DIY Christmas Ornaments with Faux Tin Finish – Easy Craft Ideas for the Holidays

There’s something magical about crafting your own Christmas decorations to bring a special, personal touch to the holiday season. This week, we’re featuring an exclusive tutorial by our talented affiliate, Donna at Mason Creations etc., who transforms a simple plastic ornament into a vintage-inspired faux tin treasure. This charming project is perfect for adding handmade warmth to your tree, blending texture, metallic accents, and a hint of antiquing for a truly festive look. Watch Donna’s video below, and follow along with our step-by-step guide to create this holiday keepsake!

Step 1: Prep the Ornament

Donna starts with a flat, round plastic ornament blank, giving both sides a light sanding to ensure the surface is ready for texture. Next, she sprays Pixie repositionable stencil spray on her chosen stencil, then smooths texture paste over the stencil using a palette knife. Carefully peel off the stencil to reveal a lovely tin-like pattern—let each side dry before lightly sanding the edges for a smooth finish.

Step 2: Adding Decorative Clay Bells

For an extra touch of charm, Donna uses a silicone mold and air-dry clay to shape three small bells, attaching them to the ornament while still wet to add beautiful dimension. This clay detail gives the ornament a lovely, handcrafted look with vintage appeal. Once dry, she paints the bells with Pentart Metallic Paint in gold and silver, adding a festive red to the ribbons for a perfect holiday finish.

Step 3: Painting the Base

Donna’s choice for the ornament’s main color is Pentart’s off-white paint, giving both sides a few hours to dry. For added texture on curved edges, she applies crackle paste using a palette knife. Once dry, this paste gives the ornament an authentically cracked, antique look. A final layer of Polyvine Heavy Duty Wood varnish in satin seals the base, preparing it for the antiquing step.

Step 4: Antiquing for a Vintage Finish

To give the ornament an aged look, Donna combines Pentar white gold with a few drops of dark gray paint, making a thin wash. She brushes it over the ornament, letting it settle into crevices for depth. Using a water mist, she adjusts the flow of the paint, dabbing gently to achieve a classic vintage patina. To elevate this antique look, Donna applies antiquing wax in the color soot around the bells and edges, adding shadows that give each detail extra depth.

Step 5: Metallic Highlights and Final Touches

For a tin-like shimmer, Donna gently rubs metallic wax in silver and aged brass across the raised textures. She uses her fingers to control the amount, lightly brushing over the high points to create just the right sparkle. To complete the look, Donna assembles a ribbon bow using her mini Bodabra tool, layering sheer red and silver ribbon with a silver cord. A rhinestone in the center of each bow brings the perfect holiday touch!

This faux tin Christmas ornament captures a vintage look with products available at DecoupageNapkins.com, from Pentart paints to Polyvine varnishes. We hope you’ll try your hand at this charming project and embrace the art of layering textures and colors to create unique holiday decor.

Remember to subscribe to our newsletter for crafting inspiration and 10% off your next order. Happy crafting, and thank you, Donna, for sharing your expertise and festive spirit with us!