Homemade Christmas Ornaments

"Reindeer Light Bulb Ornaments"

Submitted by Penny

These guys are for a friends 55th wedding anniversary gift. I hope they like them. To me they both are dears! :o)

Materials:

1 or 2 burnt out light bulbs
1 can brown spray paint (I used suede paint found at Canadian tire store)
1 cozy bottle of dark brown acrylic paint
1 2oz bottle red paint
1 2oz bottle white paint
1 2oz bottle black paint
1 black permanent marker (Found at any business supply store or department stores)
2 plastic spoons-for ears
1 piece of your choice colour home spun material
1 piece of your choice colour fleece.
glue and glue gun
Paint brush (all paints, paint brushes and material can be found at your local craft store or department store )
Pencil
Paper towel
Arleens fake snow (Wal-Mart)
Thread for hanging ornament
Sealer... I get mine at Wal-Mart. Joanne's sealer is great but you could use Modpog too.

Directions:

First thing to do is to make sure light bulbs are clean. Soap and water and a quick scrub. Dry thoroughly.

Next, spray paint the light bulbs. Take these outside or do in a WELL VENTILATED room. Do one coat let dry (follow instructions on can for drying) and do one more coat again, let dry.

Next, draw on eyes and nose and mouth with a pencil. (You can refer to my picture for placement.) Paint eyes with black paint and let dry. Next paint on nose in a oval shape. Let dry. Draw on mouth with permanent marker. Now add a circle of brown paint to the middle of the eye area. Let dry.

Next add highlights with white paint to eyes and nose and a small line of white around mouth. (Refer to picture.) Now take the red paint and adding the smallest amount of paint ever to your bush and now brushing that paint off your brush onto a paper towel (you will see why soon, hehe) brush on your cheeks going in a circular motion. Do this until the desired affect is achieved. (This is called "Dry Brushing.) Your brush has paint on it but it should be dry to the touch and you keep working your brush in circular motion to get what you want the cheeks to look like. Sounds hard but really it isn't. Practice is the key. Now add white dots to the cheeks for high lights. Let dry. 

When you have your deer done let dry for an hour or so and then seal with your sealer. I use 3 coats to be on the safe side. Please remember to let dry in between coats. Read label for drying instructions on your sealer can.

When all is painted and dry and sealed this is the time to get creative. Any kind of fleece can be used for the hat. Cut a piece of fleece that completely covers the top of the deer (the ribbed part of the light bulb.)  A long pointed top almost in the shape of a triangle. Glue this with glue gun to the top of light bulb. Cut off any pieces to make it fit. Careful not to burn fingers with the hot glue! 

Next cut a strip of fleece approx. 1-inch wide and runs the length of the rim of hat (make sure you leave room for the ears as well). This will be glued down to form hat rim. Before you glue this down cut your plastic spoons for ears. Position them where you think they should go (refer to photo) and then add rim and glue down. Now add the band of fleece around the rim and glue firmly into place. 

I have used Arleen's fake snow on top of hat but you can use any decoration that comes to mind here.  Holly, birds, snow, anything, let your imagination run wild. :o)

To hang ornament I just ran a piece of thread in the top of hat and hung on tree.

For sleeping (female deer) I tied a piece of homespun around top of bulb into a bow. Glue this down. I also gave her some hair at the top of her head. Using brown paint and highlights before adding ribbon.

Homemade Christmas Ornaments Index

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