How to Make Marbled Ornaments with Acrylic Paint

These colourful marbled ornaments are so cheerful and you can make one in less than 5 minutes! This super easy DIY project is really simple and no two will ever look the same! Such a happy and creative way to make your own colourful ornaments this Christmas.

HOW TO MAKE MARBLED ORNAMENTS

I’m going a little ornament crazy this year. There are so many projects I want to try out. So far, this one’s my absolute favourite. If I was a Christmas ornament, I’d look like one of these:) I just love them so much and can’t help feeling so happy when I look at them. (NERD ALERT.)

I’ve seen plenty of marbled DIY’s but the process was messy and used nail polish and water. While they definitely look cool, the appeal here was the low-mess and total ease of achieving a stunning look without all the fuss.

These pretty pastel ornaments can be made with only 3 easy to find materials: glass ornaments, craft paint and some ribbon. That’s it! You’ll want a couple colours so you can mix them in different combinations but it’s really that simple. I made one, then another and before I knew it, I had a whole set. This easy DIY is kind of addictive and the payoff is incredible. If you’re into non-traditional Christmas decor, then this creative Christmas craft is right up your alley!

Supplies you’ll need:

The full printable list of instructions is available at the end of this post, but here’s a list of affiliate links that will take you to products on amazon that are similar to the supplies I used!

The process of making these beautiful paint pour ornaments is incredibly simple. Start with 2-3 colours of acrylic paint and one clear glass ornament.

If this is your first time trying this out, use 2 colours to start off. I recommend using two similar shades like light and dark blue or dark and light pink etc. This way, you won’t have to worry about the colours getting muddy and two colours are much easier to work with than 3!

Pull the cap off your glass ornament and set it aside.

Adding the Paint

Acrylic paints work SO well for this project! I LOVE Martha Stewart paints (they have the such a beautiful colour selection.) I also used some lower priced artist quality paints from Amsterdam. But you don’t have to spend a lot to get some great colours. There’s a great selection of acrylic craft paint at the dollar store.

Choose the first colour. Tilt the ornament to the side, then squeeze a small amount into the opening. Let it drip down the side and into the bottom. If you want it to be the dominant colour, add another small drip beside the first one.

Next, add the second colour. Try to squeeze it onto a different section of the ornament. Do your best, it’s ok if they mix a little.

If you want, add a third shade. Try to squeeze it onto a blank area. You don’t need a ton of paint. It may not look like it’s enough, but once you start shaking and tapping it around, it should be enough to cover the whole thing.

Marbling your Ornament

If you don’t want to get paint on your fingers, grab a paper towel and fold it up. Place it over the opening of the ornament and SHAKE IT! Don’t be afraid to really give it some elbow grease. Shake it in all directions so the paint spreads evenly.

I actually preferred using just my thumb to cover the opening. I did get paint on my finger but I felt like I had a little more control, and could really shake the crap out of it.

It may take a little bit to get all the paint to spread out. Try a combination of shaking and tapping the ornament on the palm of your hand to get it to go in the right direction. Eventually it will cover everything.

Finishing/Drying your Marbled Ornaments

Once you’re happy with how it looks, grab a disposable cup and rest your ornament on top (opening facing down) so the excess paint can drain out. Leave it someplace safe to dry overnight. (Depending on how much paint you used it could take a couple nights to dry completely.)

Once you’re sure your ornament is dry, you can put the cap back on. Grab some ribbon, a pipe cleaner or some twine and cut a length that’s 6 inches long.

My ribbon was a little too thick to tie a knot so I added a small dollop of hot glue to the end and pressed them together.

Now it’s ready for hanging!

This started out as an experiment to see what would happen, but it turned out so much better than I expected it to! I’m IN LOVE with these ornaments. I went a little crazy and made a whole bunch of them.

I kept combining different colours to see how they’d mix together. Some ended up looking colour blocked with crisp lines and a couple of them took on a softer, more watercolour effect.

I popped a few on the tree and I’m saving the rest for Christmas gifts:) These marbled ornaments are just TOO pretty. I’m completely obsessed.

Marbled Ornaments: Tips and Tricks

Not enough paint: if you don’t add enough at the start to cover the whole thing, you can totally add more after. Add some of the same or try a whole new shade! Some of my favourite ones had a little streak of a new bright colour poking through.
Too much paint: it’s not the end of the world if you add too much paint. Just tip it downward into a cup so all the excess paint drains out. Give it a couple extra days to full dry out.
Paint Density: I used acrylic paints that were a bit on the denser, more opaque side. I’m not sure if that made a huge difference but the colours didn’t bleed much and looked bright and crisp. I assume a runnier paint would be harder to work with and wouldn’t look as fresh and clean. The advantage though is it would dry a lot faster!

PAINT COLOUR REFERENCES

Here’s a list of the colours I used to make these marbled ornaments.

How to Make Marbled Ornaments with Acrylic Paint

If you love non-traditional Christmas decor then you'll love hanging these adorably abstract baubles on your tree!

Glue Gun (optional)

1 clear glass ornament
acrylic craft paint ((assorted colours))
1 piece ribbon ((any colour))

Pull the cap off your glass ornament and set it aside.
Tilt the ornament to the side, then squeeze a small amount of the first paint colour into the opening. Let it drip down the side and into the bottom.
Next, add the second colour. Try to squeeze it onto a different section of the ornament. It's ok if they mix together.
Repeat step 3 with a third colour (optional)
Place your thumb or a folded up piece of paper towel over the opening and shake the ornament in different directions. Tap it on the palm of your hand to move the paint around until the entire surface is covered. Add a little more paint if necessary.
Leave the ornament to dry for a day or two. The more paint, the longer it will take to dry. Use a blow dryer on the lowest setting to blow warm air into the ornament for 1-2 minutes (optional)
Once dry, add the cap back on and cut a 6 inch piece of ribbon. Loop it though the hole on the cap of the ornament. Tie a knot or use hot glue to secure the ribbon.
Your marbled ornament is ready for hanging!

These DIY marbled ornaments using acrylic paint are SO colourful and really simple to make! With only a couple supplies you can make one in less than 5 minutes and no two are alike! If you love non-traditional Christmas decor then you’ll love hanging these adorably abstract baubles on your tree!