12 Days of Holiday Crafts, Day 4: Holiday Wine Glasses

The season of holiday parties is upon us—which means host(ess) gifts are on many of our to do lists. Today’s craft is the perfect accompaniment for a bottle of wine or sparkling cider. Using inexpensive wine glasses is perfectly acceptable for the project—these are meant to be fun rather than fine (thrift stores are a great resource for glassware).

You will need:

• wine glasses
• glass paint in red and green (I recommend an opaque glass paint rather than translucent)
• two paintbrushes of equal size

1. Wash and dry the wine glasses, then wipe each down with rubbing alcohol directly before painting. For the paint to adhere, the glasses need to be free of any oils and dirt.
2. Using the end of the brush handle is the easiest way to make nice polka dots. Dip the end of the brush handle in one color, and then touch it straight to the glass. Using a brush for each color will help speed the process along.
3. The trick for making random polka dots look good: as you make the dots, place them in off-center triangle patterns and switch colors as you go. Once you’ve painted the wine glass bowl and it has dried, turn the glass over and add some to the bottom of the glass.

These glasses should be hand washed, but you may be able to cure the paint by following the paint manufacturer’s directions and baking the dry, painted glassware in the oven.

Cheers!