This year I’m going to be adding a handmade Christmas ornament to all of the gifts that I give out. They’ll be attached to the outside of the gift bag or gift box. For my family and friends who love the beach and coastal life, I’m painting palm trees onto sand dollars. These coastal themed holiday ornaments are easy-to-make! No template or pattern required!
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3″ to 4″ diameter sand dollars
yellow, orange, coral and red acrylic craft paint
paint brush, water dish, paper towels
black fine tip acrylic paint marker (see note below)
Mod Podge Clear Sealer, Glossy Finish
foam brush
ribbon to make hanging loops
scissors
paint palette
For this project I used genuine sand dollars. You can use resin or ceramic sand dollars if you prefer. I use BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers in a lot of my projects. They have dual-ended tips, require no priming, no drippy messes, no foul paint odors and they dry fast. I purchase them by the pack from Amazon (affordable too).
Squirt a little bit of yellow, orange, coral and red onto a paint palette. Apply them onto the sand dollar in this order working from the bottom to the top. While the paint is still wet…muddle all of the colors together so that they blend nicely. You want this to be the background to represent a sunrise or sunset. I was generous with the amount of paint that I was using because of the porous surface. Let them air dry for about 90 minutes or until the paint is no longer tacky.
Use a black BETEM Acrylic Paint Marker (fine tip) to make the palm tree. First…make the land area. Next, make a slightly bumpy looking tree trunk. The trunk can be slightly bent or straight up and down. Then work on the 5 palm branches and leaves. Let dry for about an hour.
Seal the front and back of the painted sand dollar by brushing on 1-2 light coats of Mod Podge Clear Sealer. I used one that gives it a shiny, glossy finish. This protects the painted surface. Let dry for 45-75 minutes. Use scissors to cut ribbon and form it into a hanging loop. Thread through the top hole on the sand dollar.
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