Handmade Mercury Glass Ornaments and Sunday Morning Coffee

It’s Day ten of Getting Ready for Christmas, and today, I am sharing how to make these gorgeous handmade mercury glass ornaments.

Christmas crafting brings me so much joy, and my advice is to start early! These handmade mercury glass ornaments are so much fun to make! Thanks for joining me today for Sunday Morning Coffee.

Season 4 Volume 43

Order my book, A HOME to SHARE, here!

About Me

Since I love mercury glass, I discovered a way to make my mercury glass ornaments.

Want to learn how?

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A mesh bag containing small red and green Christmas ornaments. — Green & Red Embossed Mercury Glass Ornaments, 36 Pcs

A cluster of holly branches with green leaves and red berries. — Holly Leaves and Berries Stem

A plain, cylindrical ceramic jar with a glossy white finish. — Utensil Crock/Vase

Red berry stems covered in artificial snow arranged in a cluster. — Frosted Red Holly Berry Picks, 16 Pcs

A collection of small, decorative silver ornaments in various shapes, perfect for setting a festive Christmas table, beautifully displayed on a woven mat.

Silver Mercury Glass Ornaments- 25 Pieces

Set a Christmas table with elegance using this white ceramic pedestal bowl, featuring a charming rippled texture.

Porcelain Footed Pedestal Bowl

Before I tell you more about the ornaments I made, I thought I should answer an important question.

What are Mercury Glass Ornaments?

Mercury glass (or silvered glass) is glass that was blown double-walled, then silvered between the layers with a liquid silvering solution, and sealed. … Sealing methods include metal discs covered with a glass round or a cork inserted into the unpolished pontil scar.

I love mercury glass and have always wondered when it first became popular. This type of glass became popular in the mid-19th century. Edward Varnish and Frederick Hale Thomson patented the technique in 1849.

So why do I make my own?

The answer is listed below.

Is mercury glass expensive?

Authentic mercury glass is kind of expensive. A vase in perfect condition might cost between $80 and $100; painted pieces can sell for $200 or more; colored, engraved, cut, and labeled pieces can fetch more than $1,000. Exposure to air causes oxidation of the silvered inner surface and makes it flake off.

Mercury glass ornaments can be expensive, so I made my own that look just like the handblown ones.

I made 18 of these ornaments in less than two hours. Of course, this was way faster than when I made these Rose Gold Ornaments. It was faster because I had figured out how to make these. It’s so much easier the second time around!

I do love these ornaments. I strung them on some wire because that’s what Christmas lights look like when you buy them.

Can you believe how the light captured the colors in these ornaments? Isn’t this photo amazing?

Mercury Glass Christmas Ornaments Handmade

I used traditional Christmas colors to make these.

Which ones do I like the best?

The silver/cream ones.

If you are wondering, here is the list of what you need to make these mercury glass ornaments.

Krylon Looking Glass spray paint

Metallic acrylic paint

Light bulb shaped glass ornament (for other clear glass shapes click here )

Spray bottle with water

Hair Dryer

What You Need to Make Mercury Glass Ornaments

Can of Krylon Looking Glass silver spray paint, 6 oz, with reflective and mirror-like finish. — Krylon Looking Glass Silver Paint

Set of 36 Arteza acrylic paints in black and red plastic trays, with a packaging box displaying the color range. — Arteza Metallic Acrylic Paint, 36 Colors

Set of clear plastic light bulb-shaped ornaments with metal caps and red ribbon, alongside extra caps and ribbon roll. — Clear Plastic Christmas Ornaments

Eight clear glass Christmas ornaments with silver caps arranged in a grid pattern on a white background. — 12Pcs Clear Glass Ball Ornaments

Clear plastic spray bottle with a trigger nozzle and cylindrical shape, standing upright against a plain background. — Plastic Spray Bottle, 16 oz

A pink Conair hair dryer with a removable concentrator nozzle and diffuser attachment. — Hair Dryer

Step-By-Step Video to Make These Ornaments

Here is a short video tutorial that shows exactly how to make these mercury glass ornaments.

Various festive sprigs with red berries, pine cones, and greenery are arranged in rows against a white background.

Christmas Red Berry Picks, 16 Pcs

A box of 20 glass Christmas tree ornaments featuring various designs and colors, arranged in a grid-like pattern.

Shiny Brite Festive Fete Ornaments, 20

A drawstring bag sits next to a pile of small, green, acorn-shaped ornaments with loops for hanging, perfectly capturing the essence of Christmas colors.

Creative Co-Op Embossed Mercury Glass Ornaments

A collection of eight gold and silver Christmas ornaments with metallic finishes and hooks on top, perfect for adding a festive touch to your table setting this holiday season.

9 Assorted Gold Glass Ball Ornaments

A garland of various textured and metallic silver and bronze ornaments arranged in rows on a white background.

Creative Co-Op Distressed White & Grey Embossed Mercury Glass Ornament

A set of Christmas ornaments bursting with vibrant Christmas colors, complete with a tree topper, all elegantly arranged in a festive box.

Kurt Adler Christmas Tree Ornaments

If you missed any of my Twelve Days of Getting Ready for Christmas, you can find them here:

Day 1 – How to Choose Christmas Colors for Your Holiday Decor
Day 2 – Stocking Stuffers for Christmas Morning
Day 3 – Gift Wrapping Ideas and Sunday Morning Coffee
Day 4 – Decorating with Christmas Ribbon in the Dining Room
Day 5 – Easy Christmas Button Crafts
Day 6 – Creative Ideas for Christmas Gift Tags
Day 7 – DIY Table Top Christmas Trees
Day 8 – Seven Creative Ideas to Set a Christmas Table
Day 9 – Holiday Make Ahead Party Desserts

My Latest Project

Filming is always fun at our home. Over the years, we have filmed major motion pictures, TV shows, commercials, and more. You can learn more about filming at our home in my blog post, How to Rent Your Home for Movies.

This past week, we filmed a three-day commercial for ELF Cosmetics.

And I missed the whole thing.

Wait, what?

I watched my grandson in Northern California while Andrew and his wife Charlotte were on the East Coast for a wedding.

My husband is in charge, and I hope all went well. I suppose I will find out when I get home on Monday morning.

A young child in red pajamas is laughing while sitting on a couch in a cozy living room.

Meanwhile, Graham and I had a blast!

Red pajamas with holiday-themed prints, including trees, stars, gifts, candy, and ornaments.

Graham’s jammies are new from Target and on sale for $7.00! You can find them here.

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My Biggest Challenge This Week

Map showing the Mountain Fire in California, covering 20,629.8 acres, marked in red and orange near Ventura and Santa Paula.

This is the time of year in Southern California when the Santa Winds are hot; sadly, they always seem to cause fires. The Mountain Fire in Ventura County is terrifying; many homes and structures have already been lost.

Many of you have asked if the fire is near our home, and I am confident we are not in danger. On the map, our house is just south of the word “Ventura.”

It is so scary to see how big this fire is and how many people have been affected. The smallest part of the fire, farthest south and next to the 101 freeway, is across from the Pottery Barn outlet.

My heart goes out to everyone affected by this.

Head home tomorrow to ensure our home returns to normal after the filming!
Finish two DIY crafts for my new themed Christmas tree, which will be shared here on Thursday.
Head to Ventura as soon as the roads are cleared.
Finish more holiday crafts and buy my Thanksgiving turkeys!

A woman stands by a dining table set with autumn-themed decor, featuring candles, leafy centerpieces, and place settings. Large windows provide natural light in the background.

A Quick And Casual “Thanksgiving To Christmas Tablescape” (With Only A Couple of Swaps)

A group of people clinking glasses over a dinner table with a roast turkey and various dishes.

This “So Cute” LEGO Floral Centerpiece Deserves a Spot at Your Thanksgiving Table (It’s on Sale and Selling Fast!)

Festive chocolate bark with red and green candies, pretzels, and peanuts, displayed on a holiday-themed table with greenery and lights.

This Chocolate Peanut Pretzel Toffee Bark looks amazing.

A bowl of chocolate cake with a spoon on the side, partially topped with whipped cream.

The 2-Minute Easy Dessert You Can Make for Your Self Every Single Week (and Refuse to Share With Anyone)

A collection of five festive charcuterie boards, featuring designs like a candy cane, Christmas tree, wreath, and gingerbread house, decorated with various sweets and snacks.

Here are 15 Christmas Charcuterie Board Ideas.

A red and white striped ceramic bowl, perfect for holiday desserts, features a wide opening and a small base.

Red and White Stripe Mixing Bowl

Five metal cookie cutters designed for crafting holiday desserts, featuring shapes like a gingerbread person, snowflake, tree, snowman, and candy cane.

Christmas Cookie Cutter Set

A red standing mixer with a stainless steel mixing bowl and control dial on the side is perfect for crafting holiday desserts.

KitchenAid Stainless Steel Mixer Bowl, 5 Quart

And what a week it was!

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Glass ornament shaped like a Christmas tree with a spiral design and silver glitter accents, perfect to set a festive Christmas table.

Mercury Glass Christmas Tree 12.5″

A collection of green Christmas ornaments piled together.

60ct Celadon Green Shatterproof 2-Finish Christmas Ball

Five rolls of sheer ribbon in maroon, red, green, teal, and gold are elegantly arranged in a row, perfect for adding a touch of flair to gift wrapping.

5 Rolls Holiday Color Organza Ribbon

A roll of gift wrapping paper showcasing nutcracker designs on the outer layer and candy cane patterns on the inner layer.

Nutcracker and Candy Cane Printed on Pearlized Paper

Two spools of twisted string, one red and white, the other green and white, are placed side by side with loose ends extending outward, perfect for button crafts.

Red/White and Green/White Bakers Twine

Three decorative wreaths with green foliage and red ornaments. One features a red bow and apples, another adorned with golden bells, while the last one includes pinecones, silver accents, and a festive Christmas ribbon.

3Pcs Mini Christmas Wreaths

A baked dish with a golden crust, garnished with roasted garlic cloves and chives, sits on a white tablecloth. A spoon rests beside the dish.

Martha shared 22 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes That’ll Save You Time on the Big Day.

This weekend is going to feel a lot like Christmas! I have blog posts about tree skirts, Christmas traditions, a DIY wreath, gift-wrapping tips, a new coastal tree, and Christmas tree cupcakes.