How to Paint

Plaster Christmas Ornaments

Unlike dough ornaments, these preformed plaster figurines do not require time to bake or to air dry. You simply buy them - ready to paint - at craft and hobby stores.

Plaster ornaments are “handmade” because you paint them by hand, selecting the colors you want to use and adding any extra creative touches you so desire.

Simply paint the ornaments with acrylic or enamel paints. Sign and date your finished ornaments on the bottom.

I titled this page "Plaster Christmas Ornaments" because most plaster ornaments have a Christmas theme, at least the ones I have seen.

Some are religious, like the unpainted ornament of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus shown in the photo to the right.

Some are non-religious, such as the jolly Santa Claus and the little silver fox (with his Christmas hat and holly and berry "bow" tie) shown in the two photos at the top of the page.

Some plaster ornaments are flat and have the design on just one side (like the Santa and the Nativity scene ornaments). Others are rounded and fully three-dimensional (like the fox ornament).

Some plaster ornaments have designs that are quite detailed. Others have less detail. If you are a beginner, don't feel you aren't experienced enough to try painting the more detailed plaster ornaments. They usually are just as easy to paint.

For example, all I did for Santa's beard on the ornament in the photo above was to paint the entire beard with white paint mixed with a tiny bit of gray paint. The waves and curls in the beard were already there.

More concentration is needed when painting small areas in different colors right next to each other. When doing so, just use a fine brush and wait for one color to dry before applying the next.

Plaster ornaments come with a hole at the top to make hanging easy. I loop very thin ribbon or thin metallic elastic cord through the hole and tie a knot, then use an ornament hook to hang the ornament on the tree.

You will find a good variety of plaster ornaments available at your crafts store the months right before Christmas.

I like to have a wide assortment on hand so when I have friends over for crafts, they can take their pick to suit their own individual tastes.


For a listing of other types of ornaments to make, such as glass ball ornaments, go to Handmade Ornaments for All Occasion.