Paint a ceramic pet ornament to look just like your family’s cat or dog for an adorable Christmas keepsake.
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When I saw these cat and dog ornaments at Michael’s, I knew I had to paint them to look like our family pets. There are only 2 shapes – a cat and dog – but with a little creative paint, I turned them into our fuzzy family members.
All you need are the ornaments and some craft paint!
How to make pet ornaments
Supplies
- ceramic pet ornaments – cat and dog
- craft paint in assorted colors
- 1-inch sponge brushes
- small paintbrushes
- paint pens (optional, handy for tiny details)
- newspaper to protect your workspace
Instructions
1. Plan your design.
There’s no wrong way to paint your pet ornament! Don’t worry too much about them looking exactly identical.
Start by choosing your paint colors. It’s handy to use a photo for reference. You’ll see mine at the end of this post alongside the finished ornaments. You may want to test paint colors; just dab a little dot on the newspaper and set the paint beside it while it dries.
Protect your workspace from paint splatters and remove the ornament ribbons.
2. Start painting lightest colors.
As a rule of thumb, it’s easier to add darker colors over lighter ones. Start by painting the lightest colors. For mine, that was the eyes, collars, and larger accent areas. A 1-inch sponge brush is good for evenly painting a large area. Let that dry to the touch, about 15 minutes. Add a second coat if needed.
3. Paint dark colors.
After the light colors have dried, paint on the darker ones. Smaller paintbrushes are helpful for smooth lines along the edge where colors meet. Let the paint dry again, about 15 minutes. Add a second coat if needed.
4. Paint small details.
Finally, paint the small accent areas. This might include pupils on the eyes, shading around ears, or whiskers. Use the main body color for each pet ornament to paint along the edge. Let the ornaments dry another 15 minutes. You may want to let them sit overnight.
5. Tie ribbons.
When the ornaments are completely dry, re-tie the ribbons.
6. Display the ornaments.
Hang your finished pet ornament on the Christmas tree, an ornament stand, or wherever you want to display it.
I think these turned our really cute! Although I would’ve like to have slightly different shapes for the dogs, I think they look a lot like them. Here are their photos for comparison.
What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
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