in a circular motion over the top of the ornament. You want to make sure that you use enough ink to completely cover the ornament all the way down the sides. The extra will pool up on the plastic or foil sheeting, so don’t worry about using too much.
If the alcohol ink leaves blank spots, just give the top of the ornament another squirt of ink so that it again runs all the way down the sides to cover the ornament.
Step Three: Once the ink has dried overnight, replace the cap and they are ready to hang.
Once you have experimented with a few solid color ornaments, go ahead and try a few multi-colored ones by using different inks on the same ornament. While the ones I made turned out okay, I personally preferred the solid color ones. But that shouldn’t stop you from trying your hand at them to see if they are something you like!
Don’t you just love the vintage blown glass look of them? Of course I went with all the colors for my tree, but they pop so nicely against the white tree. Feel free to choose your own color palate that is just perfect for you! xo. Kara
23 Comments
Your Christmas tree looks SUPER cute with the baubles! ❤❤
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
They look so stunning, I love that they aren’t all opaque!
http://www.makeandmess.com/
Do you think this will work with plastic ornaments? Sorry if that’s a silly question, but I thought about making these for my daughters room. She is a toddler so I’m trying to avoid Glass Ornaments ????. Thanks!
I think I will try swirling the ink on the inside of them. Maybe the iridescent sheen on the ornament would look cool on top of the ink inside 🙂
That would be pretty. I tried it myself too, and the alcohol ink wasn’t as vibrant when on the inside. But it gave a nice gentle color kiss.
Did you ever try your take on this technique?
These are stunning! I’ve been wanting some more vibrant ornaments for my tree and this looks like just the thing. Do they need to be sealed with anything?
Nope! They don’t need any sealing! But you can’t wash them (not sure why you would, but figured I would add that in).
I cannot read posts here any more 🙁 Too much ads, I am lost
Hi Alice! We’re getting ready to change our ad program for the new year to make everything more user friendly.
They look great and super fun!
This is awesome and so pretty! I love making our own ornaments! It’s so special and this looks nice! I’m pinning this!
Great deco
https://thepinkpineappleblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/holidays-2017-gift-guide.html
absolutely stunning work… love the colors you chose too!
What color inks were used with these ornament? Particularly the peachy ornamen, light pink, light purple and the blue ornaments.
Beautiful!!!!!
These look amazing! I love creative options for striking, but thrifty ornaments. What a great idea!
Really nice, I have the same question as another … Will this technique /ink work on plastic ornaments? Thanks Dale
Opaque ornaments like this look lovely on a white Christmas tree.
These are so bright and beautiful! I love them!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Hi, i’ve Been trying this and it’s not working well for me. Most of the ink color runs off and it’s streaky. Any ideas for me?
What colors did you use to make the light pink, the brighter bubble gum pink, the peachy-rose gold, the light purple, and the blue ornaments? How did you make some of them look opaque?
Thanks,
JoAnna
HI Joanna! I gave tried my best reading what the colors are on the bottles of Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks. This is what I have come up with and I truly hope it helps. Top Row, Right too Left: Watermelon, Peach Bellini, Wild Plum, Stream. Bottom Row, Right to Left: Flamingo, Mermaid (I believe. You could probably substitute the colors Pool, Aqua or Turquoise in place of.) Indigo, Amethyst.