Ombre and Gold Paper Mache Ornament

This paper mache ornament uses non-traditional Christmas colors along with gold to add a little fun to the season. I’d love to see a whole tree of these!

This year I got the opportunity to do a fun DIY ornament swap with a group of nine other bloggers – and of course I was on board! Not only are the other bloggers awesome and talented, but Christmas ornaments are one of my favorite things to make of all time.

I love the instant gratification! Usually an ornament takes an hour or two to decorate and then you’re good to go.

This year I decided to make a fun ombre and gold ornament for my swap partner. I love traditional Christmas colors, but I’m quite comfortable going outside of the box as well. I’d love a whole tree of these ombre ornaments . . . I figure this is a good start! Here’s how I did it.

Painted Paper Mache Ornament

Gather These Supplies

Paper mache ornament base (I got mine from Hobby Lobby)
Acrylic paint colors – white (for basecoating), gold, and four shades of teal/aqua
Paintbrush(es)

These paper mache ornaments are probably my favorite ornament shape of all time. There are eight panels on the main part of my ornament which is why I chose four paint colors – so that each color could be used twice.

These are the paint colors I chose. I absolutely LOVE the Martha Stewart paint colors, especially the shades of teal and aqua. They are beautiful!

Add the paint colors to your paint tray . . .

And begin painting each panel, going from dark to light.

When you get to the edges, use a liner brush to help you get clean lines. Keep going until the entire ornament is painted.

For the gold areas, you’re going to want to basecoat with white first or it will take FOREVER to cover the brown of the paper mache. In fact you may never cover it completely. So basecoat both the top and bottom, then let dry.

Then give your ornament several coats of gold, until it’s completely covered. I recommend watching your favorite reality show while doing this. Let dry!