Super Simple Non-Permanent DIY Christmas Glasses

Do you ever need elegant glasses on the fly, that you don’t have to spend a lot of time on, that are cheap, versatile, and possibly even something you already have? Forget the paint brushes, etching kit, or time-consuming effort needed to create elegant glasses for your guests. This super simple “non-permanent” party glass DIY uses only three items, and looks just as pretty as the more cumbersome tutorials for DIY Christmas glasses. Plus, it washes away, so you can put your glasses back in the cabinet like nothing ever happened! For those with less time, those that feel they aren’t that crafty, and everyone else, these glasses are easy to create and sure to sparkle!

When I say “non-permanent”, I mean that these glasses can be gently hand-washed a few times, but they will eventually fade and rub off. The paint pens used in this tutorial were chosen on purpose to provide a DIY that’s easy, non-permanent, and that doesn’t require $5 per glass to create. This is great if you want something just for the night, and to use what you have (or not – it’s always fun to buy new glasses to put in your cabinets!!). I happened to need a few, so I bought new ones for this tutorial. If you’re wanting something more permanent, I recommend trying this out for starters (especially if you’ve never done something like this before), and then moving on to the more permanent options available.

The following tutorial is meant for DIY Christmas glasses, but you could take this as a guide to create glasses for a birthday, New Year’s, or other special event. There are many color options available with paint pens, so you might even want to use red or green instead of gold, and even create your own pattern if you’re up to it!

To begin, you’ll need three items:

+ Stemless glasses (Walmart, $1 each)
+ Gold metallic paint pen (Walmart, $3 each)
+ Masking tape

Instructions:

For this project, you’ll want to tear off four strips of masking tape to cover the glass from top to bottom, on an angle. Don’t worry too much about getting them perfectly spaced or even, the point of this is that they are hand-made, so they should look like it!

Once you have all four strips placed, the fun can begin! Use the strips of masking tape as a guide to work next to with your paint pen.

Beginning at the top right side of a strip of masking tape, use your pen to create dots that stagger along the tape, as shown below. I found it created a bolder, darker dot (which is what I wanted) if you make a circle with the pen before lifting it from the glass. Be sure to leave about a half inch from the top of the lip of the glass, so that your guests can drink from it!

Follow the tape all the way to the bottom of the glass, dotting away…

…And then back up again.

Do this for all four strips of masking tape, until each side of each strip is dotted.

Once complete, begin taking off your masking tape. Repeat this process with all of your glasses.

Voila! Your project is complete! The dots just make it feel so Christmas-y, like it’s snowing gold! But, they aren’t so Christmas-y that you can’t use them for New Year’s or even all year long.

So gorgeous!

Of course, if you don’t have clear glasses at all, make due with what you have! You can add a bit of Christmas flare to any color out there, so don’t be shy!

You could buy cheap glasses to give as a party favor to your guests, with home-made cookies or candy inside. As for other glass options, you could decorate the backside of a clear glass plate and use it for cookies. I also considered using a heavier glass to create a candleholder, or even a serving bowl for Jell-o Salad. There are many options! Explore your creativity, and let us know how your DIY Christmas glasses (or whatever you use) turn out!

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Love these DIY Christmas Glasses? You’ll also love these fun, homemade ornaments!

Originally published December 10, 2014