Decoupage Meets Dance: Create a Ballerina Ornament

Have you ever wondered how to turn a simple wooden cutout into a keepsake that looks like it belongs in a boutique window? In this week’s tutorial, Donna from Mason Creations etc. shows how to create a stunning heart-shaped Christmas ornament featuring two hand-painted ballerinas. Her project blends decoupage, air-dry clay, crackle finishes, and delicate trims—all with supplies readily available in our shop. Watch the video below to see her full process.

Step-by-Step Guide

Donna begins with a heart-shaped MDF piece painted in a coat of Dixie Belle Cotton, which helps rice paper colors stay bright and crisp. She selects a leafy swirled rice paper and traces the heart shape twice—one for each side. Using Polyvine Heavy Duty Wood Varnish as her adhesive, she decoupages the paper smoothly onto both sides and sands the edges downward to create a flawless border.

For shading and depth, she softens the edges with brown ink, then paints the border with Pentart Gold. Next comes the gorgeous finish: the two-step Pentart Fineline Crackle. After applying both components and letting them dry, she wipes Pentart Antique Paste into the cracks and seals everything with Winsor & Newton Gloss Varnish for a porcelain-like shine.

Donna then crafts her ballerinas from DAS air-dry clay, pressing clay into her molds, freezing them briefly so they release cleanly, and letting them dry overnight. She paints them using a mix of Dixie Belle Cotton, Pentart powders, Pentart Hazelnut, FolkArt Conch Shell, and Pentart Gold. Once sealed with Polyvine Heavy Duty Wood Varnish, she adds antiquing medium to highlight every detail.

The ballerinas receive a final touch of glittered tulle skirts, lace bodices, and tiny gold crowns. Next, Donna secures each ballerina—one on each side of the ornament. She attaches a gold cord hanger, glues delicate trim around the edge, and creates beautiful bows using her mini Bowdabra. A gold tassel at the bottom completes this elegant piece.

This project is a wonderful example of how clay molds, rice papers, varnishes, and paints can come together to create something charming, giftable, and unique. Donna’s creativity always inspires, and we’re grateful to have her as a featured craft instructor.

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