Ah Christmas – there’s nothing like putting up the tree and admiring its beauty. There’s also nothing like looking in the ornament box and seeing that all of your ornaments are intact. I have a few Christmas ornaments that I have had for years and I’ll tell you, there are so many fewer now than when I first got them. Kids, cats and so many other things have happened to those poor ornaments over the years, leaving me with broken messes and a few less ornaments for the tree.
So, what are you to do when you (or someone else in your house) breaks a Christmas ornament? You upcycle it of course! I recently found one of my most treasured ornaments broken. I have had this thing for decades and I just can’t stand to think about parting with it now. So, I thought about looking for ways to repurpose it into a new ornament or item that I can continue to enjoy for a few more years. In my search, I found 10 of the most creative and festive ways to upcycle broken Christmas ornaments. I love trash to treasure projects, like these 20 ways to upcycle broken mirrors.
No matter how broken those ornaments are, chances are good that there is a great upcycle project to turn them into something new. From jewelry that you can give away as a wonderful holiday gift to glitter that you make from the shards of a broken glass ornament, I’ll show you some wonderful ways to upcycle those broken ornaments and keep from having to throw them out. And, you’re also going to want to look at these 25 gorgeous ways to upcycle broken teacups.
1. Upcycled Christmas Ornament Mosaics
Turn those broken ornaments into beautiful mosaics that you can use to decorate any number of things. You’ve seen DIY mosaic glass stepping stones and other decorative items…this is the same concept. You just take those broken shards and glue them onto anything you want to make your mosaic. This is a great way to keep special ornaments and display them for Christmas or all year long. And DIY mosaic projects are so easy to do.
2. Upcycled Broken Glass Glitter Ornaments
You can turn those broken Christmas ornaments into glitter and then use that glitter to decorate new ornaments. This is probably not something that you want to do with an heirloom ornament or other keepsake but if you have a regular old ornament or two that have been broken, this is a great way to upcycle them and turn them into beautiful new decorations for your Christmas tree.
Tutorial: grathio
3. Pom Pom Covered Broken Ornament
If the old ornament just has a small crack or is otherwise hangable except for one tiny flaw, you can cover it in white pom poms and turn it into a lovely DIY ornament. The little pom poms look like marshmallows which is perfect for decorating your Christmas tree. This is a wonderful idea for those old glass ornaments that you really don’t want to throw out but you also don’t want their cracks showing.
Tutorial: craftberrybush
4. Upcycled Ornament Jewelry
You can also turn those old broken ornaments into beautiful necklaces and other jewelry. This is such a wonderful gift idea! You just take the broken pieces and assemble them into gorgeous homemade jewelry. These are super easy and really don’t require you to be highly skilled in jewelry making. You can find all of the needed supplies at your local craft store or at Walmart in the craft section.
Tutorial: portfolios
5. Upcycled Broken Ornament Ornament
You can always simply add those broken pieces of your favorite Christmas ornaments to a clear fillable ornament and keep them forever. This is a wonderful idea for keepsake ornaments like those baby’s first Christmas ones, that you just can’t bear to part with. These fillable ornaments are really cheap at the Dollar Store and you can fill them with anything…including those old broken ornaments.
Tutorial: pinterest
6. Repairing Glass Ornaments
You can also repair those broken glass ornaments and use them just as you did before. This takes a bit of work but if it is an heirloom ornament or something that you just cannot imagine not being on your Christmas tree, it is definitely worth the work. Cotton works well for repairing small breaks and cracks – just like it does for repairing cracked or broken fingernails. You can even add a bit of paint to the ornament to cover up the cotton and make it look brand new again.
Tutorial: thriftyfun
7. DIY Exploded Ornament Wall Art
I love the idea of turning broken ornaments into wall art. This is such an easy and fun project and it lets you use up all of those shattered ornaments, which is great if you have a few old keepsakes that you really don’t want to throw into the trash. You’ll need a canvas for each one that you want to create and then you just sort of reassemble the ornament onto your canvas to make beautiful art pieces that you can use to decorate your home for the holidays. These also make wonderful gifts!
Tutorial: tattooedmartha
8. Christmas Ornament Wreath
Even those broken ornaments can be used to create a lovely Christmas wreath. You just turn the broken sections to the back of the wreath and then glue them all into place. Of course, this is not going to work with shattered ornaments but if you have a few that just have cracks, have the tops broken off or have just a small piece missing, this is a wonderful DIY project to undertake. You can still display your favorite ornaments and no one will know that some of them aren’t in the best of shape.
Tutorial: diyncrafts
9. DIY Ribbon Covered Ornament
If your ornaments have small breaks or cracks, you can revive them by simply covering them with ribbon. This is a wonderful way to get new and beautiful ornaments without spending a fortune buying a new set. You just glue on ribbon to cover those imperfections. And, you can do this in any design that you like – although the stacked ribbon is gorgeous and really has a tiny Christmas tree look to it, don’t you think?
Tutorial: bhg
10. DIY Ornament Tree Centerpiece
Turn those broken or cracked ornaments into a beautiful ornament tree that can serve as the centerpiece for your Christmas dinner table. You obviously don’t want to use shattered ornaments for this one, but those that have simple cracks or small breaks are perfect. You can just glue them together right at the imperfection and cover it up. This makes a gorgeous centerpiece and it is the perfect craft for using up those broken Christmas tree ornaments.
Tutorial: arctida