Upcycled Ornments Out of Blown Light Bulbs

Breathe new life into a blown Incandescent or CFL bulbs. These ornaments can remain on your tree and add a hand made touch to your Christmas or they can be given as thoughtful gifts. In this tutorial I will show you a couple of ideas I had, I hope this opens your mind to create and gives inspiration.
 To make these ornaments you will need Bulbs, A hot glue gun, paint, glitter, small scraps of material, and whatever else you think will look great together.

Step 1: Decide on a Design and Execute

For the CFL I thought of candy canes when I saw it and painted it accordingly. Once painted I decided to add a twist at the bottom so it looks like the candy blends together and topped it off with holly so it didn't look so plain as well as added a bit of glitter (guilty pleasure). I used acrylic paint, its water based and cleans off pretty easily if you make a mistake. I made the ornament hang-able by wrapping floral wire around the top (the metal part that goes in socket)and securing tightly.

Step 2: Holy Holly!

To make the Holly fold a rectangle of green material in half and draw an outline in a light colored pencil. Once cut out ad highlights with light green paint to make leaf pop. To give the leaves movement and make them bendable glue a piece of wire to the back secured by felt. I didn't have red beads so I coiled small silver beads and gave them a splash of red paint.

Step 3: Man of Snow

The snow man is an Incandescent Bulb. I stared out with him by painting the entire bulb with white paint (You will also do this for the bunny). The bulb does not have to be painted considering it is already white but I wanted a more opaque snow man. I gave texture by painting the bulb down the body and going over again in a swirl pattern. Before moving on, the bulb needs to dry. if you have a ribbon container with a large hole at the top it can be used as a drying rack. If you don't have one get creative, I am sure you have something to use.

Step 4: Playing Dress-up

Decide what you want him to look like and dive in. I wanted a sort of traditional snowman( Top hat, scarf, carrot, stick arms)  I started with his awesome head wear by making the brim. Cut a square with a circle in the center the size of the metal bulb end, slip it over and glue in place. next, cut around the edge to make a round brim. Then, cut a rectangle big enough to wrap around and close it up with a circle on top.

Step 5: Adding a Face and Finishing Touches

The carrot is felt glued in place to stick straight out and the eyes and mouth are made from small silver beads. The scarf is just a green rectangle with fringes cut into the end and glitter dots. The arms are little twisty pieces I broke off of a wreath  ( the arms are glued to the bulb, then the scarf is glued over)  I added a wad of cotton to the bottom to give a touch of snow and put silver swirls all over the bulb to make it shine. Last, I twisted a ring of floral wire and glued the end into the hat so he can hang

Step 6: Snow Bunny

Paint the bulb white, swirling the paint to give a textured effect.
 let the bulb dry, while drying you can cut eyes,ears, scarf, etc.

Step 7: Design and Decorate

Once dry, paint center of metal end pink for a little bunny nose. Next  cut the ears out of sheet foam (I used foam for its stiff ness and because I could draw the pattern directly onto the foam.), I glued them in place then glued a red ribbon over top (scarf) and sewed a bell to the ribbon. The teeth are just a small piece of foam with a  gap for character. The eyes can be painted on or made of foam/ felt and glued in place. I gave him little cottony feet as well as a fuzzy little cotton tail and textured him with silver glitter in a fur like pattern(add a little glitter to the ears and nose for an extra touch). Last I twisted floral wire around the neck of the bulb and tightened on each side.