DIY Mercury Glass Christmas Ornaments

6 Materials
$20
30 Minutes
Easy

I love mercury glass ornaments, but I don’t love the price tag on the real ones! That’s when I decided to try making some faux ones so I could cover my tree with them without breaking the bank!

Here’s what you need for this project:

  • Darice 12-Piece Heavy Duty Glass Balls Clear Glass, 70mm
  • Rust-Oleum Specialty Mirror Effect Spray
  • Rust-Oleum 210849 Hammered Metal Finish Spray in Copper
  • Vinegar
  • Rubber gloves
  • Hair dryer

Remove the metal tops from the ornaments and add 4-5 drops of vinegar.

In a well ventilated area, spray one quick spurt of the copper spray followed by 4-5 quick spurts of the mirror spray INSIDE the ornament. I added the copper spray because I think it gives the paint a more vintage look.

Blow dry the paint through the hole on the top of the ornament while rolling the ornament around in your hand to spread the paint around the inside of the ornament. It should take a minute or so before the paint is dry.

Blow dry the paint through the hole on the top of the ornament while rolling the ornament around in your hand to spread the paint around the inside of the ornament. It should take a minute or so before the paint is dry.


Re-attach the metal top to the ornaments, hang them up and enjoy! 


I hope you enjoyed my DIY Mercury Glass Christmas Ornaments tutorial! Please click on the link below to go to my blog and see this project as well as my other seasonal and farmhouse projects!


Michelle

The Painted Hinge Farmhouse



DIY Christmas Decorations

For more festive decor projects, discover how to make DIY mercury glass ornaments in three different ways or this ultimate list of 59+ easy-to-make DIY Christmas ornaments.

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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 86 questions
  • Tina Riley Tina Riley on Nov 25, 2022

    Do you think you could use plastic instead of glass ornaments? I have some left over and was trying to decide what to do with them.

  • Olga Haberl Olga Haberl on Oct 28, 2023

    Hi! Beautiful results!! Can this be done with plastic ornaments? Thank you for sharing.

  • Mar78134143 Mar78134143 on Oct 28, 2023

    do you roll the vinegar around, do you let it dry of keep it wet?

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3 of 213 comments
  • Jan58126766 Jan58126766 on Oct 27, 2023

    I hang glass balls on my windows, (the curtain rods) in groups of three, with ribbon. I do use red and white, glass ornaments. Each year, I usually break one, hanging them up, or taking them down.

    I collected them from estate and yard sales. Now I can replace them, with ones I make.

    Thank you for the wonderful idea and instructions.

    And everyone, please read the article AND the comments!! ALL of your questions WILL be answered!!

    Oh, yeah..... if you want to use something different than what is explained in the instructions, why don't YOU try it, and find out!! She has done her own experimenting, and come up with THIS process, with these products, and these are her results!! If you want to make substitutions, then YOU experiment!!

    This was a wonderful craft idea, be thankful that she, then, took the time to explain HER process.


    • LAHawk LAHawk on Dec 27, 2023

      If you are replacing solid colored ornaments you an use liquid paint drizzled inside the clear glass ball ornaments. This poster's process is for the mercury glass look. I was thinking that I could use this on some purchased mercury glass ornaments that have failed, but as I look at my tree they are hand blown and a loop was formed on the end for a string...no hole. Darn.

  • Diane Diane on Jan 08, 2024

    Simply beautiful

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