Who doesn’t love a good bout of recycling? It’s good for the environment, it allows you to use and express your creativity, and it can result in some cheap yet fabulous ornaments and decorations. Don’t throw away your burnt-out light bulbs; turn them into Christmas decorations to bring the Christmas spirit to your home. Although they will no longer give off light, they’ll light up your home in an entirely new way.
Jump to:
- 1. Mean Grinch
- 2. Jolly Santa
- 3. Snowman
- 4. Reindeer Tree Decoration
- 5. Christmas Tree Bulb
- 6. Glittery Ornaments
- 7. Charming Chain
- 8. Felt Lightbulb Pattern
- 9. Snow Globe
- 10. Colorful Wreath
- Fantastic DIY Light-Bulb Christmas Ornaments
- Ready for more? Check out our other Christmassy collections and tutorials.
1. Mean Grinch
With a bit of craft paint and some fabric scraps, you can make the cutest light bulb ornaments to hang from the tree or even just sit atop your mantelpiece. We love the look of the evil Grinch before he came around, because not everything has to be super cutesy all the time.
2. Jolly Santa
No Christmas is complete without Santa (who else would bring the gifts?!), so make sure that you add him to the tree where all the presents go under. You can even add some wool for his beard and make a little hat for him from red fabric. Have fun with it!
3. Snowman
Regular light bulbs just seem to have the perfect shape for snowmen. There are a number of different ways to make a bulb snowman, as long as you have some paint and a tiny bit of fabric lying around (and glitter if you want some sparkle). Perfect for the tree or just as a cute little decoration around the house.
4. Reindeer Tree Decoration
We love this little reindeer tutorial because you really don’t have to be an artist to make it. What we’d really love to do is make a whole set for each of Santa’s reindeer, with Rudolph and his bright red nose at the forefront.
5. Christmas Tree Bulb
Instead of using the entire bulb as a face, you could use it as a blank canvas to draw practically anything. This Christmas tree with the falling snow is just too beautiful for words – and it looks like something you’d pay a pretty penny for in a store. It looks more complicated than it actually is to make, and as long as you finish it off with a clear sealer and store it carefully, you can keep hanging your craft for years to come.
6. Glittery Ornaments
You don’t necessarily have to paint snowmen, Santas, and reindeer; you can make simpler ornaments that look like the traditional balls to hang from your tree. A pretty ribbon bow hides the neck, while the bulb part is transformed from waste into a cost-effective decoration. Also, don’t be afraid to use different-shaped bulbs – they turn out just as beautiful!
7. Charming Chain
With just some glitter and a gold chain, you can create a really elegant decoration. We’d recommend making a set with different colored glitter to match the Christmas feel – red, green, silver, and gold.
8. Felt Lightbulb Pattern
Get festive with this fun and simple DIY Christmas ornament made from felt! Using a lightbulb pattern, you can stitch up cheerful decorations perfect for your tree or as handmade gifts. Mix and match felt colors, add embellishments, and bring a touch of handmade charm to your holiday season.
9. Snow Globe
As long as you have patience and a steady hand, you can turn your light bulb into a delicate snow globe this Christmas! It may take a bit of time since you also have to hollow out the bulb, but anything handmade is worth it.
10. Colorful Wreath
A wire hanger can be so handy: it gives you a cheap frame, and it already has a hook from which to hang the finished wreath. If you can’t find enough of these vintage light bulbs, simply paint your clear ones in whatever colors you want.
Fantastic DIY Light-Bulb Christmas Ornaments
Making homemade Christmas ornaments is fun and can help you decorate the tree for less. If you love to be creative and you wonder what in the world you are going to do with all of those old, burned-out light bulbs, there is a great tutorial on making Christmas ornaments.
You just have to paint whatever you want on the bulbs and then hang them on the tree. Paint a penguin, Santa, or anything at all. If you use watercolors, you can wash the bulbs off when Christmas is over and redo them next year, or if you want to keep your design forever, use acrylic paints. This is a great project for kids, and it lets you be as creative as you want, while recycling those old bulbs. Just remember to keep them when they burn out and really decorate your tree the DIY way this holiday season.
Enjoy the step-by-step tutorial video, or head out to Lady with the red locker to check out her awesome tutorial.
Ready for more? Check out our other Christmassy collections and tutorials.
- 20 Hopelessly Adorable DIY Christmas Ornaments Made from Paper
- Cute and Easy Christmas Craft: DIY Plastic Spoon Snowmen
- 60 Beautifully Festive Ways to Decorate Your Porch for Christmas
- 50+ Creative Christmas Printables Collection
- 33 Festive Christmas Wreaths You Can Easily DIY
- 40 Amazing Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas You can Make Yourself
- 100 Mind-Blowing DIY Christmas Gifts People Actually Want
- 15 Easy And Festive DIY Christmas Ornaments
- 10 Fun and Easy Way to Dress Up Christmas Ornaments
- Adorable Christmas Decoration: DIY Cotton Thread Snowman
- 12 Super Cute DIY Christmas Hairstyles for All Lengths
- 25 Yummy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipes
- 10 Genius DIY Ways to Transform Pinecones into Holiday Decorations
Brenaa
Very clever use of light bulbs,but I haven't seen anything of the swirl type led light bulbs. Thank you for sharing.
lorna
These are great and awesome idea's to do for next year. Happy holidays to you all. And have the best merry Christmas ever.
Pragna
I really liked it & going to make few.
Thanks for beautiful decorations idea