Glass ornament with transparent photo inside

Make these for any occasion as a gift or for your own home! - Sue Martin

Inkjet transparency film is a fun way to add clear photos to glass ornaments. I made the one on the left as a Christmas gift for my mom, and the one on the right is a sun catcher that I hang in my garden window. Plan several projects in advance and print all of your images/text/clipart on a full sheet of transparency, so that you don't waste any.

Tip:
You can also cut the transparency into smaller sheets, such as 4x6 or 5x7, but you have to leave the white leader strip in place so the printer will recognize that there's something in the tray (paper sensors can't see clear sheets :-)








What you need:

1. Clear glass ornaments, 2.5 inch (these are usually available in craft stores in the Christmas holiday time frame)
2. Inkjet transparency film
3. Gallery Glass paint
4. Small paint brush
5. Assorted ribbons and fibers

Do it yourself:

1. Select your photos and crop them to 2x2 inch squares
2. Insert transparency film into printer (be sure to follow guidelines in your user's guide as to the proper orientation - only one side of the film is for printing.
3. Change your printer settings to transparency film
4. Print the photos, then cut them out
5. Roll the photo into a small coil.
6. Remove the ornament top and insert the photo. Watch for sharp edges on the glass - they can really give you a nasty cut.
7. The photo should uncoil inside, but if not, use a pair of thin tweezers to uncoil and rotate the photo as needed.
8. Paint decorative lines, hearts, confetti, or whatever you like along the edge of the ornament.
9. Cut small pieces of decorative ribbon or yarn to hang the ornament.

For more creative photography and printing ideas, check out my book, Digital Delights for Scrapbooking.