Not only will hand-decorated Christmas baubles add a personal touch to your tree, they can also be used to style sideboards, embellish presents and table settings, plus they make beautiful personalized gifts for friends or loved ones. Below we’ve shared a range of creative bauble makes from folksy handpainted designs to marvelous marbled makes guaranteed to give your Christmas decor ideas the edge.
How to decorate Christmas baubles
How to decorate Christmas baubles
Our step-by-step makes for how to decorate Christmas baubles are perfect for creating unique Christmas tree ideas. Covering a range of techniques, they are straightforward to follow and can easily be customized to suit your home decor or Christmas theme.
1. Paint baubles
1. Paint baubles
The easiest way to decorate baubles is by painting them. Painting onto a curved surface is tricky, so it’s best to keep designs simple. If you’re painting a set of baubles then we suggest sticking to the same palette of 3 to 4 colors for unity – adding in gold makes a lovely festive touch. You will need: plain ceramic baubles, acrylic paint, acrylic varnish (optional) and a series of brushes – all available from Hobbycraft (opens in new tab).
2. Embellish baubles with gold leaf
2. Embellish baubles with gold leaf
Decorating baubles with gilding leaf is a wonderful way to bring sparkle to Christmas styling and is easier to do than it looks. We love this make idea from Hobbycraft. You will need: ceramic baubles, acrylic paint, gold or silver gilding leaves or flakes, gilding paste and a selection of paintbrushes all available at Hobbycraft (opens in new tab).
3. Decorate your baubles with transfers
3. Decorate your baubles with transfers
Rub-on transfers are an easy way to bring a unique touch to Christmas baubles, plus, unlike paint, they are pretty mess-free! You can either buy ready-printed designs, or alternatively, you can make your own designs using an inkjet printer and waterslide decal paper.
4. Fill baubles with treasures or foraged finds
4. Fill baubles with treasures or foraged finds
Another mess-free and easy way to create unique baubles is to buy clear perspex or glass baubles and fill them. The fun thing about this is you can experiment with different fillings depending on what look you’re looking to create. For a playful, colorful look mini pom poms work well, alternatively, for a rustic look try mini pine cones or dried flowers. You could even fill them with sweeties.
5. Decorate baubles with fabric
5. Decorate baubles with fabric
Covering baubles in fabric is a great way to bring a homepsun, cottage-core look to your Christmas tree and is a useful way to recycle fabric remnants, too. It’s best to use lightweight cotton, as heavier fabrics will be difficult to stick down. If you don’t have time to make your own, try these handmade fabric-covered baubles from Etsy (opens in new tab).
6. Decorate Christmas baubles with marbling
6. Decorate Christmas baubles with marbling
If you are looking for an original, contemporary way to decorate Christmas baubles, you will love this charming project created by Lucy McGrath for H&G. We have chosen a warm peachy red for our baubles – but you can choose paint colors to suit your scheme. They will give your Christmas decor ideas an edge, we promise. You will need:
Put the carrageenan into your blender
Put the carrageenan into your blender
Add 500ml water and blend until you can’t see any bits. Gradually add the remaining water, blending periodically to make sure it is all mixed together. Pour the mixture into a 5ltr bucket or similar container and let sit, covered for two to three hours to allow most of the bubbles to pop. Clean the surface of your marbling water by skimming torn strips of newspaper along the surface to catch dust and grab any remaining bubbles.
Create your Christmas bauble color scheme
Create your Christmas bauble color scheme
Mix your preferred colors in jars using acrylic paints, adding water to get the consistency of milk. Dip your paintbrush into your paint and hold it over the bucket. Gently tap it to deposit paint drops on to the surface. Move your hands around to aim the drops, attempting to get an even paint coverage. Repeat this step with multiple colors.
Make the swirls
Make the swirls
Take a skewer and draw through the floating paint to make swirls.
Prepare to dunk the first bauble
Prepare to dunk the first bauble
Hold the top of your first bauble between your index finger and thumb and arrange it over the bucket so your fingers are at the very top. Make sure the thread is held out of the way in your other fingers.
Dunk the Christmas bauble
Dunk the Christmas bauble
In one smooth motion, dunk the bauble into the marbling water, being careful to always keep your fingers over the center of the bauble so it doesn’t try to bob to the surface. Pull the bauble out again and immediately rinse under running water to remove any paint run-off or gloopy water.
Thread the ribbon
Thread the ribbon
Hang to dry for 10 minutes, then cut off the thread and replace with your choice of ribbon.
What kind of paint do you use for glass baubles?
What kind of paint do you use for glass baubles?
The best paint to use for decorating glass Christmas baubles is, like ceramic baubles, acrylic. Using acrylic craft paint is easy – just prepare a space to allow them to dry – hanging is best – for a neat finish.
Can you spray paint Christmas baubles?
Can you spray paint Christmas baubles?
Yes, you can spray paint Christmas baubles. The trick is to hang the baubles from twine or string (outside if possible) while you spray them to ensure a neat finish – and to apply a thin layer each time; this will ensure there are no drips or runs in the finish. A gloss or sparkling finish will give you the best look. Do not remove the baubles from their hanging space until fully dry.
How do you display special baubles?
How do you display special baubles?
Place special, handmade baubles in pride of place on the Christmas tree, preferably at eye level so that you and your guests can really appreciate the work that has gone into them. You could also attach special baubles to your Christmas wreath ideas or Christmas garlands using wire. If you’re worried the baubles falling and getting damaged then play it safe and display special baubles on a platter as a Christmas table centerpiece or display them on a coffee table. You could also use them to style up special gifts to give to loved ones.
