It’s Wednesday the 2nd, which means it’s time for this season’s unofficial Pinterest Challenge — a little creative push dreamed up by Katie to turn inspiration into action. I decided to get a jump start on holiday decor and focused on ornaments. Even though Thanksgiving hasn’t arrived yet, making these felt surprisingly convenient and festive. In total I made 38 DIY ornaments, inspired by various projects I found on Pinterest and other blogs. Below I share the ideas that inspired me and the simple steps I used to make each style.
Using Pintrest-inspired ideas as a starting point, I put my own spin on each concept. I experimented, adjusted, and followed a lot of trial and error — and the result was a colorful, varied set of ornaments ready for the season. Here’s the breakdown of what I made:
- 12 faux ceramic animal ornaments
- 18 colorful swirl glass bulb ornaments
- 3 patterned ceramic ornaments
- 4 faux antler ornaments
- 1 painted skeleton key ornament
Below are details on how I made each type, with simple steps you can replicate.
Materials note: most supplies came from craft stores — small plastic animals, glass ornaments, acrylic paints, string for hanging, primer, Sculpey clay, and small ring hooks. Using coupons helped keep the total budget low.
Faux Ceramic Animal Ornaments
- Bought a pack of small plastic zoo animals and primed them with white spray primer.
- Drilled a small starter hole in each animal and screwed in tiny ring hooks so they could be hung.
- Painted groups of animals in coordinated colors — white, lime green, and navy — using acrylic craft paint for a clean, modern look.
- Finished each with colorful hanging string (I used the same braided friendship-bracelet string throughout for a cohesive, playful feel).
Colorful Swirl Glass Bulb Ornaments
- Purchased mixed-size clear glass ornaments and removed the caps.
- Poured a small amount of craft paint into each ornament — I used bold colors and metallics for variety.
- Swirled the paint inside by rotating and tilting the bulb until the color coated a portion of the glass, creating a marbled, spun effect.
- Left the ornaments to dry overnight, then reattached the caps and added hanging string.
Patterned Ceramic Ornaments
- Bought plain ceramic bulbs and a few colored Sharpie markers.
- Drew simple modern patterns: chevrons, a stylized globe motif, and nested starbursts in coordinating colors for a contemporary set.
- Swapped the factory ribbon for bright braided string to match the rest of the collection.
- I may paint the metal cap on one ornament later for an extra touch, but the patterns stand on their own.
Faux Antler Ornaments
- Used a small block of polymer clay to sculpt simple shield shapes as the mount for antler pieces.
- Pressed holes for hanging and indents where small twig antlers would be glued, then baked the clay per package directions.
- Glued small natural sticks to the mounts to form faux antlers, then added colorful hanging string for contrast.
Skeleton Key Ornament
- Started with a rusty vintage skeleton key and primed it with spray primer.
- Painted the key white for a fresh, cohesive look that fits with the other ornaments.
- Added braided string for hanging to match the collection.
For display, a half-height tree on a small table makes a charming vignette and keeps fragile ornaments out of reach of curious hands. A tabletop tree can be practical and pretty, and if you use a real tree you can replant it after the holidays if conditions allow.
Budget summary: thanks to coupons and small purchases, total cost for materials came in at about $27. That averages roughly $0.71 per ornament for 38 pieces — an affordable way to create a coordinated and personalized holiday display.
If you try any of these techniques, I’d love to hear about it. Join the Pinterest Challenge: share your project links or photos and show what you made this week. Whether you add a blog post link, a photo gallery, or just a comment, it’s fun to see everyone’s creative takes and variations.
Update: I’ve also rounded up favorite holiday decor finds, many under $15, if you’re looking for quick additions to your seasonal setup.