You will need:

• Clear ball ornaments (you can get these at Hobby Lobby-I used the plastic ones)
• Polycrylic Protective Finish- Minwax water-based (You can get this at Walmart or a hardware store-you do not need very much for each ornament so a small 8 fl ounce can will last for over 60 ornaments) (This is your glue for the inside of your ornament so the glitter can stick to it. Since it is water-based, it will wash off of the outside of the ornament or your hands easily if you spill any.)
• Small container or a plastic spoon (for transferring the “glue” to the inside of the ornament)
• Various glitter (we used white, gold, silver, green, red, or blue for our ornaments)
• Foam bowls for each color of glitter you will be using (this way you can reuse the excess glitter later)
• Acrylic paint pens various colors (you can get these at Walmart, Hobby Lobby, or Amazon) OR any acrylic paint and brushes to apply it on the balls
• Assorted ribbon or twine
• Felt strips of various colors or cotton material in strips (to fill the balls with)
• Brown pipe cleaners (if you want to do a reindeer ornament, this works great for the antlers)
• Googly eyes
• Red pom poms (or other colors if you want to use them to fill up your balls)
• Tacky glue (in case you want to glue on googly eyes or ribbon on the outside of the ornament)

If you are making a glitter-filled ornament, take the metal top off of the ornament.  Then, open the polycrylic protective finish.  Stir it with your plastic spoon. Then, put about 3 teaspoons of it into a smaller container to pour inside the ornament.  You could put the 3 teaspoons of “glue” into the ball directly with your spoon if you have steady hands.  Swirl the glue around the inside of the ball until it is covering every spot then drain the extra into your small container to use for another ornament.  You want to drain the glue until it is not flowing out of the ornament any more, but is a random drip.  You only need a thin coat on the inside for the glitter to stick to. 

Now, select your glitter color.  If you are doing the snowman, then pick white.  Pour the white glitter inside and swirl it around until it is touching the inside of the ball completely.  If it leaves a clear spot, then add more glitter and repeat the swirl process dumping the excess glitter into the foam bowl designated for that color.  (You can pour the excess glitter back into the glitter jar later to use for another ornament or project.)  We liked to put our thumb over the opening of the ornament and shake it around to ensure the glitter got all over the inside (but be sure your thumb completely covers the hole or you will have a glitter snowstorm!!)

Now you are ready to make the snowman face.  The acrylic paint markers are so easy to use.  It’s like using a magic marker, but it goes onto the surface like a smooth strip of paint.  You shake them before using them, then press down on the tip until the paint fills the tip.  Then, it is ready to use.  Just draw on your coal eyes and coal mouth with the black.  You can use an orange one for the carrot nose or use a brush and some orange acrylic paint.  We used the brush to paint on our noses.

Put the metal piece back into the top of the ornament, then select the ribbon you want to tie around the top or tie to the metal loop.  Your ornament is ready for the Christmas tree!

Grab another clear ornament, and repeat the same process to create all sorts of fun decorations.  We made cat faces, strung ornaments around the outside (with paint pens), filled one with green glitter and drew a Grinch face on the outside, made an outline of the manger scene with blue glitter on the inside, and one person even made a panda bear!  The possibilities are endless.

If you do not want to purchase the polycrylic protective finish or worry about messy glitter, then you can use various materials to fill your balls with the color you desire, then paint on the outside.  We used brown felt strips in one ball, then glued on googly eyes, a red pom pom nose, added a brown pipe cleaner for antlers, used the white acrylic paint pen to draw on a mouth, and Voila!  We had a cute Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ornament!!

Pinterest is a great place to search for more ideas for your clear ball ornaments.

This Christmas craft is fun to do with various ages and is sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face this holiday season.