This painted light bulb penguin decoration is an adorable addition to your holiday decor. It’s so cute and fun, plus it is a great way to upcycle old light bulbs that might have just become trash. I love turning trash to treasure, and this is by far, one of my favorite decorations this year.
If you are in love with penguins as much as I am, then you’ll adore these penguin cork ornaments! They are so cute added to the tree and easy to make!
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Painted Light Bulb Penguin Decoration
One of my favorite animals is the penguin. They are just so cute! I love their permanent tuxedo and how adorable they are just waddling along on the snow.
Of course, I am a sucker for anything that is a land and water animal, and penguins are always a favorite. This light bulb craft was a great addition to my holiday decorations this year.
Easy to make, and great use of an old light bulb, I fell in love with this idea!
These look great alongside a peg doll penguin craft on your mantle. They aren’t traditional Christmas themed, but the winter theme with the cute little red hat make it a great fit.
Plus, I can just leave them out on the mantle after Christmas and since they are winter-themed, they fit for a few more weeks until time to switch to Valentine’s day decorations!
These also look great next to my mini paper strip Christmas trees. You could even set them up next to this flower pot snowman!
Tips for Painting a Light Bulb
Painting light bulbs for crafts like this cute penguin decoration is easier than you think. There are a couple of different options for painting them that you can use.
I prefer simple craft paint, while others prefer to use spray paint when coating the entire bulb. Do what you prefer, but don’t give up on them! Try something different if the first method doesn’t work for you.
If using craft paint, you can hold the light bulb from the top and paint all around the bulb, then flip it upside down and place the top into a cup or a piece of styrofoam until it dries. I like using a piece of craft foam for this.
When using spray paint, you will simply spray all sides until coated, and then follow the same methods for allowing it to dry.
Check out this list of other great light bulb ornaments for Christmas. So many fun ideas here for you to make this year! They look great next to these fairy light decoration ideas.
Can I Make This An Ornament?
Of course! I love turning anything I can into an ornament for Christmas. Light bulbs are perfectly made for this. All you have to do is add a hanger to the top!
You can glue a piece of ribbon or twine to the top or backside and hang from the tree. Another option is to string wire or thread through the hole at the top/bottom of the bulb if the bulb has a loop or hole. This will depend upon the type of bulb you have for this project.
Some other ornaments you can make this year are these cute cinnamon stick reindeer, these pom pom gnome ornaments, or these rustic aromatic Christmas decorations.
Supplies Needed
- Black paint
- White paint
- Orange foam paper
- Red pom pom
- Red pipe cleaner
- Googly eyes
- Light bulb
- Scissors
- Hot glue and glue gun
How to Make a Painted Lightbulb Penguin Decoration
To make your painted penguin decoration, you will begin by painting almost all of the penguin black. I left an area on the “stomach” without color as I will be painting that white. Once the penguin is covered in black paint, set it aside to dry.
You can prop your light bulb on its unpainted area, hang it to dry, or even sit it upside down inside a cup as mentioned above.
When the black paint is dry, you will paint the white stomach on the front of the penguin. Set this aside and let it dry.
Once the lightbulb is dry, you will take the red pipe cleaner and wrap it around the head.
Now, you will glue the pom pom onto the top of the bulb as a hat.
Glue on the googly eyes and then cut a small triangle from the orange foam and glue to the bulb to create a nose/beak.
Now, draw feet onto the orange foam paper and cut them out to attach to the bottom of the light bulb.
Glue them to the bottom of the lightbulb penguin to create a stable base.
Now add your penguin to the mantle or tree.
Printable Step by Step Photo Tutorial:
Painted Christmas Light Bulb Penguin Decoration
A simple lightbulb is painted to turn into a cute penguin decoration that is ideal for your tree or mantle this Christmas season! Make this cute craft to add to your holiday decor!
Materials
- Black paint
- White paint
- Orange foam paper
- Red pom pom
- Red pipe cleaner
- Googly eyes
- Light bulb
Tools
- Scissors
- Hot glue and glue gun
Instructions
- Begin by painting the lightbulb black leaving a small area on the stomach without paint for the penguin stomach;
- Let the black paint dry completely, and then begin painting the stomach area white;
- Once the stomach is painted, set the penguin aside to dry;
- Once all of the paint is dry, you will wrap a red pipe cleaner around the top of the bulb;
- Next, attach a red pom pom on top of the bulb;
- Cut out a small triangle of orange foam for the nose/beak of the penguin, and attach it and the eyes with glue;
- Now you will cut the penguin feet and base out of the orange foam paper;
- Glue the feet in place;
- You can now display your penguin on the mantle or in a Christmas tree.
Notes
Use different colored pom poms and pipe cleaners to add personality to your penguin. You can even make them in different bulb sizes to create a mom, dad, and child penguin family.
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Janet says
Really like these ideas for light bulbs. Any ideas for up cycling rest of year would be welcome