Rusty Vintage DIY Christmas Ornaments

I’m in love with these Rusty Vintage DIY Christmas ornaments! They were so fun to make and easy too! Get all the steps and save this post so you can make them for the holidays!

Each year I decorate the Living Room Christmas tree in a new way. After year 1 I realized that doing a completely new tree each year was well, a bit crazy. It was costly to buy brand new things each year and I felt like it might be easier to add new elements in one at a time, or go more minimal in terms of decorating the tree.

I loved how last year’s turned out so much with oranges, bows and minimal ornaments that I kept it up until the middle of January. This year, I decided to change it up a little it and make some DIY ornaments for the tree. That’s how I ended up creating these beautiful, faux Rusty Vintage Looking DIY Christmas ornaments.

Getting the faux rusty, vintage look right

I went back and forth on the idea of how I wanted these to look. At first I planned on making them faux concrete or faux terracotta ornaments – similar to the faux terracotta pumpkins that I made in the fall But it didn’t feel like enough. but in the end I decided I really loved three things.

1. I was loving the idea and look of texture. It gave the ornaments a lot of depth and interest.
2. I wanted to focus on Earthy colors. Deep, rich beautiful colors that could be found all around us really inspire me and they feel warm, cozy and charming. I stuck with a palette of colors that was really inspired by the outdoors
3. I needed a bit of sparkle. It’s Christmas, after all. I didn’t want these Rusty Vintage DIY Christmas Ornaments to be blingy, but I really needed a little bit of shine. Since rust can sometimes have that effect, I ran with that idea.

Gathering supplies

To make theseRusty Vintage DIY Christmas Ornaments, I started with the idea that I wanted to upcycle some old ornaments. Then I bought a few additional clear ones from the craft store. I found these ones {HERE} to be the best economical choice. On each ornament I used two colors – a light and a dark color – in the same color family. Then I added two metallic colors as I desired based upon what looked best with the main color.

Additionally, I used baking soda to give everything that really nice texture on the original paint color. Then I used cocoa powder to roll each ornament in (with the exception of the white one) to give the rustiness some depth. The key to getting these to really look right is the layering of all of this. So, here’s a short list of what you will need:

• Ornaments – Either old ones you want to upcycle or the clear ones
• A light and dark paint in the same color family. The ones I used are below.
• A metallic paint or two – I used this Champagne Gold {HERE} and this Worn Penny {HERE}.
• Baking Soda – Arm & Hammer
• Cocoa Powder. I used Tollhouse
• Sponge brushes or paint brushes. I tend to use these ones {HERE}. And they’re part of the Climate Friendly pledge too!
• Sponges. These are for sponge painting on the lighter color and the metallic colors. I like these one best {HERE} due to the organic way the paint was transferred.
• A can of gold spray paint for the hanger tops. I used this one {HERE} because I had it left over from another project.

Steps for making the Rusty Vintage DIY Christmas Ornaments

Making these Rusty Vintage DIY Christmas Ornaments is pretty easy. Once you get the hang of it, you can make a bunch of them in one day. I did this over several days because I was experimenting with the colors, textures and layering.

1. First, remove the hanger pieces from the ornaments and set aside. Spray paint these before adding them back to the ornaments.
2. Then, add one layer or paint in the dark color as the base color.
3. When you get to the second layer, mix it with a little baking soda and apply it liberally to the ornament.
4. Next, sponge paint on the lighter color and give it about 30 seconds to dry before rolling it in the cocoa powder.The only ornaments I didn’t roll in the cocoa powder were the white ones. I loved them just the way they were and added the metallic champagne gold paint on them more heavily.
5. Brush off the excess powder and then dap on the metallics. I used the gold first in some cases and in others I used it second. In some cases, I used just one color.

The colors I used

If you want to get a look that’s really similar to mine for the Rusty Vintage DIY Christmas Ornaments, you can use the same colors I used. Here they all are:

More Christmas!

Looking for more handmade Christmas decor or gift ideas? Here’s a few ideas I know you’ll love!

Paper Bag Stars {HERE}

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix – Perfect for gifting! {HERE}

DIY Dried Orange Slices {HERE}

Christmas Living Room Decor Ideas {HERE}

Homemade Orange & Vanilla Body Scrub {HERE}

DIY Homemade Milk Bath Gift {HERE}

Thank you so much for stopping by today friends! I hope that you love this Rusty DIY Vintage Christmas Ornament craft and that you come back again. You can find the full printable instruction below! For more decor ideas, click {HERE}

Rusty Vintage DIY Christmas Ornaments

These faux Rusty Vintage DIY Christmas ornaments are beautiful and elegant! They will add a touch of vintage to your tree and a bit of sparkle too!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Keyword: DIY Christmas ornaments, DIY ornaments, rusty ornaments, vintage ornaments

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Author: Rachel

Ingredients

• Clear ornaments or old ornaments
• Acrylic paints - One dark color and one light in the same color family
• Metallic Paints - In Champagne Gold and Worn Penny
• Baking Soda
• Cocoa Powder
• Sponge Brushes
• Natural Sponges
• Vintage gold spray paint

Instructions

• First, remove the hanger pieces from the ornaments and set aside.
• Then, add one layer or paint in the dark color as the base color. Let dry about 5 minutes. When you get to the second layer, mix it with a little baking soda and apply it liberally to the ornament. Then let dry 5 minutes.  
• Next, sponge paint on the lighter color and give it about 30 seconds to dry before rolling it in the cocoa powder. (The only ornaments I didn't roll in the cocoa powder were the white ones. I loved them just the way they were and added the metallic champagne gold paint on them more heavily.) 
• Brush off the excess powder and then dab on the metallics with the sponges. (I used the gold first in some cases and in others I used it second. In some cases, I used just one color.)
• Let dry and spray paint the hangers while drying.
• Add the hangers back on and then hang on the tree with hooks, ribbon or twine!