glitter old fashioned Christmas light bulb ornament DIY

These German glass glitter Christmas light bulb ornaments were super easy to make, and I love the vintage punch they evoke. I am so happy to share how to make these today.

I found these old fashioned colored lights bulbs in a little antique shop in Florence, Oregon when we picked up Sebastian from college last month.  You can read more about this quaint town from our trip over the summer here{bon voyage to Oregon}.  

The sweet gentleman who owned the shoppe sold me the entire bag for $1 !!! I was so happy to find these, since I had had the idea to make these glitter ornaments for awhile, but I could never find the old fashion light bulbs to create them.

how to make German glass glitter old-fashioned Christmas light bulb ornaments

I am not kidding when I say these are super easy to make. With just a handful of materials you can get these done in an afternoon.

• Old-fashioned Christmas light bulbs
• Painters tape
• Silver spray paint {or your color of choice}
• German glass glitter
• Spray Adhesive

The most difficult task for this project {besides locating the old-fashioned bulbs}, is drilling the holes in the base. Mr. M actually hammered them through for me, which was a huge help.

Then follow these simple steps.

• Spray paint the bulbs, covering the thread contacts with painter’s tape. {This step helps prevent the colors from bleeding and peeking through the glitter}.
• Once the paint is dry, spray the bulbs with spray adhesive and sprinkle glitter all around to cover the bulbs. Repeat this process about three time until bulbs are fully saturated.
• Viola! Decorate with your new vintage inspired ornaments.

decorating with the German glass glitter old-fashioned Christmas light bulb ornaments

I hung some of the ornaments on the nature inspired flocked tree on the front porch to add some glitz & glam, but still with that vintage undertone I love so much.  For the ornaments I threaded string I had in my craft stash through the holes Mr. M put through the contact bases.  

Since I had so many, I also filled a pewter bowl, which I placed on the French chest in the foyer.

other glass glitter Christmas projects

I love using German glass glitter for holiday projects.  Here are a few other ideas and projects crafted using German glass glitter. Simply by adding the glitter to these dollar tree items you have a unique and vintage inspired holiday decor.

salt & pepper snow globe shakers

You can see all the details on how to make your own cute snowy, bottle brush salt & pepper shakers by following the link to original post {Christmas crafting}.

These S&P shakers can be used as ornaments, or table top decor, or as vignette accents or anything you want them to be. I used them in the centerpiece for this fun farmhouse truck | woodie Christmas tablescape project.

glitter snow flakes

These plastic snowflakes got a great facelift with a sprinkling of glitter. I love how the patina of the German glass glitter ages through the years.

I also used them in a tables cape as a place setting topper. They are the perfect detail for a wintry table design. I actually have a post coming with holiday place setting magic.

tips for Christmas glass glitter projects

Although I choose to use silver in all my projects, you can use whatever glitter color you prefer, which matches your home and decor. The process is the same. Also, you do not have to use German glass glitter but regular crafting glitter instead, since German glass glitter is harder to find and more expensive. This is the glitter I use. Always use a tray during these projects so you can capture all the unused glitter, and put it back in the jar for later use.

Keep in mind that although the glitter is pricey, I used plastic snow flakes and S&P shakers from the Dollar Tree, which offsets each other. Also, the last time I was there, I saw some old fashioned bulb reproductions. Just saying. I hope this inspires some creativity this holiday season!

“Do small things with great love.”

Mother Teresa

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sharing @ between naps on the porch