Thursday, November 12, 2015

The Look of Vintage Christmas with Chalk Paint

An easy and inexpensive Christmas craft project even kids can help with



The Annual Christmas Ornament project is a longstanding tradition in our family.  Every year, back when our kids were little, they would craft special ornaments to give away as Christmas gifts to every person who gave a gift to them.  Every year we chose a different project -- from origami to baked clay to painted wood, etc -- and it was always a fun thing for our family to do together.  More importantly, it was a great way to teach our children the joy of giving


I hope this is something you will try with your young ones.  To get you started, let me show you how easy it is to make vintage-looking ornaments with chalk paint.  With your adult supervision, even kids can join in on this fun project, so do get them involved.



It takes just a few inexpensive and easy-to-find supplies.  The brands mentioned are ones I use and like, but choose according to your own preference. 
  • papier mache ornament forms, available in any craft store
  • paint (for the best vintage look, plus easy application and clean-up, I recommend chalk paint)
  • small paintbrushes
  • clear and dark soft wax (I use the Annie Sloan brand)
  • metallic Sharpie markers
  • an empty egg carton 
  • newspaper for covering your work area
  • soap and water for clean-up



Step 1  Paint a base color onto your forms.  Cover the entire ornament, but don't worry about perfection.  If you are using chalk paint, you will find it is not only a very forgiving medium, but also easy to clean up with ordinary soap and water.  So have fun with it.


When the painting is done, prop your ornaments in an empty egg carton to dry for an hour or two.


Step 2    When the base coat has dried, choose a contrasting paint color, and with just a bit of paint on the end of a dry paintbrush, begin lightly covering random areas of the ornament.  Brush over ridges, at the top and bottom -- anywhere you want to add a pop of the second color.  Easy does it, and the messier the better.  Then back to the egg carton to dry; it only takes a little while.



Step 3    To give your ornaments an antique look, apply a little tinted wax.  


I mix my own 3:1 ratio of Annie Sloan clear and dark soft wax.  Brush it on, and then immediately wipe off the excess with a clean cotton cloth.  (An old cloth baby diaper works great.)  


Step 4    Get out those metallic Sharpie markers!


Using the side of the felt marker tip, burnish the ridges of your ornament.  Scribble a little metallic paint at the top, along sides, anywhere you want a little shine.



And that is all there is to it!  Such a fun, easy project, and the results are spectacular.  Make lots of these... you'll want to give one to everyone you know!








35 comments:

  1. Great idea here...and the bling of the markers will add just enough. Could go all sparkly over lighter colors, too. Thanks, Sandi

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    1. Yeah, I did try a little glitter on some round ones, as they don't lend themselves as well to the Sharpie technique. They looked nice, too. No wrong answers here! Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Your ornaments are so pretty, I would not have realised there was so much involved to make them look that good though. I'm more of a yarn girl.

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  3. Nan, these ornies look amazing. I'm delighted to have featured them today on Shabby Art Boutique.
    Hugs ~ Kerryanne

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    1. I appreciate that so much, Kerryanne! I love your party!

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  4. Love these ornaments. Do not have time this year, will get the items needed and do after first of year for 2016. Thanks so much

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    1. Wow, Karleen! You do sound busy. Take a breath, girl! :) It's okay to save the projects for another time when you can enjoy them. Have fun!

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  5. These are so beautiful, Nan. The finishing touches are perfect!

    Thank you so much for sharing! It's my top favorite feature at Creative Craft Challenge.
    http://redoityourselfinspirations.blogspot.com/2015/12/creative-craft-challenge-12.html

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  6. Ooohh! I really like these! What a great idea and great directions. Pinning!

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  7. Wow I love your vintage Christmas decorations, they have a special feel to them of times gone by. Thank you for sharing on #overthemoon ,have a great week.

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    1. That's what I was going for! Thanks for the thumbs up!

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  8. These are really beautiful. You have aged them to perfection! The contrasting colors make all the difference.

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    1. Thanks! And they were so fun to make! I hope you drop by again.

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  9. Wow these are gorgeous ornaments you have painted and will look nice on the Christmas tee.
    Thanks for sharing this at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.

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    1. Thanks for hosting. I'm hanging them today, as a matter of fact. I'm glad you like them.

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  10. I agree making ornaments is a special thing to do with your family! You did such a great job to make these ornaments look vintage! Thank you for sharing such an easy tutorial with us at Brag About It! You have given me some ideas :) Pinning to share and I hope you are having a wonderful week!

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    1. Well, that's why we share, right? I'm glad I helped inspire you. Thanks so much for hosting your fun party!

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  11. so lovely! you did such a great job making these vintage look Christmas ornaments! I will have to make a few for myself!

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    1. I hope you try it! It's fun, and I'm sure you will love making them. Thanks for visiting!

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  12. Oh wow...this is such a neat idea!

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

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  13. This is so cool! Thanks for linking up to Meetup Monday.

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  14. I love these ornaments. Had you not showed that they are the paper mache ones from the craft store, I would have never known. Gorgeous. Pinning.

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    1. I love being pinned! Thanks for your kind comments, and I hope you try making some of your own.

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  15. Great idea!! Thanks for sharing with us at Mommy Monday!
    XO
    www.mrsaokaworkinprogress.com

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  16. I love these!! Thanks for sharing on Idea Box link party. These will be featured on my blog tomorrow! Merry Christmas!

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    1. Thank you so much for featuring my tutorial! I've linked to your blog on my party page. I really appreciate your support!

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  17. Super pretty! I just love the look of these so much.

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