Kid's Gift Idea: DIY Hand-painted Galaxy Ornaments

Disclosure: This post was made in partnership with Kleenex® Wet Wipes. All opinions my own.

It’s fun to craft with kids, but it can also be messy! I swear there’s always some splash of paint or wet handprint that finds it’s way onto my clothes or furniture. These days I never start a kids project without preparing for the mess ahead of time. With a pack of Kleenex® Wet Wipes nearby I can easily clean up those messy fingers and faces before there’s a disaster. Especially when crafting with my youngest. She likes to run off laughing with paint all over her hands. These wipes are thick, soft and contain no harsh chemicals. They are perfect for everyday use on the hands and face. They’re made for doers and anyone that’s not afraid to get their hands dirty.

Today I’m sharing a Kid’s Gift Idea: DIY Hand-painted Galaxy Ornaments. My 3rd grader and her best friend helped me make these cute ornaments this past weekend. They plan on giving these as gifts this holiday. I had so much fun with them. A galaxy can be a crazy swirl of colors and I think the girls did a great job. Their ornaments are beautiful. Even my youngest helped make an ornament.

I’ve shared step by step details on how to make this space themed ornaments with your kids (and it can be messy, so keep those wipes nearby).

Supplies:

Clear Glass Ball Ornaments
Acrylic Paint (these are the colors I used: Vivid Violet, Sea Breeze, Bright Yellow, Citron Green, Canyon Orange, Ultra Blue Deep, Black, and Gold Metallic.)
White Glass Paint (easily found at most craft stores)
Paintbrushes
Water
Disposable Cups
Ribbon
Optional: Chopsticks

Directions:

Step 1:

Set up your crafting area. This project is pretty messy so you should set down a drop cloth and get your Kleenex Wet Wipes ready. Carefully pull the ornament top out of the ball and set aside for later.

Step 2:

Have the kids pick out their paints. I think 3 – 5 colors for this step will be great. Carefully put blobs of paint inside of the ball. Set aside for about 5 minutes.

Step 3:

Squirt a bit of color into a disposable cup (this will be the main color of the ornament). Put a very small amount of water in the cup. Mix together. The paint should be loose (don’t worry if there are still chunks of paint floating in there).

Pour this cup of paint into the ornament and swirl around to coat the inside. With kids this step can be messy, so be ready to clean up paint spills. Place the ornament upside down in a cup for the paint to drain out. While draining you’ll notice the paint swirls appearing!

Note: if the painted blobs are not blending well you can use a paint brush to move it. Don’t blend too much or it will get muddy.

Step 4:

If needed you can repeat step #3 if you want to background color to be darker. At this point it is fun to squirt a bit of sparkly gold directly into the ball and swirl. This really adds a nice touch.

Let the balls dry for a couple of hours. Every once in a while you can move the ball around to get the paint swirls to move in a different direction.

Step 5:

This step is extra messy. Use a chopstick to prop up your ornament in a glass that can get paint all over it. Grab a paint brush and dip it in the white paint. Use your finger to splatter the paint on the outside of the ornament. Dip it in some water if you aren’t getting a good splatter. Let this dry overnight.

Step 6:

Optional: you can bake your ornaments for a bit to seal the white paint to the outside of your ornament. It can chip off the glass, but you can decide if this is a step for you. Place the glass balls in a muffin sheet and put them into a cold oven. Turn the temperature to 300. Bake for 30 minutes. Note: it’s very important that glass should start in a cold oven so it doesn’t shatter.

When these ornaments are finished you and your kids can give them to friends and family. Or keep them for yourselves because they are pretty cool. Kleenex® Wet Wipes* are Made for Doers™ and make our crafting adventure so much easier, but they are also perfect for everyday use and are clinically proven to wipe away 99 percent of germs from skin without harsh chemicals. You can easily purchase Kleenex® Wet Wipes from Walmart.

What are your handmade gift ideas for this year?

– Chelsey

Disclosure: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. Thank you for your support.