glitter ornaments handmade with clear plastic bulbs

The number one question I’ve been asked since I did my glitter ornament tutorial last year, is “Can I use plastic ornaments instead of glass?” I’m sorry it took so long, but I finally tried it, and they look great! I’m going to hang them on my tree and see how they hold up, but I believe they are going to be just fine.

I was worried they wouldn’t look as sparkly in the plastic bulbs instead of the glass, but they look awesome! And they’re unbreakable, which is always a plus, especially if you’ve ever had a Christmas tree topple over on you. (I have.)

glitter ornaments handmade with clear plastic bulbs

If you haven’t seen the glitter ornament tutorial yet, you can find it HERE. Happy glittering!

UPDATE: It’s now been a year since I made these glitter ornaments with plastic bulbs instead of glass… I just pulled them out of the attic (which gets HOT; I live in Florida), and they look perfect. It appears they hold up just as well as the glass ornaments. :)

79 Comments

  1. Rachel on December 11, 2012 at 5:39 am

    I have a silly question. Where did you get your clear plastic ornaments at? The only plastic ones that I’ve seen are the ones that snap together.

    • ornamentgirl on December 11, 2012 at 7:20 am

      Not silly at all… I got these at Michael’s.:)

      • Rachel on December 12, 2012 at 6:35 am

        Thank you! I only have a Hobby Lobby where I live and I’ve only seen those plastic ones that snap together there. The closest Michaels is about 45 miles away but now I have an excuse to go! Thank you for the information & I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

        • Anonymous on November 11, 2013 at 6:11 am

          Just FYI, you can order right off of the michaels website :)

          • ornamentgirl on November 11, 2013 at 8:51 pm

            Awesome, thanks! They didn’t used to be available on the site… thanks for letting us know you can order them now. :)

            • Sheri on December 20, 2022 at 1:30 am

              Did you clean the plastic bulbs the same as the glass ones? I was concerned that the alcohol might cause the plastic to become cloudy.

              • Sarah Cinocco on December 21, 2022 at 12:00 pm

                Hi Sheri, I don’t think you would need to unless you saw something that looked like it would need to be cleaned. The glass will pick up finger prints and such so it is more important with those.

        • Anonymous on November 14, 2013 at 1:11 am

          They do have them at Hobby Lobby. I bought a dozen of them last week. Just ask a sales person.

          • Donna on November 15, 2013 at 6:48 am

            Wal Mart has plastic ones now too. They aren’t hard plastic but almost rubbery. Clear and look like glass.

            • Renee on November 15, 2013 at 10:59 pm

              Yes, I just bought them at Walmart last night (11/14/13). They were .88 each. They also have the clear tear drop Christmas bulbs.

              • Renee on November 15, 2013 at 11:04 pm

                They also have the flatted bulbs that you can put a picture in. I’m going to have my grandchildren make a gift for Mommy and Daddy using the bulb and put a recent picture picture of their self in it.

                • Jessie on November 16, 2013 at 12:40 pm

                  I found another glitter ornament design and luckily found this, because it didn’t say how to put the glitter inside. I also found the plastic bulbs on Oriental Tradings website when I was looking for them. The had both kinds (metal top & snap together). The metal ones were $10.50 for a dozen.

        • Anonymous on December 2, 2013 at 5:20 am

          Hobby Lobby had them in 2012 in plastic boxes that had 8 clear plastic ornaments in them!

        • Cam on December 11, 2013 at 1:47 am

          I was able to find them at Walmart if your walmart sells fabric and crafts it should have them.

        • Anonymous on December 20, 2013 at 10:19 am

          I found some at Walmart in stores and online this year.

        • destiny on June 5, 2015 at 10:56 pm

          I got my 100 for 99.00 on alixpress!!!!

        • elizabeth on August 22, 2015 at 10:07 am

          I get my plastic ornaments from hobby lobby!!! They come in 2 different sizes ??

        • Veronica Lopes on November 8, 2019 at 5:12 pm

          Order from amazon

      • Anonymous on November 22, 2013 at 10:33 am

        I have recently found plastic ones at Walmart for 88 cents.

      • Anonymous on November 19, 2016 at 3:28 pm

        You can get big and small ones at the dollar tree if you have one. They come in a two pack for the smaller ones and single pack for bigger. Can’t beat two for a dollar

      • Anonymous on November 20, 2016 at 9:02 am

        Or walmart

      • Pati on August 31, 2021 at 1:43 pm

        Hi! I love this tutorial, which size of the ornament did you get?

        • Janelle - Ornament Girl Support on September 2, 2021 at 11:16 am

          Hi Pati, these look to me like a standard size ornament ball. I will double check for you. Thank you!

    • Anonymous on October 10, 2015 at 11:07 pm

      Dollar tree has them right now big and Med/sm

    • Caprice on October 29, 2015 at 11:32 am

      I found them at Dollar tree

    • melissa on October 30, 2015 at 5:07 pm

      I just found mine at the dollar tree… Best buy yet

    • Jenny Howe on December 23, 2015 at 5:16 pm

      You can still glitter them and with the crack around the bulb what about a nice bow??

    • Rebecca on November 19, 2016 at 12:38 pm

      Dollar tree has them in a few different sizes. You can order them online by the box if you don’t have a dollar tree near you. It’s less expensive than Michaels.

    • Mary on January 3, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      Michaels

  2. Marisa on December 11, 2012 at 11:22 am

    Hi!
    These are beautiful!! I think I will make them with my kiddos…have you tried using more than one color glitter in an ornament? I can see them wanting to do that :-)
    Thanks!!

    • ornamentgirl on November 11, 2013 at 8:53 pm

      Marisa, I haven’t tried yet, but see Debbie’s comment below…she did it and loves how they turned out. :)

      • theresa on November 21, 2016 at 9:00 pm

        Okay how do you make the glitter bulbs.

  3. Carol on December 17, 2012 at 8:52 am

    snip of baby’s hair w/snip of baby blanket, etc. Pic on one side/stats on the other. Great gift! or make 1 for your tree + 1 for baby when/leaves home has own tree to decorate….

  4. Carol on December 17, 2012 at 8:53 am

    snip of baby’s hair w/snip of baby blanket, etc. Pic on one side/stats on the other. Tie w/beautiful pink/blue bow for hanging… Great gift! OR make 1 for your tree + 1 for baby when/leaves home has own tree to decorate….

  5. Debbie on September 24, 2013 at 10:47 am

    I have a comment about mixed colors on the glitter ornament. We do the ornaments over water flats and get mixed colors in the bottom. Eventually we pour them in some of the bulbs and they are great. No two are alike, and you couldn’t reproduce them if you tried. We love them! We’re making them for my grandchildren and all of my mothers other great-grandchildren along with directions so they can make more.

    • ornamentgirl on November 11, 2013 at 8:52 pm

      That’s awesome, Debbie! :)

    • Elisa Ashley on December 14, 2013 at 2:03 pm

      Water flats? Huh?

      • Anonymous on December 29, 2014 at 11:56 am

        That threw me for a minute too, but I think she means the cardboard “boxes” that cases of water are plastic-wrapped in. We use these in my 2nd grade classroom to contain glitter messes as well

  6. Char on November 13, 2013 at 2:01 am

    I love em and I need orange giltter so bad so I can do them how long do they last could u use the sugar gilter or not

  7. Kelly on November 16, 2013 at 4:14 am

    The pledge bottle has a new look. Here is a link: http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html
    If you look on the top right, it will show you the 2013 label. Wish i had known this before i went to the store, as i was looking for the 2008 label. :) Love your decorations.

    • ornamentgirl on November 16, 2013 at 4:16 am

      Thank you, Kelly! I really appreciate the link. I will update this post (and my other glitter ornament post as well)..thanks again! :)

  8. Jenn on November 21, 2013 at 10:00 pm

    Soooo happy I found this site!!! In charge of the trim a tree project for my daughters 2nd grade class and really want to do this…
    Since it has been almost a year since you experimented with the plastic ornaments, I just wanted to see if they’ve held up.

    I only have 40 minutes to do this with 22 students…can we put the top back on as soon as they are finished spreading the glitter???

    • ornamentgirl on December 3, 2013 at 3:14 am

      Hi Jenn… they held up perfectly! You’d be better off letting them dry as long as possible before putting the caps on, but perhaps you could put the caps on, along with instructions (maybe a little note for the parents) for them to let them dry a little longer once they’ve brought the ornaments home..? The only other thing would be that when you do put the caps on, put the little wire in AFTER you’ve got the cap on, so that the wire doesn’t scratch the inside of the ornament, especially if it isn’t dry yet.

      I hope that helps!

  9. Anonymous on December 3, 2013 at 2:22 am

    Did you unpack the plastic glitter ornaments yet…just wondering how they survived the entire year packed away.

    • ornamentgirl on December 3, 2013 at 3:11 am

      I just took them from the attic this weekend, and they look perfect!

  10. Anonymous on December 4, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    Walmart has plastic ones for 98¢

  11. Anonymous on December 4, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    Just purchased 40 plastic ones @ Walmart:O) for 88 cents! happy crafting!

  12. cuzinaddie on December 15, 2013 at 3:08 am

    Ya know, try as I might Future floor wax of ANY type is not found in southern california. Is there a suitable alternative. I saw something called Anitas gloss finish or something like that. I couldn’t find that one either so I ended up buying Martha Stewarts high gloss finish. I tried the process last night but it doesn’t seem to be drying. I want to do this project with my granddaughters, but HELP…lol

  13. Holly on December 15, 2013 at 5:10 am

    What’s the best brush on acrylic sealer or glitter sealer to use over glitter on the outside of the bulb. I used a multipurpose sealer from Michael’s and it took all the sparkle out of the glitter. I’ve thought about using a glossy Mod Podge as well. Thanks in advance! I’m new to making ornaments and it’s so much fun!

  14. Julie on December 18, 2013 at 10:54 pm

    Help! I am doing this project for 25 students tomorrow And I can’t find Pledge floor care multisurface? Is there another product I can use? Thank you!

  15. sue on December 19, 2013 at 9:35 am

    If you use plastic ornaments do you have to wash them with alcohol?

  16. cuzinaddie on December 30, 2013 at 1:53 pm

    I really would have like to have done this project with my granddaughters this year but I will wait till next. I can not find the Future Floor Wax anywhere. WARNING: do NOT use the Martha Stewarts high gloss finish, it does NOT work. It will make the glitter break down, and when it dries it flakes. If any one knows of a suitable substitute, PLEASE let me know…..

  17. Kim on November 20, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    Coca-Cola has the bottles that are shaped like balls. Do you think that these will work?

  18. Ty's Huuny on December 28, 2014 at 8:42 am

    These were so easy to make and I had so much fun I made 4 dozen in about 4 hours! Thanks for sharing this!

  19. JL on November 21, 2015 at 11:52 am

    how long does it take to dry before replacing cap?

  20. Becky on December 23, 2015 at 1:59 am

    I don’t think they make this pledge anymore. I just went to 5 stores none

    • Staci Ann Lowry on December 23, 2015 at 10:50 am

      Hi Becky… The packaging has changed. Up in this post, I have a link to the original tutorial, and in that post I have a link to what the new bottle looks like. I hope that helps!

      • Anonymous on October 17, 2016 at 7:48 am

        Couldn’t find the Pledge in any of the local grocery chains. On Amazon it is almost $12.00 plus shipping. Last resort was the hardware store ( Amercan Hdwe) as I remembered they sold cleaning supplies. Yessss! And under $7.00 !

  21. Kelly on November 5, 2016 at 1:05 am

    Love the ornaments. I recently changed from glass to plastic and the glitter isn’t sticking fully. What am I doing wrong?

    • Sue on November 11, 2016 at 3:34 am

      I would love an answer on this also-did you figure out why Kelly ? and if there was an alternative to use? :)

  22. Kelly on November 8, 2016 at 5:27 pm

    Any suggestions on where to get nice lettering for names? And how to transfer them?

  23. Ann Boos on November 9, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    I made these ornaments by your instructions for my grandsons, as I make a different one each year for them all. They turned out great. One month later I got them out to wrap them and the glitter is not staying on the bulbs! Please help me! I did use the plastic balls. Thanks

  24. Sue on November 11, 2016 at 3:35 am

    Kelly above wrote-I recently changed from glass to plastic and the glitter isn’t sticking fully. What am I doing wrong? Mine are doing the same any suggestions please? :)

  25. G Ramirez on November 14, 2016 at 5:45 pm

    Can I use regular glitter?

  26. priscilla on November 27, 2016 at 11:47 am

    I have plastic ornaments from dollar tree and fake snow. We mod podged the outside of ornaments rolled it in the fake styrofoam snow. Now how can we seal so snow beads dont fall off everytime its touched. Thank you

  27. Ashland on December 1, 2016 at 2:00 pm

    OK I made 72 of these but did not realize till after I put glitter in all of them that I should have used wax to get the glitter to stick.. ERRR do you think I can put the floor wax in the ball with the glitter already ? I really dont want to dump 72 of these back out. Thanks for the advice

  28. Anonymous on December 4, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    2 for a dollar at DollarTree

  29. Dawn on December 6, 2016 at 8:44 pm

    You can find them on http://www.dollartree.com. up where you sign in on the top right there is a link for bulk sales. They are really inexpensive!

  30. Jill Beaudry on December 11, 2016 at 11:49 pm

    I just started making the after coming across your diy glitter bulbs so easy and so pretty! I got the plastic bulbs at walmart for .98 cents in the craft department they also had the glass ones in there Xmas area but I have cats and glass wouldn’t be a good idea these are so much fun making. I also went to a Dollar tree they had the plastic ones too but they also had so many fun rhinestones and beautiful crafting stickers which look amazing on them once the glitter is inside or plain lol but just wanted to let you know that this is a great idea and it looks absolutely beautiful when there all done Thank you & Happy Holidays!! :)

  31. Wendy on December 12, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    Can i use glitter paint instead of glitter?

  32. Gina on December 17, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    I am having trouble with getting the glitter to stick. About a week after I made them, the glitter started coming off. I used Pledge Floor Care. Anyone else having issues? Do you need to wash the ornaments first?

  33. Patti on October 28, 2017 at 4:37 pm

    I got the pledge floor cleaner and not the finish. Anyone had any issues? Will it dry up and fall off?

  34. Anonymous on October 29, 2018 at 10:57 am

    Hi guys, just pulled out some that I made last year. It seems that the holographic glitter stayed on but because the dollar tree ornaments are so thin, when I squeeze them a bit, it all falls off. Any ideas? UGH. Don’t want to sell them and they fall apart. Regular glitter did not seem to fare well.

  35. Tammera on December 2, 2018 at 10:12 pm

    How long should I let them dry??

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