If you want to make sure they are dry and you are using glass balls not plastic. turn them upside down in an old cupcake pan. Set your stove to 200 and put the pan in for a half hour to an hour. Let them cool before handling them. Works great.

I didn’t do anything to get the colours to stay vibrant, Laura. I didn’t alter the consistency of the paint at all. We just pour it in, swirl it, and drain it.

How do you get the colors in the ornaments to stay so vibrant? My paint colors blend together when I try to get all the spots on the inside of ornament covered. I know paint consistency is important but if it is too thick it then won’t move to cover the inside of ornament. I’m making sure it’s not too thin as well.

Same. Did you ever figure out a solution?

Yay! I’m so glad you gave it a try, Mindy!

Oh no! I’ve never had the paint crack. I wonder if it had something to do with the temperature you stored the ornaments at?

I made these last year and they turned out beautifully however I went to look at my ornaments to see what I have and what I don’t for this year’s project and the inside of my painted swirl acrylic ornament is all cracked?

What brand of paint did you use, Annamarie. A quality brand like DecoArt or Americana shouldn’t give you any problems.

That’s a very good question, Robeena. I’ve never tried twitch Tempera paint. You could give one ornament a try and see how it goes. I’m not 100% sure if it would adhere to the plastic or glass the way acrylic paint does. As long as it does, there shouldn’t be a problem. Tempera paint would be more prone to scratching off, but with this craft, the paint is inside the bottle, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Please let me know if you try it!

It might, but I’m not sure if the glitter would become too coated in paint to really see it, Know what I mean? You could give it a try. You might also try a mix of glitter and clear glue (no paint) to see what kind of effect you’d get.

That’s so strange. What’s the humidity like where you are, Deb? You’re leaving the lids off, correct? I can’t figure out why your paint won’t dry. Acrylics typically have a pretty quick dry time.

You could test one to see if it would work. The paint might seal the ornament and then peel or flake when you separate the two halves.

Wendi can I be nosey and ask what price you put on the finished ornaments. I have done several of these ornaments for an upcoming craft sale but have no idea what to charge for them. I don’t want to take a loss but I also don’t want to price them so high no one buys them. thanks

Hi Wendi! I’m so sorry you’re having trouble with your ornaments. I honestly can’t figure out what the problem would be. I’ve made them so many times over the years, and I’ve never had a problem with the paint sticking. It’s probably been 3 or 4 years since I last made them though. I wonder if Craft Smart paint has changed the way they make their paint since then. I would try adding a different brand to cover up the bare spots and see if that works. DecoArt is a quality brand that I’ve used in the past. Please let me know if this works for you.

Hmmm, I don’t know why your paint won’t stick, Connie. We’ve made these many times over the years, and haven’t had that problem. If your ornaments are clean and dry the paint should stick. The only thing that I’ve noticed over the years is that we get better coverage when we use a high quality acrylic craft paint rather than a thin dollar store acrylic craft paint.

Yes, I would just add a little more paint to the ornament and swirl it to cover the missed spots, Connie.

Great tip! Thanks for sharing, Paula!

Take the cap off of the hook, put cap on and then put holder through the holes. It should just snap into place without scratching along the sides.

When you dripped out the excess, how long did you let them sit upside down for? If your paint is fully dry before tipping them upright and hanging them, the paint won’t be able to drip back down to the bottom of the ornament. The only thing I can guess is that they didn’t drain and dry long enough before you turned them upright.

It’s hard to say how much you use, Emily. Just squirt some of each colour in, and swirl it around the ornament. It’s not a lot, but you’ll get a feel for it after you make a couple.

Hmm. I’ve never had that happen, Teresa. Are your caps the same as the ones in my photos? Is it just the metal prongs that are scratching the paint? It sounds as if they might be longer or stronger than mine. To prevent it from happening, you could always brush a little clear nail polish over the paint in the neck of the ornaments to protect the paint.

It’s really too difficult to say, Rachael. You put a squirt of each colour into each ornament. I’m guessing a “squirt” would be between a tsp and a tablespoon, but it’s too difficult to know what that equates to in # of bottles. I would probably pick up 3 small bottles of each colour to start. If you use acrylic craft paint for other crafts, any leftovers won’t go to waste. 🙂

I don’t know why that would have happened, Katrina. I’ve used plastic and glass balls and I’ve never had that problem. Are you using brand name, quality paint and glue? Did you wash your ornaments out and dry them completely first?

I had the same problem, took the top off, and discovered that the paint was still wet. When I tilted the ornament the paint redistributed. Left the top off, tipped it upside down over a thick paper towel and let it dry. It turned out just great

If the paint hasn’t dried you may be able to get it out with hot water. It’s going to be tricky if it’s dried. If the paint were on the outside of the ornament, you could scrub it off with warm water and a cloth, but that’s not going to be easy to do with the paint on the inside. You can try filling it with hot, soapy water, and shaking it to see if it will loosen, but I’m not sure how successful you’ll be, Joy. Sorry. 🙁

I would leave them for at least 24 hours, Jackie, and possibly up to 48 to make sure they’re totally dry.

It could be that the balls had residue inside. I would rinse them with rubbing alcohol, and then with water, and let them dry, or it could be the type of paint you’re using. A quality acrylic craft paint should work well i.e. deco-art, Martha Stewart etc.

You are using artist grade acrylic which is thicker than craft grade acrylic paint.

My thought exactly, Nicole. I love making papers. So just let paint drip into tray or baking sheet or pan with some sides, larger than paper size, instead of bowl. Cover with wrap until ready for paper or have paper ready while ornaments are drying too.

Is your acrylic paint old, Alison? I’ve been using craft acrylics for years, and when they’re fresh, they’re very runny. You can always add a bit of water to thickened acrylics, but I’m not sure if it would affect the way the paint would adhere to the ornament.

You’re welcome, Suzanne!

I suppose you could, but you do risk the objects scratching the paint. Also, and I’m stating the obvious here, you wouldn’t be able to see what you’ve put into the ornament.

I’m not sure why that happens to some. I’ve heard that complaint before. I’m sorry I can’t offer you any advice there, Beth. 🙁

Thank you. I will try this next time. I was successful years ago but this year had the paint problem of it running off and leaving empty spots as it dries. Disappointing.

Had the same problem with the paint just running off and not adhering. So frustrating since I successfully did this project years ago. Cheap acrylic paint? Using Styrofoam cups instead of plastic??? Ornaments have some coating inside??? Only 3 differences I can think of.

I’m having the problem of it almost evaporating (I guess that’s the right word). I’ll pour it in, get all the unpainted spots covered, and then let the excess drip out. The next day when it looks like as much of the excess paint as possible has dripped out, I turn it over to let it dry inside. When I go back to look and make sure the inside is done to put it up, there are clear places in at least 1 area of the ornament. Sometimes one entire side of the ornament is clear with just specks of paint left in that area. I don’t have any idea why they are messing up. I’ve put all this time into working on them and at least $50-$75 on this project. It’s starting to seem like it’s a waste of time and money.PLEASE HELP!!!!

How thick was your paint? Assuming it was thin enough to run out of the bottle, I can’t see why it wouldn’t run around the ball.

I’m really not sure, Nancy. I’ve had some of our ornaments for years. I’ve heard others say the same as you, but I’m not sure what causes that to happen.

I really don’t know why your acrylic paint didn’t work, Teah. As long as it’s thin and liquified (not thick and drying up), it will run around the ornament just like it runs out of the bottle.

I’m really not sure either Vickie. I’ve made many of them over the years, and I’ve not had that problem.

I”m not sure, Tracy. Acrylic paint will adhere to most surfaces as long as the surface is clean (free of any oils or residue) and dry. You’re using Acrylics, correct? I’ve done this project with both glass and plastic balls with success. I’m not sure what you mean by “coming off”. Do you mean it’s all just running right off when you tip the ball upside down, or do you mean it’s flaking off after it’s dry?

I got them at Michael’s Crafts, Hazel. I think most craft stores or maybe even Walmart or the Dollar Store (in the craft section) carry them during the holiday season.

I hope you do, Rachel. They’re so easy to make, but the results are so beautiful.