Shimmery “Christmas Balls” with Tinfoil and Sharpies
Turn your old, scratched CDs and DVDs into one-of-a-kind “Christmas balls” with aluminum foil and Sharpies. This quick and easy Christmas craft is a great way for kids to give old CDs and DVDs a second life and to add some shimmer to your Christmas tree. NOTE: If you don’t have an old CD or DVD, just cut your circles out of cardboard!
See all of our CD and DVD projects here.
When it comes to crafting here in my daycare, we love to use common supplies and materials that we already have around the house. Before throwing almost anything in the trash I first ask myself if we can re-purpose it some way at the craft table.
Today’s project is a Christmas craft and a Christmas art activity combo. We’re covering old, scratched CDs with tinfoil to make them look like shiny round Christmas balls, and we’re decorating them with Sharpie markers.
No need for Glue!
Aluminum foil is great for crafting with because it often eliminates the need for glue. Kids can just scrunch the ends together to secure it in place. That adds a bit of a sensory experience to the craft because they love the way tinfoil feels and sounds when they crumple it.
Slick and iridescent art experience
If your kids have never coloured on foil with Sharpie markers, you have to give it a try. Sharpies glide across foil in a way that they don’t on paper, and Sharpie ink takes on a lovely iridescent quality when you use foil as a canvas.
Check out our Sharpie Stained Glass Christmas Trees and our shimmery Foil and Sharpie Christmas tree toppers to see what I mean.
Today’s Sharpie and foil Christmas balls are so simple they really don’t require step-by-step instructions, but Google likes us to do it that way, so here you go!
No CDs? No problem
Note: If you don’t have CDs or DVDs to use for this craft, simply cut some circles out of cardboard and wrap those with foil instead.
Supplies:
Instructions:
Time needed: 30 minutes
Shimmery Christmas Balls with Tinfoil and Sharpies
- Wrap your CD in foil
Tear off a piece of aluminum foil that’s about twice as wide as your CD. If you cut this piece in half, you should be able to wrap 2 CDs with it.
Lay the foil down on a flat surface and place your CD on it.
Bring the excess foil up around the CD and scrunch the edges together to hold it in place. - Outline design
Smooth the front of the CD to eliminate any wrinkles,
With a liner brush and black acrylic craft paint, paint lines to divide your ornament into sections and then paint the details of your design. Let dry. - Fill in with colour
Use your Sharpies to colour your ornament. For extra shimmer and interest, leave some of your sections uncoloured so the shiny foil is exposed.
- Add a hanger
These ornaments are light enough that you don’t need to glue your hanging thread in place. Just tape a small length of metallic thread to the back of your ornament to hang on your tree.
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
