DIY Reflector Ornaments...

We all love the look of Vintage Reflector Ornaments but they aren't always in our budgets. So why not make your own, I did and you can too!

Vintage Reflector or Indent Ornaments...

There is something about a vintage ornament on a tree that just doesn't compare to the look of most of what you find today. I must say that although there are some great reproductions out this year most are well out of my budget. So i got to looking around online and I saw where someone had taken a shatterproof ball and made it into a diorama ornament. I felt I could do something similar but turn them into reflector ornaments. My first ornament took about thirty minutes to make but after I figured out the steps, they only take about ten minutes. So check out the supply list, go get your crap and lets make some ornaments!

Supplies

1. Shatter Proof Ornaments

2. Miniature Metal Muffin Tins

3. Metallic Pipe Cleaners

4. Glue Gun

5. Dremel Tool

6. Shot Glass (for small balls)

7. Lid from a spray paint can (for large balls)

Optional...

Metallic Craft Paint

Glitter Glue Sticks

Step 1

For step one you will want to take your shot glass and trace around the edge of the top on the front of your ball to create a circle area that will become your indent/reflector area.

Step 2...

Using your Dremel with a cutting bit added on you will cut along the black circle. The best way is to go all the way around the circle once. Make sure to press hard enough to score the shape and then again to cut thru the ball. You will have a few rough spots and maybe a few spots where you might trace off of the shape a little bit, but that is ok. If you do have oops moments don't worry about it they will get covered up over the next few steps. When you have finished cutting out the circle your ornament should look like the example below.

Step 3...

Take one of your muffin tins and flip it so that the silver is on the top. You will end up with what looks like a silver bowl.

Step 4...

Take your hot glue gun and put glue on the inside of the cut out section of your ball. I have shown it here with a black marker. You can put as much glue as you would like. On a few of the ornaments I completed I added more glue around the shape just to hold the tin from the next step in place.

Step 5...

Place your silver tin onto the glue with the silver side facing up. Leave the same amount of tin sticking out from around the top edge all the way around. Now flip the piece upside down and add glue around the brim and fold the tin over to the back as seen in the second and third picture.

Step 6...

Take your ball and add glue around the entire edge where you cut it during step two. Now add the piece you cut back in but backwards so that it will create your Indent/Reflector area. This step can be a little tricky, If you push too hard the piece will want to fall in and if you don't push hard enough it will be raised out of the area. It might take a few tries to get this right but YOU CAN DO IT! A fun optional step is that you can paint some metallic craft paint on your reflector and change the color.

Step 7...

Take your glue gun and add glue around your silver indent, this will help to hold the Indent/Reflector in place. While the glue is still hot you will take a Pipe cleaner and push in the glue to trim out your reflector area. This is also where instead of Pipe cleaners you can use the Glitter glue sticks. Although I liked the look of the Glitter, My hand was not steady enough to get a perfect circle.

Enjoy your DIY Reflector Ornaments...

Once you have finished all your steps you will end up with your own one of a kind Vintage Style Reflector Ornaments. They might not be the "REAL" thing but they are pretty great and fun to make. You can change up the colors and even use the onion style ornaments. I added a few more pictures below of the ones I made to give you a few ideas. If you look at the green ornament, its made from a large ball and has a double row of metallic pipe cleaners, One is green and one in silver. This really is a project that you can add your own spin. There is no right or wrong way to do it!

I love Vintage...

I love Vintage Christmas ornaments but they really are hard to find in my area, and when you do find them they are usually out of this world high. So as I took to the craft table to make my own I hope you will too. I would love to see what y'all come up with. Please make some and share with me!

live happily evercrafter