I didn’t start this Jumbo Christmas Ornament with painting instructions.
I took a class, sat with the blank jumbo ornament for a while, and honestly — it took some time before anything clicked. I knew I didn’t want to rush it. The scale matters with a jumbo piece, and I wanted the design to feel intentional, not random.
The Plaid Was the Turning Point
Once I landed on the plaid, everything opened up. The plaid gave me: direction, structure and a place to start.
From there, I made a quick sketch to map out the layout. Nothing fancy — just enough to decide where each pattern would live so the ornament felt balanced all the way around.
Designing the Layout for a Jumbo Christmas Ornament
Before painting, I focused on:
Breaking the ornament into sections
Deciding where bold patterns should go
Making sure the mix of plaid, checks, stripes, gold, and sparkle wouldn’t compete
Anchoring the top and bottom with checks
Painting Once the Plan Was Clear
After that, I took off.
The plaid was the hardest part to do – I used decoupage thinking this would be easier than painting. But, in the end, it was tough to get smooth. I still love it though. I tried to camouflage the wrinkles with glitter and glitter is a good solution to many things!
I painted section by section, sticking to the layout but allowing small adjustments as I went. The goal wasn’t perfection — it was making sure the ornament felt cohesive and finished, even with multiple patterns.
The Finished Ornament
This project is a good reminder that you don’t always need step-by-step instructions — but you do need a pause to think through scale, layout, and balance.
Sometimes the right idea just needs time to show up. Once it does, everything moves fast.
If you’re working on a larger piece and feel stuck, try stepping back and letting one strong element lead the design. That’s what made this one come together.
