I've had a tube of gold micro beads in one of my craft supply boxes for years but never really knew what to do with them. Until I walked through the gift shop at the National Portrait Gallery in London and saw glass balls decorated with them. So, I decided to make my own.
Full disclosure - this is one of the messier crafts I've tried. Glue on everything. Micro beads everywhere. And precision is hard to master. I tried making dots and stripes, but my favorite design has the beads "dripping" down the sides of the ball. The unevenness looks organic and intentional.
There are a number of different ways to apply the glue and the beads. I ended up applying the glue directly from the bottle to the ornament, but you can use a paintbrush if you want a more precise and even application. A quick tutorial is below along with links for the supplies I used. This post is not sponsored. All methods are my own.
(Note - the band-aid on my thumb in the photos below did not result from this project.)
What you'll need:
Glass Ball Ornaments - I chose rose gold to go with the rest of my ornaments, but you can pick any color you like.
Micro beads - I chose yellow champagne colored beads to go with the rose gold.
Method:
1. Remove the top of the ornament (with the hanging loop).
2. Squeeze glue directly onto the bulb in whatever design you wish. Try to apply as evenly as possible. For more precise application, use a paint brush or a toothpick.
3. Apply micro beads. I used to methods for this. Since the ornament is round, I poured the beads directly onto the top. For the sides I dipped the ornament into a pile of beads that I had caught on a piece of paper underneath, until all the glue was covered in beads. For more precise application use tweezers.
4. Set aside to dry for several hours to overnight. For some designs I turned the ornaments upside down on a craft mat, but the places where the glue was applied heavily became misshapen from gravity. You can also set them, upright, upside down, or on one side, in the plastic tray they came in.
5. Once dry, replace top of ornament and hang on tree.
And voila! Mircro bead covered ornaments. Mine didn't come out perfectly, but I kind of love that about them.
Do you make your own ornaments? Pop a comment down below and let me know what you're making this year.
Photos by Sophia & Laura Dunkin-Hubby.