Finding black, Halloween themed, or Gothic Christmas ornaments can prove to be a challenge for those of you who want your dark style to be reflected even in your Christmas tree. There seems to be no choice but to take matters into your own hands with some Do it Yourself ornament projects. I’m here to help!
So… I went on the hunt to see what I could find in stores. I found gorgeous Christmas ornaments. These days no matter where you go, there are so many amazing choices! Of course…. those choices are not black or goth… but that’s nothing we can’t fix. I scooped up all kinds of ornaments to bring home and work on. I’m hoping I’ll have time to get creative with my entire pile and share them all with you this month, but we’ll start with one at a time.
I found these beautiful Framed Ornaments at a craft store. I totally fell in love with the carving details. I think anything with Baroque styling has an immediate Gothic appeal! I’ve seen framed ornaments in most of the stores I’ve checked out, but if you’re having a hard time finding them, I have an easy solution! You can also create these ornaments with mini frames, by simply adding a small eye screw or frame hanger for the ribbon. See below for a few ornate frames that would work for this project. There’s even a black one that will save you a painting step!!
Obviously, I decided to paint the ornaments I found black… no shock there. But I did take them one step further, and add a metallic finish to the raised edges. Sometimes all of those amazing small carved details can become lost on a piece that is solid black. Rub ‘n Buff Metallic Wax to the rescue. I absolutely love this stuff. I own the sampler set
You could, of course, leave the ornaments solid black. Here’s a before and after (disregard the highlights the sun is causing on the solid one!!). Sometimes when I paint something, I think the black looks so nice that I don’t want to mess with it. In this case, I’m really happy I used the metallic wax.
Now for the images. I chose an insect theme. There are so many things you can do with these frames, it almost became overwhelming as I perused online image galleries. I found so many images, and categories of images that I loved…. the wheels are seriously turning for future image transfer projects!! But when I work on projects like this, I find that where I start is rarely where I end up…. I adore how creativity can be organic like that! In the midst of my searching I happened upon the spider I eventually used. I loved that it looked like a specimen image. It sparked me to look for more specimen images. Type “insects” into Pinterest and you’ll be amazed. I was specifically looking for a solid black image, and it wasn’t difficult to find some incredible looking black insects. I’m obsessed with that Swag Beetle! A side note as you select your images…. Choose an image with a white background or no background (usually a png file).
Once I found the subject images for my ornaments, I decided I wanted a patterned background, so I choose a dictionary print scrapbook page. If you want something with more contrast, a white background could also work. You have two choices here. You can either print directly onto your background paper… or print on Clear Sticker Paper. The reason I chose the sticker paper is because it is transparent, and I liked the idea of the dictionary print showing thru the insect images… to me it added a touch of vintage flare.
The only thing left to do was replace the hanger with a black ribbon, and it was tree decorating time! I used a 1/8″ black satin ribbon.
What you’ll need:
- Framed ornaments (or mini frames and a small eye screw or small picture frame hanger}
- Black Gloss Paint
- Silver Leaf Rub ‘n Buff
(12 Color Sampler Set
)
- Scrapbooking paper
- Printable Images
- Silhouette Clear Sticker Paper
(as needed)
- Thin Black Ribbon
(as needed)1. Start by removing any hangers or ribbons or glass, and prep the ornament for painting
2. Paint ornament with black paint
3. Once dry, apply the Rub n Buff. You can use your finger or a soft cloth. I used my finger. An important warning… a little goes a LONG way!! Start with a little dab and you can always add more. Here’s the interesting thing about rub ‘n buff…. instead of looking like a finish that you have applied over paint, it almost gives the impression that the paint has been rubbed away, and the metallic is peaking out from behind…. so when choosing where to rub the wax… choose spots that may normally show wear and tear (like the raised areas)… or choose carved edges. Have fun with this step, and know that if you royally f it up… just cover over it with the paint, and try again!
4. While the rub n buff dries, prepare your image for print (ensure there is a white or no background, resize to fit the frame opening, etc)
5. Print the image either directly on your scrapbook paper or onto the clear sticker paper.
6. If using sticker paper, allow to dry and then apply the sticker to the scrapbook paper.
7. Using the frame insert as a guide, cut the images out, and add to the frames.
Enjoy round one of the Christmas ornament DIY. Hope to bring you more next week!! In the meantime, how’s your Christmas shopping coming? Maybe this list of Gothic Stocking Stuffers can help!
Interested in what else you can do with that rub ‘n buff (since you are, of course, going to buy the sampler set)? Check out how I transformed a thrift store lamp, created a DIY serving tray, and gothed up a vintage tea set.
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Another beautiful black DIY my love. An alternative option for those lovely art inserts is making them on Photoshop. Create two layers – the bottom with your background image/design. The top one with your insect, with the opacity reduced. Et voilà! Now excuse me while I go on the hunt for suitably sized ornate frames! Sx