DIY Painted Disco Ball Decor

If you need a fun, quick, and absolutely awesome craft idea, make these DIY painted disco balls. Everyone – and I mean EVERYONE – who saw them absolutely loved them. The sparkler is strong with this craft, friends.

Horizontal image of two painted disco balls with hearts on blue and pink paper.
This 30 minute craft idea for custom disco balls is SO much fun!

RELATED READING:

Custom Disco Ball DIY

Here at Ruffles and rain Boots, I am infusing pops of color for any “one day holidays.” For this craft, my goals were: quick, easy, and brightly colored. And I knocked it out of the park, friends.

Although I’m using these for my Valentine’s Day decor, my daughter has decided that they’ll be in her room going forward. She’s actually designing a full set to to work in her teen room decor she’s putting together.

How to Dye Disco Balls – What To Use

In order to be able to color and paint disco balls, you need disco balls of any size, alcohol based markers or ink, and a spray sealant. You should also protect your work surface.

If you have bottles of alcohol ink, you can use an art sponge or makeup sponge to create an ombré look. They’re great for blending large swathes of color, but I wanted something more exact.

These alcohol ink markers have a dual-tip design. The fine point end allows me to really get precise detail and the thicker, broad end helps me with a lot of coverage quickly.

Vertical image of two painted disco balls made for a girl's room decor idea using disco balls and alcohol ink markers.

If you would like to create your own disco balls, you can do that. I, however, am MUCH TOO LAZY for all of that. I ordered this set of disco balls for the variety, but also had two Dollar Tree disco ornaments from the party supplies section.

How to Color Disco Balls Video Tutorial

If you’re a visual learner, check out this how to make painted disco balls video tutorial. It’s quick, concise, and shares tips and tricks for making the cutest designs.

While you’re there, subscribe to the YouTube channel. We have a lot of fun over there!

Horizontal image of a youtube thumbnail showing two disco balls with text which reads how to paint disco balls.

RELATED READING: Valentine’s Day Cupcakes – PERFECT for Teens

How to Make Rainbow Disco Balls (or Any Pattern)

Below are the step by step instructions to follow. Keep this page open and follow along. If you prefer a printed tutorial, scroll to the end of this article and select the print button.

First, remove any packaging or tags and wipe down the disco balls. Test any colors on the bottom or very top of the ball, as those are the areas most people aren’t going to look closely.

Next, use the fine point tips to draw letters or shapes on the disco ball. Note that when drawing, don’t act as if you are working on a smooth surface like paper. For the fill-in portions of the design, use the larger, broad tip end.

Crafter using a fine tip alcohol ink marker to create a custom design on a disco ball.

Only create a design on half of the ornament so that you can let it fully dry before working on the back.

Be sure to fill in the ornament’s foam ball in between the mirror pieces using the fine tip marker end. The foam can be colored, as well.

A crafter carefully outlining a design made on a custom disco ball ornament.

Once one half of the ornament is dry (set it aside for about 5 minutes), flip it over and complete the other side.

I let each of the ornaments dry for about 2 hours and then coated them with a spray sealant, following the can’s directions. At that point, they were ready for display!

Crafter filling in the disco ball with alcohol ink markers.

More Crafts You Might Like

Please Save or Share This Fun Sparkly Craft Idea

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A hand holding a heart disco ball in front of a pink background with text which reads how to paint disco balls.
Yield: Custom Disco Ball Decor

Painted Disco Balls DIY

Square close up image of two pink and teal disco balls painted with hearts on a blue and pink background.

Create you own custom disco balls using alcohol ink markers. From bold and vibrant to soft and subtle, use any mix of colors and these tips to create painted disco balls for any occasion.

Active Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5

Tools

  • Workspace Protector

Instructions

  1. First, remove any packaging or tags and wipe down the disco balls.
  2. Test any colors on the bottom or very top of the ball, as those are the areas most people aren't going to look closely.
  3. Use the fine point tips to draw letters or shapes on the disco ball. Note that when drawing, don't act as if you are working on a smooth surface like paper.
  4. Use the broad tip to fill in shapes or the negative portion of the design.
  5. Let dry completely and use a spray sealant to protect the designs.

Notes

Tips:

1. Work on half of the ball at once, let dry, and continue.

2. If coloring an entire ball, you can create a mask for shapes or letters from masking tape. Then, spray paint the balls with glass spray paint. Remove the masking and fill in the designs.

Did you make this?

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