How to upcycle your Christmas baubles – 5 ways to give your dated festive decorations a new look

Our taste evolves and likes and dislikes change, sometimes as often as yearly. The problem is, Christmas happens only once a year but Christmas decorations can last for generations – so what do you do if you’re stuck with baubles you no longer like the look of? You give them a DIY update with our tips on how to upcycle Christmas baubles.

While some might straight away throw out their old Christmas baubles and buy new ones that are to their liking instead, we at Ideal Home love a DIY Christmas decor idea. And we encourage you to embrace this upcycling idea perfect for beginners because it’s not only more sustainable, it’s also easier on the wallet.

‘Changing the look of baubles that you don’t really like anymore is a great sustainable alternative to throwing them away and buying new ones,’ says Rachel Fearnley of Rachel Fearnley Designs. ‘This means that the baubles are re-imagined into something new, they are saved from heading to landfill, and you are recycling them to give them a new narrative.’

And these are our five favourite ways to give Christmas baubles an update, whether it’s because they’re looking a bit tired and faded or because their Christmas colour scheme is not quite in line with our festive decorating vision anymore.

1. Create a marbled effect with nail polish

One of the best budget Christmas decorating ideas that looks expensive at the same time is using nail polish to create a marbled-effect bauble design. Kate Ward, DIY content creator of @kateandherhome on Instagram, is a big fan of this particular technique.

‘I wanted to change the colour scheme of my Christmas decorations, but I didn't want to spend lots of money buying new, so I looked for ways to give my existing baubles a new look. I was inspired to use this technique on my Christmas baubles after seeing it being used on mugs on Pinterest.’

She continues with a step-by-step guide to successfully achieving the look, ‘To recreate the look, you will need a bowl of room temperature water, nail polish in your desired colours, a cocktail stick and some baubles. Slowly pour nail polish onto the surface of the water so it doesn't sink, and then use a cocktail stick to swirl the polish.

Dip your baubles into the water and then leave to dry. It's a really easy way to give your decorations a new look and I like it that much, that I've been doing this for the last few years! I've used it on ceramic and plastic baubles, and the finish lasts very well.’

2. Paint them

Your unloved Christmas baubles also present the perfect opportunity to get a little creative with painting or drawing. Just see it as your canvas. Any paint will work if you want to create the entire surface. And once dry, you can grab a paint pen or a marker and draw anything from polka dots to anything more detailed, depending on your skill level.

‘Using a paint pen, very carefully paint the baubles with small dots to create a jewel effect. These could be painted using one main colour or a colourful combination. Again using the paint pen, carefully write the names of your family and friends on the baubles to create a personalised ornament. Alternatively write “Christmas 2024” on the baubles,’ Rachel Fearnley suggests.

3. Put a balloon on top

If a solid-coloured look is what you’re after, then you can choose the shade of your baubles by simply popping them in some party balloons in your preferred colours, whether that’s metallic ones to embrace the Christmas disco trend or pastel coloured ones like these balloons from Amazon. Just take inspiration from crafts, DIY and upcycling content creator Clare Hooper of @clarehooper on Instagram.

‘I spotted this idea on Pinterest and knew it would be perfect! Using balloons to cover old Christmas baubles is a really fun DIY project. It took a bit of practice to get the hang of it – figuring out how much balloon to trim and how to stretch it without ripping it. But once I got the knack, it was fairly easy. Giving old decorations a new lease of life while saving some money! It's a win-win.

'All you have to do is just trim about a centimetre off the top of the balloon with scissors. Then, hold the bauble in your hand, remove the top, and stretch the balloon over it using your fingers. Give it a little wiggle to make sure the whole bauble is covered. Pop the top back on and hang it up,’ Clare explains.

4. Wrap some twine around them

If you like nature-inspired rustic Christmas decorating ideas then wrapping some jute twine like this one from Amazon all over the surface of your Christmas baubles in a spiral motion is the perfect way to bring some Scandi style to your Christmas.

We’ve recreated this look, along with a step-by-step tutorial on the Ideal Home Instagram account – and all you need is a hot glue gun like this one from Argos and some optional pretty ribbon to hang your baubles with.

5. Cover them with fabric

Personalised festive ornaments are one of the biggest Christmas decor trends of this year. So if you’re feeling crafty this Christmas and in need of an easy DIY project, you can update your Christmas baubles with scraps of fabric covered in any print your heart desires.

Just cover your bauble with glue using a hot glue gun and get patchworking with your chosen pieces of fabric.

Not only that you’ll save yourself some money on Christmas decorations and save some waste from going into landfills, these DIY tips also make for fun activities to get creative with, whether that’s on your own, with family or friends. Enjoy!