Make marbled Christmas ornaments that look like snow, ice, and distant galaxies
Have you ever tried upcycling Christmas ornaments with nail polish? Marbling is a fun, eye-catching way to refresh old or plain ornaments—and the results are guaranteed to be one of a kind.
You can marble Christmas ornaments of any color, but white ones give you the strongest color. We used glass ornaments for this tutorial, but the technique should work with plastic ones, too. Glossy ornaments make it easier to achieve strong contrasts and a more pronounced marbled surface than matte ones.
If an ornament doesn’t turn out the way you hoped, remove the nail polish with regular polish remover. Then you can marble the ornament again.
Use new nail polish for marbling; old, thickened polish won’t spread nicely across the water’s surface. Don’t try to thin old polish with remover either, as it won’t float on the water at all.
Tap water varies from one area to another, and even from building to building. If the nail polish sets on the surface too quickly, try boiling the water first. Let it cool to room temperature before you begin.
Marbled Christmas ornaments—supplies:
- Christmas ornaments
- nail polish
- a plastic tub or a plastic bucket lined with a plastic bag
- newspaper or other paper
- a toothpick or another wooden stick
- clothespins
- string for hanging the ornaments to dry
- disposable gloves
- paper towels.
Marbled Christmas ornaments—how-to:
1. Gather everything you’ll need for marbling the ornaments. Protect your sink or work surface with newspaper so nail polish won’t stain it.
2. Fill your plastic container or lined bucket about three-quarters full with room-temperature water. Use enough water so that when you dip an ornament, it won’t touch the bottom. Water temperature is key to successful marbling: if the water is too cold, the nail polish won’t form a film and will sink to the bottom; if it’s too warm, the polish becomes too sticky.
3. Put on disposable gloves, open the nail polish bottles, and have a wooden stick ready. Gently drip or pour polish onto the water. The more polish you use, the bolder the color on the ornaments. Keep in mind that a large amount can set into a bumpy layer on the surface. Start with just a few drops and add more polish—or more colors—after you’ve tested it.
4. Dip the ornament into the water. You can also rotate it just below the surface clockwise or counterclockwise. Work quickly so the film of polish doesn’t have time to set.
5. Hang the ornament to dry with the help of clothespins. Gently blot any water droplets on the surface with a paper towel.
