As probably know, I’ve been a sucker for DIY Glitter Ornaments for a long time. I even went as far as to figure out what’s better to use when making your own glitter ornaments: Polycrylic or Mop N’ Glo? So last year when I saw a similar style glitter ornament in a vinyl cut project group that I belong to, I knew I had to make a DIY Glitter Mermaid Ornament.
So what’s different about this glitter ornament? First of all, it uses two different sizes of glitter and 2-3 different colors. You could be done with the ornament once you add the glitter but if you really want that mermaid look then adding scales using cut out vinyl or a paint pen is the way to go.
If you have never made glitter ornaments before, don’t sweat it! I’ll talk you through the process. If you want a plain looking glitter ornament, just use one color of fine glitter and omit the step for using two different sizes. You can also find more instructions in this DIY Glitter Ornament post.
How to make a Mermaid Style Glitter Ornament
First you’re going to take a glass ornament and remove the metal topper. Once that’s done you pour a small amount of Polycrylic into the ornament and swirl it around to cover all the sides.
Pour out the excess Polycrylic but then you need to turn it upside down and let it set for a minute or two.
Here’s the key to getting the mermaid, magical look – start by using a small amount of hexagon shaped glitter. You don’t want to fully coat the inside of the ornament using this glitter, you just want it to cling to a few areas.
Put the hexagon glitter, I used this light blue translucent style glitter from Michaels, into the glass ornament and shake it to get it to stick to different areas of the ornament. I also added a small amount of gold to this one just to see how it would look. Playing around with different color combinations is definitely part of the fun of making these ornaments.
Next, you add the fine glitter. I really liked the more turquoise color rather than the deeper blue in this picture but it still looked great when it was finished. In one of them, I had tried a turquoise and emerald green color combination and I loved it!
Pour the fine glitter into the ornament and shake it around to make sure all the sides are covered. If you see any holes or places where the glitter is a little thin, add more glitter and shake it some more. You can pour out any excess glitter if you get too much into the ornament.
I love the depth of the glitter once they are finished. The two different glitter shapes really make it look like a fish scale or mermaid skin.
To finish decorating them I also cut out some small fish scales and names using my Cricut and applied them directly to the glass ornament.
Because I made these two Mermaid Christmas Ornaments for little girls who are Hurricane Harvey survivors and had to be rescued from their flooded home, I also added the phrase, “Mermaids Conquer the Waves” on the back of the ornament.
These are so fun to make. I really hope you give it a try. Invite a huge group of friends over and craft your little heart out! Want a few other ideas for crafts to make with a group of friends? Check out this post – 5 Christmas Crafts to Make with a Group.
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Where did you find the mermaid scales you cut out on Cricut?
I used a .png scale pattern I found online. I didn’t make it and it didn’t say who did so I didn’t want to share it without being able to give them credit. I would just search “fish scale pattern .png”