Pearl Christmas Tree Ornaments
These Pearl Christmas Tree Ornaments are a fun craft that results in a beautifully unique Christmas decoration that you can make for yourself or as a gift.
I have done a lot of Christmas Crafting over the years but these Pearl Christmas Tree Ornaments are my all-time favorite DIY Christmas tree decoration. I’m not sure that these pictures actually do the ornaments justice. They are so unique and beautiful and special and look lovely on my Christmas Tree. And while it was time consuming to glue all these pearls onto the glass ornament this project was not difficult at all. If you are looking for a special Christmas craft for this year, try these DIY Pearl Christmas Ornaments.
You will need:
You can find bulk faux pearls in the jewelry section of any craft store. I found these at Michaels. Then you will need a clear glass Christmas Tree Ornament and some Tacky Glue. The Tacky Glue is a must, regular glue is too thin to hold the pearls onto the glass during the drying process. The pearls slip right off the ornament with Elmer’s Glue, for example.
The crafting technique is simple. Add a layer of glue to a small area of the glass ornament and then place the pearls into the glue. Let dry. For this Pearl Christmas Tree Ornaments, I used different sizes of pearls to get this dimensional look. Try to remember to glue the pearls onto the ornament so that the holes in the sides of the pearls are not facing up. This was a multi-day project for me. I did about a quarter of the ornament at each sitting. You need to let the glue dry on each section before moving onto the next session or they will be constantly changing positions as you handle the ornament.
For this version of the Pearl Christmas Tree Ornaments, I used the same size pearls and got this more uniformed look, which also is gorgeous.
I used both small and large glass ornaments. There are no rules for this project.
These Pearl Christmas Tree Ornaments are a fun craft that results in a beautifully unique Christmas decoration that you will cherish, as I do mine. They also would make a great DIY Christmas gift for a friend!
I tried the tacky glue to attach the pearls to the ornament. I got frustrated at the amount of time it took to dry. I then tried clear silicon and it worked amazingly . It dried so much faster and held the pearls in place. I was able to finish an ornament in one setting. I love the way they are turning out. I used the red faux pearls or beads. It takes a hugh amount of beads to complete an ornament. Thanks for the info.
What a great idea. Thanks for the tip.
This was a great project. Made like 8 of these for Xmas 2017. Used the plastic ornaments and a small hot glue gun. The hot glue works like a dream but you do have to go pick out the glue tails after you complete the ornament.
Takes 3x as many beads as you’d think. Michaels had a 500 piece pack with 4 different size beads and it made maybe 2 ornaments.
Oh! If you use hot glue make sure you get the translucent kind. It looks weird if you use the clear kind. I had best results with all-temperature mini hot glue sticks. I am not sure if my glue gun was a high temp or low temp because it was a cheap crappy mini gun.
Also, try not to work in any one area too long if you’re using plastic. Jump around a lot. I tried moving quickly in a ring once and it warped and started melting the ornament.
Is it better to use the white bottle of Aleene’s school tacky glue, or is it better to use the Aleene’s original tacky glue which is gold? i’m uising the white bottle of Aleene’s school tacky glue.
How many balls would a 550 count bag of faux pearls do?
Hi – it really depends on how big the ornament is and the size of the pearls. I will say that it takes a lot of pearls to fill the ornament.
Hi Laurie
I’m trying to make a pearl ornament that i saw on your website and i’m was wondering if you can give a tutorial on youtube, the pearls keep sliding down and i don’t know what to do about it, if you can do a tutorial on youtube that would be great.
Shanyce
Shanyce
We’ll have to put this one on our video list! In the meantime, start at the bottom of the ornament. But a couple on and let the dry. Once you have this first bit done, work up toward the top of the ornament. The pearls on the bottom will keep the other pearls from sliding down. Also, you have to work on small-ish sections and let the glue partially setup before you move to the next section. Hope that helps.
How long did it take to dry?? Mines taking longer than expected
Hi Lauren – it starts hardening after a few hours so the pearls won’t move around anymore. But it does take at least 24 hours for it to completely dry.
My pearls are sliding all over the place. I have these exact items and I am following the directions precisely. Any help is appreciated.
– Very frustrated crafter 🙁
Hi Nicole – sorry you are having a frustrating time. I mentioned in the post that this was a multi-day project for me. I did only 1/4 of an ornament at a time for just this reason. I let each small section dry (or mostly dry) before moving on to adding more pearls. Once I had one section applied (maybe 10 pearls) and the glue firmed up the pearls weren’t moving around anymore, that is when I started the application process again. This time I used the first section as a barrier or dam to keep the newly added pearls from slipping. Hope that helps.
Let the glue dry for a few minutes till it gets tacky, then put the pearls on. that way they will stick with out sliding.
how many did you make for the tree
Hi – I made two big ornaments and three small ones.
Would hot glue gun work too? It would certainly dry faster …
Hi Erin – yes it probably would try faster but it’s pretty intricate work place the pearls on the ornament. I would be afraid of burning my fingers with the hot glue. If you try it this way, I’d be interested to know how it went with the glue gun.
can i use Mod Podge as the glue?
Hi – I think you could if you do a small section at a time and let it dry before you move on to the next section. The good thing about the Tacky Glue is that it is so thick and it held the pearls in place while the glue dried. You might have alot of shifting of the pearls with the Mod Podge. Let me know how it works though. Good luck!
would it work on a plastic ornament?
Sure would!
What makes the clear “pearl” ornament white under the pearls? The glue?pjranger@comcast.net