Ornament Decorating Station for 20 Kids

An ornament decorating station for 20 kids needs one clear ornament per child, shared paint pens and glitter glue per table, a smock for every kid, and a drying rack for wet ornaments. Set out 2 to 3 extra ornaments for breakage, keep glitter glue to one bottle per table, and plan about 45 minutes total.

What Supplies Do You Need for 20 Kids?

• Clear plastic ball ornaments, about 2.5 inches wide, 23 (20 plus 3 extras for breakage)
• Caps and wire ornament hooks (included with the ornaments; only a grown-up handles them)
• Ribbon, 20 pieces about 10 inches each
• Acrylic paint pens, 2 sets of 12 colors (shared across tables)
• Glitter glue bottles, 6 to 8
• Smocks or old adult t-shirts, 20
• Disposable tablecloths, 3
• Paper cups, 22 (one per child plus one spare for the caps)
• Egg cartons, 4 (drying rack)
• Paper towels
• Trash bags, 2
• Name stickers, 20
• Marker
• Wet wipes

How Do You Set Up the Station?

1. Cover each table with a tablecloth. Set a paper cup at every seat and rest one ornament on each cup so the balls stay put while kids work.
2. Pull the caps and wire hooks off the ornaments. Drop all the caps into the spare paper cup and keep it with an adult; the hooks are small and pokey, so only a grown-up handles them.
3. Put a name sticker on each ornament. An adult writes each child's name on a sticker with the marker and sticks it on the bottom of the ball.
4. Set one bottle of glitter glue and a handful of paint pens at each table, plus paper towels within reach. Put on smocks last so sleeves stay clean.

How Do Kids Decorate the Ornaments?

1. Kids hold the ornament by the bottom or leave it sitting on its paper cup while they draw. Cup-holding keeps wet sides from touching the table.
2. Start with paint pens for dots, stripes, zigzags, and names. Let one color dry before drawing over it so colors do not smear.
3. Add glitter glue in thin lines over or between the paint pen designs. Thin lines stay put; thick puddles slide downhill on the curved ball.
4. Leave the decorated ornament resting on its paper cup. An adult threads the ribbon through the cap, reattaches the cap, and ties the ribbon in a loop for hanging.

How Do You Dry and Send Home 20 Wet Ornaments?

1. Set each capped ornament into one cup of an open egg carton. The cups cradle the balls so wet paint and glitter glue never touch the table. Four cartons hold all 20 with room to spare.
2. Paint pen designs are touch dry in about 15 minutes. Glitter glue needs several hours, so plan for glitter glue ornaments to finish drying overnight if the station runs in the morning.
3. Let ornaments sit undisturbed on the egg cartons until pickup. Each child carries theirs home inside the paper cup, which catches any drips and keeps the ornament from rolling.

What Goes Wrong and How Do You Fix It?

• Paint pens smear: the layer underneath was still wet. Let each color dry before adding the next, and keep one resting hand off the ball.
• Glitter glue slides off: the line was too thick for the curve. Wipe the puddle off with a paper towel and redraw a thinner line.
• An ornament cracks after a drop: a cracked plastic edge can be sharp, so an adult picks it up, drops it in a trash bag, and hands the child one of the extras.
• Glitter glue clogs: the tip has dried glitter in it. Wipe the tip with a damp paper towel and squeeze gently to restart the flow.

What Other Ornament Crafts Can You Try?

Keep the ornament momentum going with Salt Dough Ornaments, Photo Ornaments Kids Decorate, or Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree Ornaments.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What ages work best for an ornament decorating station?

Kids ages 5 and up get the most from the station. Five and six year olds can decorate freely but need a grown-up to reattach the caps and tie the ribbon. Kids 8 and up run the whole process themselves. Children under 5 do better with stickers on the ornaments instead of paint pens and glitter glue, which are hard for small hands to control on a curved ball.

How messy is this station?

Plan for medium to high mess. Glitter glue washes out of most washable smocks but stains regular clothing, so every child wears a smock. Tablecloths catch drips, and wet wipes clean fingers between colors. Work the station in a room with a hard floor if possible, since dropped ornaments bounce and scatter glitter on carpet.

How long does the station take?

Plan about 45 minutes from setup to cleanup. Decorating takes roughly 20 to 25 minutes per child, with setup adding about 10 minutes and cleanup adding about 10 more. Glitter glue needs several hours to harden, so if the station runs in the morning, let the ornaments dry on the egg cartons and send them home at pickup.

Is this station safe for a classroom?

Mostly yes, with four rules. The caps and wire hooks are small enough to choke a young child, so an adult collects them and reattaches them. Glitter should stay out of eyes and mouths; kids wash or wipe hands after handling it. Paint pens stain skin and clothes, so sleeves stay covered. A cracked ornament has sharp edges and only a grown-up touches it.

Be safe and have fun!