How to Make a DIY Hot Air Balloon Ornament for Christmas

Take your holiday decoration game to the next level with this unique, classy and carefully crafted DIY hot air balloon ornament for Christmas.

DIY hot air balloon ornament for Christmas

Hang on your tree

That’s it! We’ve made a glitzy, glam hot air balloon ornament that will bring some sparkle to any Christmas tree.

Photo by: Karen Kavett

Karen Kavett

Who knew that you could turn an old Christmas ornament upside down and transform it into a glam hot air balloon ornament? This fun holiday project will be the centerpiece of your Christmas tree, and is the perfect DIY for jewelry makers, as it uses many of the same techniques and supplies.

DIY Hot Air Balloon Ornament
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Materials + Tools

Choose the Right Ornament

Choose your ornament. We’re using a 3-inch ornament with a quilted texture that resembles a hot air balloon.

SAFETY TIP: We will be drilling into the ornament, so be sure your ornament is made of plastic rather than glass.

quilted Christmas ornament

Choose ornament

Choose your ornament. We’re using a 3” ornament with a quilted texture that resembles a hot air balloon. SAFETY TIP: We will be drilling into the ornament, so be sure your ornament is made of plastic rather than glass.

Photo by: Karen Kavett

Karen Kavett

Add a Wire Hanger

Remove the wire hanger and cap from a spare ornament (Image 1). Remove the cap from the hot air balloon ornament (Image 2). Use a 1/16-inch drill bit to drill two holes in the bottom of the ornament (Images 3 + 4). Insert the wire hanger so that you can hang the ornament upside down (Images 5 + 6).

Make the Basket for Your Hot Air Balloon Ornament

We’re going to use the original gold ornament cap as the hot air balloon basket. Fold back four evenly spaced tabs (Image 1). Carefully drill a hole into the top of each one, putting down two pieces of corrugated cardboard underneath to protect your table (Images 2 + 3). Fold the tabs back up (Image 4).

Add the Chains to Complete the Basket

Cut four pieces of small gold chain measuring around 1 inch. Count the links in the chain to ensure each piece of chain is exactly the same length as the rest. Use gold jump rings to attach the chains to the holes you drilled in the basket (Image 1). Set it aside for later (Image 2).

Add Jump Rings to the Ornament

Mark two dots on the side of your ornament that are the same width apart as the width of your jump ring (Image 1). Drill holes in those two spots (Image 2). Open up the jump ring and insert it into one hole so that the end comes out of the other hole. Close it with jewelry pliers so you have a jump ring hanging off the side of the ornament (Image 3). Repeat this to have four jump rings evenly spaced around the ornament (Image 4). Add four smaller jump rings the same way to the bottom of the ornament (Image 5).

Note: Adding jump rings to the sides of the ornament is the trickiest part of this project, so you may want to practice on a spare ornament or drill slightly larger holes to give yourself more wiggle room.

Attach the Basket to Your Ornament

Use small jump rings to attach the four chains on the basket to the jump rings on the bottom of the ornament (Image 1). At this point, it is easier to work with the ornament if it is hanging up, so we added a loop of string as a hanger (Image 2) and hung it on a necklace stand (Image 3).

Add Chains

Cut four pieces of chain measuring around 1 1/2 inches, and four more pieces measuring around 3 inches each. Count the links to ensure each piece of chain is the exact same length (Image 1). Use jump rings to attach the longer pieces arching between the anchor points on the sides of the ornament, with the shorter pieces hanging down between them (Image 2). Feel free to embellish this as much as you like - for ours, we added a second row of chains all the way around (Image 3).

Add Pearls

Add pearl charm beads (Image 1) to the ends of the chains, around the basket, and at the anchor points on the sides of the ornament (Images 2 + 3). If you don’t have pearl beads, you can decorate it with any charms you like.

Add a Chain to the Top

Add a small loop of chain around the hanger and secure it with a jump ring to finish the top of the ornament.

Gold chain wrapped around the ornament hanger

Add chain to the top

Add a small loop of chain around the hanger and secure it with a jump ring to finish the top of the ornament.

Photo by: Karen Kavett

Karen Kavett

Trim the Tree With Your DIY Hot Air Balloon Ornament

That’s it! We’ve made a glitzy, glam hot air balloon ornament that will bring some sparkle to any Christmas tree.

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