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How to Paint Ornaments for Your Christmas Color Palette

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Are you having a difficult time finding Christmas tree ornaments to coordinate with this year’s color scheme? Let’s learn how to paint ornaments for your Christmas color palette. These custom color Christmas tree ornaments are easy to make, too!

HOW TO PAINT ORNAMENTS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS COLOR PALETTE

Have you ever had a plan for your Christmas decor, and it failed? Even a little?

Yeah, me, too!

Last year, I found some lovely muted red ornaments to add to the small collection I already had. My plan was in motion!

This year, I decided to add the muted red ornaments I had found last year to my mint baubles and make these two colors my Christmas color palette. (I had seen this combination on another tree and loved it!)

However, when I went to add MORE muted red ornaments to my collection THIS year, there were none to be found. Ain’t that just the way things go?

The Solution

The solution? DIY custom color painted Christmas tree ornaments, of course!

custom color christmas tree ornaments red ornaments with rhinestones in christmas tree

This DIY will help you create any color of ornament to match your Christmas decor scheme, whether it’s muted red, sage, or even a wedgewood blue! The colors are limitless!

Custom Color Painted Ornaments for Any Christmas Color Scheme

You’ll only need a few items to create custom color painted ornaments!

This post may contain affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. For more information, see my complete disclosure HERE.

What You’ll Need

Here are the things you will need, and some are optional:

custom color christmas tree ornaments supplies needed
  • Textured and/or plain white ornaments (shatterproof). Matte works best, but you can make glossy ones work, too! I wish I had seen the ones I’m linking here, as they would look amazing using this technique, and they have several sizes! Unfortunately, I can’t find the large ornaments anywhere online. I picked up mine at Walmart last year. 🙁
  • Paper mache ornaments. (optional)
  • White paint for base coat, if needed.
  • Your choice of custom color acrylic paint. You can even mix your own color! I used ColorShot’s Stiletto (a fuchsia red that turned muted red on the white ornaments).
  • Paint brush. This is my fave affordable set that is GREAT quality!
  • Paper towel or wiping cloth.
  • Rhinestones (optional, but they add so much!)
  • Tacky Glue Set for adding embellishments. (I like this set because I’ve used all of them at some point.)
  • Jewel picker (kind of a ‘must’ for adding rhinestones)

Pro-tip:

If you mix a custom paint color, be sure to mix MORE than enough. You don’t want to run out in the middle of the project and try to remix and match the color.

Now, let’s get to the tutorial!

How to Make Custom Color Painted Ornaments for Your Christmas Color Scheme

This is a super easy option for making DIY painted ornaments that will match any Christmas palette you choose!

The technique I use is dry brushing!

tutorial steps for painting ornaments
  • With these ornaments, I didn’t paint a base coat. If the white is white ‘enough’ for you, no basecoat is needed.
  • Dip your brush in the paint and then wipe onto the paper towel. Wipe several times until you have very little paint left on the brush (Photos 1-3). You can always add more paint, but you can’t take paint away.
  • Brush onto the ornament, only hitting the top of the texture (Photo 4).
custom color christmas tree ornaments tutorial steps
The bottom of this ornament is SO pretty!
  • To add more paint, simply repeat the first step and brush more paint on… but, always make sure the paintbrush is almost dry (Photo 5… 6 is a repeat! Oops!)
  • Unless you want to add embellishments, your are done!

You can use this technique on any white ornament (or even a silver ornament). Even a smooth surface ornament can be dry-brushed, leaving a feather-like effect.

Reverse Dry-Brush Technique for a Custom Painted Ornament

With this ornament, I wanted to have the mint green as the base, with the white on the texture.

tutorial steps for painting ornaments
  • Simply paint the whole ornament in your fave Christmas color, and then dry-brush with white (Photo 1 and 2).

The finished product gives a soft, vintage look and still matches any Christmas color palette.

Adding Embellishments to a Custom Painted Christmas Tree Ornament

If you want to add some rhinestones to your dry-brushed Christmas ornaments, go for it! It’s easy!

custom color christmas tree ornaments tutorial steps
  • Using Fast Grab Tacky Glue, place a dot of glue on the areas where you want rhinestones (Photo 1).
  • Take your jewel picker and place your rhinestones on the glue (Photo 2).

Pro-tip

When using the jewel picker, after placing the rhinestone on the dot of glue, “roll” the jewel picker off the rhinestone for easy release.

I love the way the rhinestones give a sparkly finish to the ornament, and it looks GREAT on the tree!

Jumbo Christmas Ornament in Your Christmas Palette

This jumbo (6-inch) ornament was just as easy to make as the first red ornaments above… with one difference.

tutorial steps for painting ornaments
  • If the base of an ornament is definitely NOT white, like this one, then be sure to give it a couple coats of white paint before dry-brushing (Photo 1 and 2).

The finished product looks a bit bright here, but it looks great on the tree!

Paper Mache Custom Painted Ornaments for Your Christmas Color Scheme

This last ornament was a bit of a ‘test’. It definitely worked, but I think I may try some different embellishments next time!

custom color christmas tree ornaments tutorial steps
  • After painting the ornament with your fave base color, put a coat of Mod Podge on the ornament and add your favorite glitter! (Photo 1 and 2)

Pro-tip:

Add the Mod Podge to one side at a time, and then add the glitter to one side at a time, as well. Mod Podge dries fast, and isn’t patient about waiting for the glitter.
Ask me how I know this!

Finished Custom Painted Ornaments for Your Christmas Color Scheme

And here are the finished products, in all their glory!

red ornaments with rhinestones in christmas tree

This ornament sparkles, especially with the tree lights on (I can see the sparkle from where I’m sitting now!)

custom color christmas tree ornaments red ornaments with rhinestones in christmas tree
This photo is quite dark, but I love how you can see the rhinestones sparkle!

Here’s a better photo of the lights on the rhinestones…

red ornaments with rhinestones in christmas tree

This ‘flowery’ ornament got a couple rhinestones, as well.

custom color christmas tree ornaments red ornaments with rhinestones in christmas tree
This is my daughter’s favorite, and she asked for one for her tree. 🙂

The mint reverse dry-brushed ornament looks lovely in the warm LED lights on my King of Christmas Flocked Queen Slim Tree.

mint ornament in christmas tree with twinkle light

And my jumbo custom-color ornament is one of my faves… looks like a candy cane!

custom color christmas tree ornaments red ornaments with rhinestones in christmas tree

Of course, I had to share the paper mache ornament, too!

mint ornament in christmas tree

Oh, and here’s the feather-look that you can create on a smooth surface ornament.

custom color christmas tree ornaments red ornaments with rhinestones in christmas tree with lights

Now, just a couple more of my favorite photos…

red ornaments with rhinestones in christmas tree
Can’t wait to share more pics of my tree with you all!

This ornament looks so cozy nestled in the branches!

custom color christmas tree ornaments red ornaments with rhinestones in christmas tree

So, do you think this is easy enough for YOU to try? I think I will be making these ornaments for many years to come!

What color will YOU be using? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

signature updated 2022

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24 Comments

  1. Beautiful, Julie! I can’t wait to see the entire tree decorated with your handiwork. God gave you talent!
    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
    Love in Christ,
    Suzanne from PA
    P.S. I got the book, When Strivings Cease by Grace Chou Simon. It was such a blessing to me. Thanks for recommending her work. 🙂
    I Corinthians 15:57

    1. Thank you, Suzanne… you are too kind! I’m so glad you were blessed by the book! Just starting her advent book now! Can’t wait!

  2. I love your ornaments they are beautiful!! I never thought if painting them and the dry brush is just beautiful, I will have to wait till next year as my husband wants a black and red plaid theme, we had my blue last year so…. but I love yours they are so very pretty
    Happy Thanksgiving

  3. I can’t wait to see your entire tree. I can’t detail paint worth a darn, but I think dry brushing is FANTASTIC! I have used it on so many projects. I don’t have a jewel picker. A doll house friend taught me the spaghetti trick. Regular spaghetti (not thin or angel hair as they are fragile)l just lick the end of the spaghetti, touch it to your jewel (or dollhouse paper flower or small bead or sequin) and set it in the glue. Glue is usally stronger than starch and mother’s spit! It makes a knit-picky project go so much more quickly. The spaghetti will break–just use the shorter piece until it is too short.

    1. Thanks for the jewel picker tip! That’s crazy! Did you see my tour? The tree in all it’s ‘glory’ has been revealed! 😉

    1. I’m sorry I’m so late in replying, Kim! You are always welcome to share my posts with your readers. Thank you!

  4. I love the texture on these ornaments Julie and they look amazing painted in custom colours.
    Thank you for sharing this DIY project at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring your painted ornaments at the party tonight and pinning too.
    Merry Christmas,
    Kerryanne

  5. Beautiful ornaments, Julie. I have paper mache round ornaments that will have to wait until next year to be decorated. Where did you find the ones with the textured pattern? Also Hobby Lobby? They are all so pretty.

    1. I actually found mine at Walmart the last couple of years, but they didn’t have any this year. I did link up some from Amazon inside the post.

  6. Hi Julie – You always amaze me with your endless creativity. I love that you can customize these ornaments to a specified color palette. Thanks for sharing on the Home Imagined Link Party.

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