Alcohol Ink Holiday Ornaments: from start to varnish

Making beautiful hand painted alcohol ink ornaments to gift, sell or hang on your own tree is easy. This video covers everything you need to know to make the process flow well and help direct you through some choices and how to varnish your ornament for preservation. Lots of different types of ornaments will work with the Alcohol inks. You can choose from glass, aluminum, plastic, or ceramic. When it comes to ornament color white, silver or clear will work best to make the colors pop. To add white inside the clear ornaments for a stronger contrast, use your white alcohol ink. Using acrylic takes far too long to dry and forever to coat the inside. Apply colors in the way you like best. The colors I use are Piñata Colors from Jacquard Products, these have beautiful rich jewel tones and the best metallic inks. Use gravity and drip color down the ornaments, be minimal and wisp colors around the side while rotating the bobble and blowing air on the inks, or give it an overall pattern using a dabbing technique or with plastic wrap. To seal the inks to prevent chips and scratches brush on Jacquard’s Alcohol Ink Varnish. This is way better to seal the ornaments with as opposed to a spray, it is more protective and can be done indoors. Enjoy making these colorful decorations!

[@nancylewis1296]

Can you put the ink inside?

[@lauriepolden6594]

To me that is a waste of alcohol week honestly if you do the alcohol ink inside and then cover the alcohol ink with latex paint it is a lot lot cheaper and it works a lot better. I have gorgeous ornaments done this way and I’ve done tons of them this way, I love the colors. I love that the white pulls down and lightens the colors in the draining process it’s amazing what you get and it’s so fun once you add the white over the metallic or the alcohol ink waiting to see what the white makes pop

[@transformationnz]

Yes..I do it that way too, although the method shown here also produces nice results. Quite different, so why not try both ways :-)

[@monicalmp629]

Thank you for this tutorial. It was so helpful! 😊

[@artminwithlynn]

Glad it was helpful!

[@KustomKreationsbyTrudy]

Thank you ❤

[@killthisbody]

And now I can create a custom ornament the whole family will treasure for years to come.

[@dustincecil9640]

so cool! what about putting it on lightbulbs?? or would the varnish be problematic.... inked lightbulbs could look cool hanging around a room. like little glowing planets. (?). :)

[@artminwithlynn]

The inks are not lightfast so putting them in an intense light situation like that would make them fade fast. I also would have reservations about the varnish directly on a bulb. I have however, made light shade situations before. They turn out pretty cool, but one has to be ok with the colors fading quicker than most. Good Ideas here tho! Alcohol ink illuminated planets sound like a very cool plan. Making an inked orb and having a small light hanging inside would totally work.