DIY Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ornaments Tutorial

Teenage Mutant Turtles…they’re heroes in the half shell…and they’re green.  TMNT’s are very popular this year and my nephew is obsessed with them.  He is a little boy who has everything and I never know what to send him.  So this year I busted out my craft supplies and made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ornaments.  Aren’t they absolutely adorable?  The best part is that they aren’t incredibly hard to make.  I promise!  I will walk you step by step through this tutorial and you WILL be able to make these.

Materials Required to Make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Ornaments

• Ball ornaments (glass or plastic)
• Acrylic Paint: Green, black, white, red, blue, purple, orange, and red (This is a great set if you are an online shopper)
• Paint brushes (you need a small width one for sure)
• Makeup Sponges/cosmetic sponges
• Measuring Tape (if you do not have one you can do your measurement on a strip of paper with a ruler and then use that paper instead of the measuring tape)
• Pencil
• Black Sharpie (optional)
• Yarn/Painters Tape (optional, but incredibly helpful)

How to Make TMNT Ornaments

Using a makeup sponge paint the entire ornament in green paint. You will be painting the outside of the ornament.  This can be messy.  I am a messy crafter…there is no doubt about it.

Once you have covered the entire ornament with green paint allow it to dry.  I used yarn and painters tape and hung the ornaments up to dry in a doorway.  I thought it was a pretty smart idea!  Once dry you will need to apply a second (and possibly third) layer of green paint.

With your completely dry green ornament use the measuring tape to measure the area that will be the TMNT’s bandana.  You will measure the entire distance around the green ball.  I marked 1 and 1.5 inches.  Using a pencil I used the marks and drew both lines around the ornament.  Repeat this process 4 times.

Finish the bandana using red, purple, orange, or blue paint.  I used a makeup sponge cut down to size for this and it took several layers to get the green color to stop bleeding through.  You can paint a line around the edges later so you don’t have to be too too careful with them.

At this point you will be excited!  This project is taking shape and what you have done so far has been basic.  The hardest part is coming…I am sorry to say it.

Using paint and a piece of paper PRACTICE DRAWING the face that you will use.  This is a prime example of practice makes perfect.  You will find the eyes and mouth that work for you and that you love.  I didn’t really like the eyeball in the middle….or teeth….but I kept them in the photos shared here so you could see the differences.  Fixing those are incredibly easy and both fixes require a teeny bit of black paint.  Easy!

You can use a black Sharpie if you have unsteady hands (like me) to go around the headband.  I felt much more confident using the marker than the paintbrush.

When you have your face decided upon, go ahead and paint it onto your ornament.  You will have one very excited Ninja Turtles fan when you are done!

This is a stopping point for many.  But I want to throw out a word of caution.  You just worked really hard creating an incredibly awesome project.  The paint is fragile.  Please seal it!  You can use Modge Podge in a gloss finish , this Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating Aerosol Spray, this Angelus Brand Acrylic Leather Paint High Gloss Finisher, or similar.

Give the recipient a book or small toy with this present so they have something they can actually play with.  Little kids appreciate something they can touch and don’t have to just look at!

  

Have you made a homemade christmas ornament that you want to share? Leave your link below. I would also LOVE to see your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ornaments if you make them as well!

We love crafting!  Be sure to check out our Craft Posts for more ways to create fun, frugal crafts and projects at your house!