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enlightening ornaments

Why throw away old light bulbs when you can recycle them into precious holiday ornaments you’ll use year after year!

Beaming Angel  
This little angel ornament adds cheer to every tree she visits! Make enough to use year-round as a gift wrapping decoration and add your special touch to every gift you give.

Supply list:

• One round, burned out light bulb
• Acrylic paint (white, pink, and flesh color)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Small pieces of lace and white netting
• Small bunches of tiny white silk flowers
• Cotton fiberfill
• Thin gold ribbon
• Craft wire (gold)
• Wire cutters
• Glue gun and sticks
• Permanent marker

Creating your angel:
1. Clean the bulb with rubbing alcohol and allow to dry. Paint the bulb, but not the socket, with two coats of white acrylic paint, being sure to allow the paint to dry between coats. Add a third coat if streaks appear. Allow to dry completely.

2. Form a halo, approximately the diameter of the socket, using the gold craft wire. Be sure to leave enough wire to affix the halo to the socket.

3. Cut two lengths of craft wire into 6” long pieces and form each into the shape of a wing, wrapping the ends together to secure the shape. Cover the wire with the white netting and use the hot glue gun to secure the netting.

4. Create a shawl for the angel by cutting the lace to size around the “shoulders” of the angel bulb.

5. Assemble the angel:

• Attach the halo to the socket by tightly winding the wire around it and twisting it securely.
• Use a small amount of fiberfill around the circumference of the socket where it meets the bulb and secure it with hot glue, creating your angel’s hair.
• Cover the edge of the socket above the fiber-fill with the thin gold ribbon, securing it with hot glue. Apply the small silk flower bunches to the socket with hot glue, covering the entire surface of the socket.
• Create the angel’s face using the acrylic paint and the permanent marker to draw the mouth and eyes. Add dabs of pink to make her rosy cheeks.
• Bunch more of the small silk flowers and tie them with a gold ribbon bow to make a bouquet. Glue the bouquet to the front of the ornament, about where her arms might be.
• Drape the lace shawl over her “shoulders” and secure it with hot glue.
• Glue the wings to your angel’s back, adding a loop of gold ribbon over the wings as a hanger.

Reindeer Rascals
Rudolph won’t be the only colorful reindeer this season! By using different colored large outdoor bulbs to make these ornaments, you’ll make sure he shares the limelight with plenty of lively friends.

Supply list:

• One large outdoor Christmas bulb
• One ¾” red pompom
• Two small wiggly eyes (available in craft stores)
• One brown pipe cleaner
• Gold ribbon or cording
• Glue gun and sticks
• Permanent marker

Creating your reindeer
This ornament is the head only of the reindeer, not the entire body.

1. Glue the eyes onto the widest section of the bulb and place the pompom underneath as the nose.

2. Draw on a mouth using the fine tip of the permanent marker.

3. Twist the center of the pipe cleaner around the socket to make your deer’s antlers. Form the ends into even horns.

4. Use the gold ribbon or cording to create the hanger, securing it around the center of the socket below the antlers.

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