Can the texture of plaster ornaments be beat? Idk to be honest.
Plaster ornaments two ways! So…I made these plaster ornaments back in 2021, and took pictures and everything, but never posted a tutorial because it was so close to Christmas when I made them. An it just felt too late.
Anyway, when I got them out again a year later, to hang them on the tree, I felt like they needed something else. So I spent the day painting them with a few colors I already had in the closet. And thought they turned out fun. Very painterly vibes too these now. Kind of like the ornament version of a paint palette or an abstract painting.
Not sure which version I like better. But either way, here’s how I made plaster ornaments (two ways)…
Plaster Ornament Materials
To make these plaster ornaments you need just a few materials…
Materials Note: You can also make your own plaster from scratch by mixing Plaster of Paris (which you can find at any craft store) with water. Its most likely a little bit cheaper to do it that way, but if you’re looking for something fast and simple I would recommend just using a ready-made plaster or joint compound from Home Depot Lowe’s or any other home-improvement store.
How to Make Plaster Ornaments
Technique #1: Add compound to ornaments.
I started by adding the joint compound to the craft ornaments one at a time. At first I used a small putty knife, but I quickly switched too just using my hands. It was just much easier to get the plaster / joint compound onto the ornaments and faster too. The only downside to using your hands is it’s incredibly messy. So that’s some thing to think about before you get started.
Gloves would be a great option if you knew you wanted to use your hands from the start. In which case, you could skip the putty knife from the supplies list.
Technique #2: Wait for it to dry and add paint if desired.
Wait for the plaster to dry (I waited overnight). If you like how they look with just the white plaster / joint compound, you are ready to hang them as soon as they’re dry. But if you feel like they need a little something extra, grab the paint!
I did a few different brushstroke patterns to change it up, but I stuck with a limited color palette so that everything would still feel cohesive. The painting process would be a fun activity to get kids involved with too.
You can seal these at the end if you want an extra layer of proaction. I didn’t seal mine because I like the completely matte look and didn’t think they needed it.
The finished plaster ornaments are playful, colorful, and ready for the tree. You could also use them as a holiday garland instead. Or even as cute gift toppers.
More Ideas for Plaster Ornaments
Another cool use for something like this would be to create your own ornament shapes with cardboard, instead of using pre-made craft ornaments. This will give you a really unique look, especially once it’s covered in the plaster or joint compound compound and you can essentially make whatever you want.
More DIY Ornament Ideas
DIY holiday ornaments are so fun to make this time of year. If this one wasn’t a match for your tree, I’ve made many more to check out. Here are a handful of my most popular DIY ornament ideas…
How to Make Plaster Ornaments
Plaster ornaments two ways! So…I made these plaster ornaments back in 2021, and took pictures and everything, but never posted a tutorial because it was so close to Christmas when I made them. It just felt too late.
But then when I got them out again a year later, to hang them on the tree, I felt like they needed something else. So I spent the day painting them with a few colors I already had in the closet. Not sure which version I like better. But either way, here’s how I made plaster ornaments (two ways)…
-
paper mache ornaments
-
plaster or joint compound
-
small putty knife (optional)
-
paint and paint brush (optional)
Add compound to ornaments.
-
I started by adding the joint compound to the craft ornaments one at a time. At first I used a small putty knife, but I quickly switched too just using my hands. It was just much easier to get the plaster / joint compound onto the ornaments and faster too. The only downside to using your hands is it’s incredibly messy. So that’s some thing to think about before you get started.
-
Gloves would be a great option if you knew you wanted to use your hands from the start. In which case, you could skip the putty knife from the supplies list.
Wait for it to dry and add paint if desired.
-
Wait for the plaster to dry (I waited overnight). If you like how they look with just the white plaster / joint compound, you are ready to hang them as soon as they’re dry. But if you feel like they need a little something extra, grab the paint!
-
I did a few different brushstroke patterns to change it up, but I stuck with a limited color palette so that everything would still feel cohesive. The painting process would be a fun activity to get kids involved with too.
-
You can seal these at the end if you want an extra layer of proaction. I didn’t seal mine because I like the completely matte look and didn’t think they needed it.
