I received a slew of really old ornaments that are glass. Most of them are in really bad shape paint wise, all chipped or with old style stripes on them. I want to paint the entire ball silver or white to add to a theme tree I'm doing this year. So I'm not looking at add decorative designs at all, I just want to paint them from red or green to silver and white. I've read a lot on the internet and now I think I'm more confused than I was when I started. Any suggestions? I'd like to have an idea what to buy before I start searching. Muddypaws ps I can't believe I'm thinking about Christmas already. This is a record for me!
Do you have a Michael's, Hobby Lobby or Joann's near you or any other craft/hobby shop? They will have glass paint in a wide selection of colors. You will need to remove the old paint first so it doesn't bleed through the silver or white. Fingernail polish remover with an Acetone base will do that nicely. Be sure to wash and dry them well before repainting.
Thanks for the quick reply, toni. Do you think it would be easier to just paint them twice or is removing the old paint a must? I guess maybe the double coat would start to chip. Also do i seal it with something after?
The old paint could possibly leave lines in the new paint and two coats won't cover that. If the old paint is just small patches you might try a little bit to see if it will be a problem. There will probably be a sealer of the same brand as the paint available too. Or you might be able get along without a sealer since the balls won't be washed or outside or handled a lot like a wine glass, etc.
I have no idea about how to paint christmas balls, but I had a good laugh over a slew of them. I had a hankering to know what the noun slew came from, and it is old Irish word, sluagh, for the Wild Horde, more appropriate for Halloween than Christmas.
Isn't it funny how some words or phrases are part of our everyday vocabulary? I never thought about the phrase "a slew of them", because we have used it our whole lives in this area. Never questioning the grammatical usage of it. I guess I'll now use it more appropriately.
Old Christmas ornaments are highly collectible, even ones that show they've been on a few trees. Have you thought of contacting an antique dealer about selling the old ones, and then using the money to purchase the color you want?
According to Dictionary.com..... Dictionary.com Unabridged..... slew 2   /slu/ Show Spelled[sloo] Show IPA noun Informal. a large number or quantity: a whole slew of people. Also, slue. Origin: 1830-40, Americanism; < Irish sluagh crowd, throng, army, host I have always spelled it slew which probably came about many years ago when people started spelling phonetically, especially when the word was handed down from another language. Spell it Slue and you connect to the Irish word....which basically can be translanted to the same meaning. Oh, and hankering, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is .... Origin of HANKER probably from Dutch dialect hankeren First Known Use: 1627 Many of our colloquialisms have come down to us from our immigrant ancestors who settled in the areas where we now live. We just don't think about their meaning much because they came to us 100+ years ago and are part of our everyday life. No reason to change, I like our unusual words.
hmm did you think ab just spray painting them? That is always my favorite option since I'm a lazy DIY-er
I have done that many times !! I used to paint hummingbirds on them and I had made several stands from wire coat hangers and a pretty block of wood !! Some old ornaments you can soak in warm water and the paint will all slide off !! So try that first !! If not just use a good quality spray paint after cleaning them with alcohol to remove fingerprints !! You can also spnge paint them with acrylic paint then clear coat but it will not be as even as spray paint !!
Wow. A lot to think about. I did think about selling them, but I got them from someone I know and I'd rather use them. I'll try soaking them in water first and making sure they're good and clean. Tried regular outdoors spray paint on one and color ran a lot. Maybe I'll try one more time with that. I also like to sponge paint idea.... glad I have a "slew" of them to play with!
If your paint ran you were either too close or didn`t keep the spray moving. I stood the ornament on a clay base. Can even be homemade salt/flour clay. Just stick the stem in the clay a little so it stays still and spray about a foot away from the ornament and keep your hand moving so it covers lightly. Two light coats are better than trying a heavy one. It will dry in about ten minutes so it doesn`t take long for two coats. But let it sit about an hour after the second coat till it cures a bit, even longer if you are going to pack them away.
I had some very old balls from my grandparents. If you change your mind about painting them, you can turn the best side out and display them, hook side down, in glass taper candle holders. They look really great...even painted, they would look good displayed like that.
