Alcohol Ink Ornament Tutorial: Festive Designs with Ellice
The holiday season is here, and many of us are thinking about how to make our homes feel extra special. Instead of buying ornaments, this is the perfect time to create your own - pieces that feel personal and tailored to your own color theme and style.
Each year, Toronto based mixed media artist Ellice Yang creates beautiful handmade alcohol ink ornaments. Adorned with a gold leaf back and a glossy resin finish, she sells them to raise funds for a different local charity every holiday season.
In this tutorial, Ellice generously shares her process, from choosing colors to building soft gradients, to adding shimmering metallic details, gold leaf, and a resin topcoat. She shows exactly how she brings each ornament to life so you can confidently make your own.
Whether your holiday palette is classic, modern, colorful, you can create ornaments that fit your decor perfectly and make your tree feel uniquely yours.
Let's get started!
Watch the full video tutorial:
Materials You'll Need:
Inks & Tools
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Gloves: to protect your hands from stains
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Paper towel: to work on
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Alcohol ink: Ellice uses red, pink, blue, purple, green, and Piñata brass
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Isopropyl Alcohol: preferably 99%
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Synthetic paintbrush: for brushing the ink
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Airbrush: you can also use a blow dryer or or heat gun
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Squeeze bottles: with a fine nozzle needle tip
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Fine tip pointed brush: to add fine details
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Fan brush: to add fine details
Ornament Blanks & Embellishments
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Ornament Acrylic Blanks: Ellice orders hers from Crystal Swim
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Gold metallic marker:
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Gold leaf
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Pebeo Gilding Paste: to adhere the gold leaf
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Speedball Metal Leaf Sealant: to seal the gold leaf
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Flat brush: to apply the gilding paste
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Soft brush: to apply the gold leaf
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Flat brush: to apply the sealant
Resin Supplies
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ArtResin
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Measuring cup
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Mixing stick
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Pointed bamboo skewers
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Maker’s Torch
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Dust cover
Finishing Touch
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Organza ribbon (pink, peach, gold)
- Scissors
Step 1: Create the Alcohol Ink Designs
Choose Your Color Palette
Alcohol ink is highly pigmented, so you don't have to use many colors. Ellice prefers working with 2-3 colors per ornament, along with metallic ink for shimmer. She plans to make 3 ornaments, each in a different color theme. For the first, she chooses a modern jewel-toned palette of pink, blue and purple. For the other two, she selects a more traditional cranberry red and a festive green. All of the ornaments will be embellished with brass alcohol ink for a beautiful metallic accent.
Ornament 1 - Jewel tones
Build the Design
For this ornament, Ellice chooses a colorful palette made up of pink, blue, and deep purple.
She begins by laying down a small amount of isopropyl alcohol to the ornament - a little goes a long way. The alcohol provides a medium for the alcohol ink to move freely, prevents the ink from sticking to the surface, and keeps the ink from drying too quickly while she works.
Ellice shakes her alcohol ink bottles well, then adds 3 drops of blue ink onto the alcohol, tilting the ornament so that the blue ink flows into the alcohol.
Next she applies 2 drops of purple, followed by a couple of drops of pink and a few drops of isopropyl alcohol. She waits to add the brass until the colors have blended together a bit.
Ellice tilts the ornament gently to get the inks moving before switching to her airbrush. She prefers the airbrush to create a soft, organic, flowy design, but a blow dryer or a heat gun will work as well.
Tilting the ornament as she works, Ellice encourages the inks to blend by blowing them back and forth. She makes sure to leave some negative space with no ink - she will build a soft gradient in this space. If the inks stop moving, she adds a few drops of isopropyl alcohol and continues to build the design.
💡 TIP: Working without heat (using an airbrush) keeps the inks wet longer, giving you more time to adjust the composition.
Once the colors have blended a bit, Ellice adds a couple of drops of brass, tilting and using the airbrush to move the ink. As the brass dries, it naturally forms vein-like lines.
Whenever the ink starts to get too dry, Ellice adds a little more isopropyl alcohol to help the flow.
Ellice finds that the purple is a little overpowering, so she adds a bit more blue and brass in the center, along with some isopropyl alcohol and continues working the ink until it dries.
She repeats this with a little more pink and brass.
4 Ways to Correct and Refine
There are a few ways Ellice likes to correct areas she isn't happy with:
1) She adds a little more ink and isopropyl alcohol into negative spaces
2) Ellice uses a brush dipped in isopropyl alcohol to soften hard lines.
3) Ellice uses paper towel dipped in isopropyl alcohol to lift off an area where she feels the color is too overpowering. Once the section is removed, she adds more ink and works her design
4) In areas that are highly saturated, Ellice removes ink with a brush to create some negative space. This time, instead of adding more ink, she adds alcohol to simply reactivate the ink already there. She blows back and forth to create a soft, gradient fade.
Allow to Dry
Ellice is happy with how it turned out Her ornament is a rich blend of pink, deep purple, and blue with soft gradients, saturated areas and soft gradients, and shimmering metallic veins throughout. She sets it aside to dry for about an hour and moves on to her next ornament.
Ornament 2 - Cranberry & Brass
PIC
Build the Design
For this ornament, Ellice chooses a traditional Christmas red accented with brass. Even though she is only using 1 color, she can still create multiple hues and gradients: the more concentrated the inks are, the deeper the color will appear.
She starts by laying down some isopropyl alcohol and red ink, concentrating on one side of the ornament, and leaving negative space on the other.
Next, Ellice adds in some brass and tilts the ornament to blend before going in with the airbrush. At this stage, Ellice is building her base layer composition - everything can be adjusted and refined afterwards.
Keep working until you're happy with the design. As Ellice says: "The beauty of alcohol ink is that you can keep working and changing things as you feel looks good to you. You just want to have fun with it."
Adjust the Ink
If the ink isn't moving as much as you'd like, add a touch of isopropyl alcohol to encourage the flow. On the other hand, if you feel like there's too much ink, gently dab the excess onto your paper towel pad. If the airbrush isn't giving you the movement you want, use your brush to guide the ink.
Soften Harsh Lines
Dip your brush into a little isopropyl alcohol to break up strong edges, then use the airbrush to blow them out and create beautiful, soft gradients.
Deepen the Color
To create areas with deeper hues, add a few drops of red ink - a little goes a long way. Skip the isopropyl alcohol for this step - too much alcohol will make the ink flow and you'll lose control of the depth you're adding.
Correct and refine:
If any areas feel too heavy or if the red ink has moved too much, use a paper towel dipped in some isopropyl alcohol to lift some color. Then add more alcohol and gently move it in and out of the ink to create a soft fade.
Finishing touches
Ellice adds a touch more red near the top to deepen the hue and finishes with one more small hint of brass.
Allow to Dry
The ornament looks beautiful. Ellice loves how the cranberry red contrasts with the negative space. She sets it aside to dry and moves on to Ornament 3.
Ornament 3 - Green & Brass
Build the Design
Ellice begins by laying isopropyl alcohol and ink across the entire ornament. Unlike the previous pieces, she plans to cover the entire surface and build beautiful gradients from edge to edge.
Ellice tilts the ornament to let the ink and alcohol spread naturally, then follows with the airbrush to guide the flow even further.
The ornament already looks beautiful, even at this early stage. Ellice adds a little more green and brass ink, moving it around and helping it settle into organic lines that add movement and shimmer.
As Ellice explains: "It doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it happens quickly and you're really happy with how it looks and that's all it takes. You can also work on it as long as you like until you get the composition you're happy with."
Correct and Refine
Ellice loves the soft gradient that's developing, but adds a bit more green to deepen the color on the opposite side of the gradient. She finishes it by adding more gold, green and alcohol around the circle.
Let it Dry
Ellice is really happy with the composition and the range of beautiful shades she was able to achieve with just one color. She sets this ornament aside to dry before moving onto some detail work.
Step 2 - Add Metallic Details
Once the ornaments have dried for about an hour, Ellice is ready to add some metallic details.
Ellice starts by highlighting some of the fine ink lines with brass. She shakes the brass ink bottle well and drops a small amount into a beaker and tilts it, letting the pigment settle from the alcohol.
Using a small pointed brush, she dips into the pigment and lightly dabs along the lines. Ellice isn't brushing the pigment on - she's placing small, gentle dabs and following the line so it looks as natural. Ellice recommends taking your time with this step, creating subtle lines until you're happy with the effect.
Next, Ellice dips a long, stiff brush into the beaker and flicks it over the ornaments to create tiny speckles. A fan brush works well too, or tapping the brush handle to create a soft splatter. Ellice likes to keep this step subtle so it doesn't overwhelm the design.
Next Ellice outlines each ornament edge with gold metallic marker, making sure the ink is captured on the front. This detail frames the ornament in a really elegant way. Go all the way around, including the top and inside the circle. Then apply the marker to the sides, trying to get into the crevices to give it a beautiful, clean finish.
Step 3 - Seal the Ink
To prevent the alcohol ink from shifting under the resin, it's important to seal each ornament with 2-3 light coats of Kamar Varnish. Kamar Varnish is the go-to sealant for alcohol ink because it doesn't contain solvents - meaning it won't reactivate the ink and smudge your design.
Once the Kamar Varnish has dried, Ellice follows with 2-3 light coats of UV Resistant spray to help prevent the ink colors from fading over time.
⚠️ TIP: Always use spray sealants outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, or wear a protective mask.
Step 4- Apply the ArtResin
Ellice has the ornaments propped up on stands. There's no need to tape off the back as each ornament already has a removable paper backing which will protect it from resin drips.
Wearing gloves, Ellice measures equal parts of resin and hardener (1.5 fl oz of each) into a measuring cup. She stirs for 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom to ensure the product is thoroughly blended.
She pours a small amount of resin into the center of the ornament, gently nudging it to the edges with a bamboo skewer. This method creates a domed effect without letting resin spill over the edges.
After torching the surface to remove bubbles, the transformation is instant — the resin brings out the metallic accents and deepens the ink, giving each ornament a rich, glossy glow.
Ellice allows the ornaments to cure for 24 hours under a dust cover.
Step 5 - Apply Gold Leaf to the Back
Once the resin has cured, it's time to apply gold leaf to the back.
First, remove the sticker backing from each ornament. Ellice makes a small cut with an X-Acto knife, making it easier to peel off.
Next, Ellice pours a small amount of Pebeo Gilding Paste into a cup and applies a very thin layer with a flat brush. It can be hard to see on the white surface, so she tilts the ornament towards the light to check that the paste reaches the edges and that no puddles have formed.
You'll know the ornament is ready for the gold leaf once the gilding paste feels tacky, after about 15 minutes.
Gold leaf typically comes in a booklet. Ellice finds it easiest to tear out a full sheet, and gently places it facedown on the ornament. Using a soft brush, she presses the gold leaf into the surface, and then traces around the perimeter with her finger before removing the paper.
She gently brushes over the ornament again to make sure the gold leaf has adhered, especially around the edges.
Next, she brushes away the excess gold leaf. Because the paste is only on the back, any gold around the sides will fall away easily.
To finish, Ellice seals the gold leaf to protect it and prevent tarnishing over time. She pours a little Speedball sealant into a small cup and brushes on a thin, even coat. It will go on cloudy but will clear as it dries. Ellice recommends brushing in one direction to avoid streaks.
Step 6 - Add the Ribbon
Ellice cuts 30 cm lengths of organza ribbon - she uses pink, peach, and gold. To keep the knot below the top of the ornament, she first folds the ribbon length in half to create the loop for hanging the ornament.
She then feeds the two ends into the hole from the front side of the ornament, pulling them through until the loop is the desired length.
If the tails are a bit long or frayed, she cuts them.
Final Reveal
Ellice's finished ornaments look elegant and festive, with deep vibrant colors, soft gradients, shimmering brass details, gold leaf backs, and a glossy resin finish. Alcohol ink offers endless possibilities and, with a few thoughtful touches, Ellice elevates each ornament into a truly special, truly customizable keepsake.
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