Old baubles you already have in your home - or that you come across in a thrift shop, you can super-easy pimp them up by painting them with acrylic paint. Breathing new life into existing Christmas baubles is not only sustainable, it is also a great fun activity to do (with children). With this craft project, you will have a unique tree in your home! Come, go paint old baubles too!
DIY painting Christmas baubles
Painting Christmas baubles is so easy that you can even do this activity with toddlers. Where to start? All you need are old baubles from your own collection or from the thrift shop, acrylic paint in fun colours, brushes and a place to let the baubles dry. Tip: I placed a broom horizontally between two chairs in the garden so that the painted baubles could dry on the broom. See photo below!
Get started with this craft project: painting your own baubles.
The very best results give baubles made of glass, But hey, these are often too pretty, they are scarce second-hand and they break easily. Especially with children. Better to leave those pretty baubles and look for plastic baubles. They may not be as pretty, but they are practical and plentiful on sale at a bargain basement thrift store. You want those balls for this project. No sooner said than done. At the thrift shop, I bought a hefty box of silver plastic balls of not too good quality for 2.50 euros. I first gave these baubles a new base colour: a mix of pink, gold and blue. I let this dry overnight. The next day, I went with my son (6) to decorate the baubles with a new layer of paint (speckles).
Tip: it doesn't matter if the balls are not perfectly painted. When they hang in the tree later, you won't see the details anyway. What you will see are very eye-catching and colourful baubles you have painted yourself. So just keep painting, it will be really cool!
I used this acrylic paint for the Christmas baubles project.
Once the baubles are dry, comes the fun part and they can be hung in the tree. In short, this Christmas craft tip is totally kid-proof.
More zero waste ideas for the holidays
Did you know that a second-hand artificial Christmas tree is pretty much is the most sustainable choice. Assuming you buy it second-hand and put it up for years. You can also buy them and the baubles at the second-hand store. There is plenty of choice every year! Don't fancy an (artificial) Christmas tree? Then check out the nicest sustainable alternatives to a Christmas tree here. For gift wrapping and setting the Christmas table we all have cool zero waste ideas too. Again, the message is: don't buy anything new, reuse what's already there. That's so much more fun too! The only exception are the lights in the tree. You'd better buy those new: LED lights are so much more economical than old bulbs.
More sustainable holiday tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Also check out this fun craft: DIY advent calendar making.
- Or how about this: Dutch houses made of old cardboard.
- Supertip: French toast from leftover oliebollen.
Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
