Light Bulb Cactus Ornament

Posted by DecoArt on Nov 16th 2020

Add a Southwestern touch to holiday ornament "topiaries" with DecoArt® Opaque Glass Paint Markers™.

SUPPLIES

paper towels
rubbing alcohol
scissors
liner brush
hot glue gun
masking tape
1-1/2" standard terra cotta pot
clean cloth
palette knife
light bulbs
container
medium flat brush
heavy cardstock
baker's twine
color pencil

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES:

Find a variety of old light bulbs with different shapes. Also, choose a twine that will coordinate with the colors of the ornament. Tiny terracotta pots work perfectly for this project.

Wipe down the light bulb with rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth to remove dirt and oils.

Use a Green Glass Marker to color the glass of the light bulb.

Dip a flat brush into rubbing alcohol and lightly dab onto the paint into certain areas. (This will give a watercolor look to the paint.)

Place dots of Yellow Glass Paint Marker randomly around the "cactus".

Another variation of the "cactus" ornament starts with a standard-shaped light bulb.

Paint stripes down the light bulb with Turquoise Glass Paint Marker.

Fill in the areas between the stripes with Turquoise Glass Paint Marker.

Fill in the larger areas with Green Glass Paint Marker.

Tape the light bulb into the top of a container with a small opening and allow to dry. (See photo.)

For each ornament, add hot glue into the bottom of the terra cotta pot.

Stick in the light bulb and hold until the glue has cooled.

TIP: If there is a deep space between the light bulb and the pot edge, add a scrunched-up paper towel and then add on the Snow-Tex.

With a palette knife, place Snow-Tex around the interior of the pot to give the look of dirt.

On a piece of cardstock or stiff paper (like watercolor paper), paint out some Santa Red. Allow to dry.

Flip over the Santa Red sheet and paint on Bubblegum Pink. Allow to dry.

On another sheet, paint out Cadmium Yellow. Allow to dry.

Print off and cut out the provided flower patterns.

Trace the rounded flower shapes onto the Santa Red/Bubblegum Pink-painted sheet.

Trace the spiky shapes onto the Cadmium Yellow painted sheet.

Cut out the Cadmium Yellow shapes and set aside.

Cut out the Santa Red shapes and set aside.

On the ornament with the Yellow dots, paint on tiny flower shapes using a Fuchsia Glass Paint Marker.

Dot a center in each flower with a Yellow Glass Marker.

Basecoat the pots with Snow White. Allow to dry.

Outline the Turquoise shapes with a Blue Glass Paint Marker.

Add star shapes onto the Green areas using a Yellow Glass Paint Marker.

Paint the Snow-Tex on each pot with Dark Chocolate. (See photo.) Allow to dry.

Paint the pot of the Turquoise ornament with Bahama Blue.

Paint the pot of the Green ornament with Santa Red.

Add Turquoise Glass Paint Marker lines to the Green area of the ornament.

Add Milky Way Blue to the Turquoise area of the ornament. Allow to dry.

Add Champagne Starburst to the "dirt" of each ornament. Allow to dry.

Once they are dry, trace on a design, year, or initial onto each pot with a light color pencil.

Cut an X into the center of each flower shape.

Cut an X into the center of each starburst shape.

Push twine through center cut of the flower.

Push twine through the center cut of the starburst.

On the Bahama Blue pot, paint a half loop design around the top of pot with Bubblegum Pink and diamond shapes with Cadmium Yellow.

On the red pot, paint half loop design around the top of pot with Bahama Blue Americana Acrylic. Also, paint diamond shapes with Cadmium Yellow Americana Acrylic.