You don’t need to break the bank in order to create a ‘very geeky Christmas’ in your house! All it takes is an inexpensive run to the dollar store, or some scrounging around the house for supplies you already have on hand.

Below are 6 different ways to create your own nerdy Christmas tree ornaments; paint it, glue it, fold it, recycle it, fill it, and build it! Have some fun and definitely take the techniques, and design ornaments perfect for your favorite fandom, whether that be Star Wars, Attack on Titan, Call of Duty or anything in between!

Take your clear glass or plastic ornament and squirt acrylic paint inside. Slowly rotate the bulb until the paint coats the entire interior. Suspend the ornament in an egg carton or disposable glass and allow any excess paint to drain and the inside to dry.

Pull up a reference image (if needed) and use acrylic paint to draw on your favorite nerdy face, geeky symbol, or other fandom image. Don’t worry if you mess up, the acrylic paint will easily wipe off the glass bulb for a second go-at-it.

Once finished, seal the paint with a clear spray (I used spray can Mod Podge since that’s what I had on hand).

Pick up colored ornaments, or paint them like above. I would recommend using Fabri-Tac permanent adhesive as a glue choice for this project.

For TMNT or minions, glue ribbon and googly eyes onto the bulb. The Fabri-Tac will give a great hold on the smooth, slick surface and you won’t have to sit and hold the pieces in place while the glue dries. I used different thicknesses of ribbon placed in varying height locations on the Turtles to give you guys a visual reference.
The ribbon will sit most flush when it’s placed in the center of the bulb. Larger bulbs and slightly thinner ribbon seem to work/look the best. Play around until you get a look/placement that works for you. If you desire, paint on mouths or additional details.

For the Minion goggles I used tinsel string; pipe cleaners would also work well.

For Navi, I cut out wings using craft foam sheets.You could also use tin foil and a wire (paperclip?) frame.

Have fun with this one! Remember, origami takes time and patience. It also helps if you have good paper for folding; something thin that’ll hold creases nicely. String these up using a needle and thread once done. For ornament size, I would recommend 8×8 inch sized square paper for Yoda and the unicorn.

Mario Power Star origami tutorial      Star Wars Yoda origami tutorial      Blade Runner unicorn origami tutorial

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Have nerdy things lying around your house that no longer work or are of use? Turn them into Christmas ornaments! Items can include old clock cogs and spokes, keyboard keys, CDs, computer chips, trading cards, etc.

For trading cards you no longer need, or have 20 of, cut them up and turn them into something fun. Pick out 3 cards and cut each into 1/2 inch vertical strips; I chose basic lands from Magic the Gathering. Use a black marker to color the now exposed white cut edges. Stagger the 3 cards evenly. Tie a knot at the end of a piece of string or thread (use beads to help hold the cards in place if using thread). Starting with your left-most card piece, string each card piece in line by piercing them front to back at the bottom of the card.

Tie another knot to hold the stringed stack of cards in place. Starting with the same first card piece as before, string each card by piercing it from the back to the front at the top of the card. Slightly bend each card as you go to create a circle. Once you have a full circle, tie another knot to keep the cards bent and in place.

For other ideas: Cut shapes, like trees and stars, out of your old CDs and computer chips. Alternatively, take a CD and turn it into a tech wreath with bits of cut up computer chip and a cord for a bow.

Take keys from an old keyboard and string them together with ribbon and bells to spell out words such Joy and Noel.

Your imagination (or an online search) is the limit here. Build your own Lego ornament. Make the build Christmas-y (e.g. Santa’s head -Lego bricks are after all already nerdy), or double up and build something from one of your favorite fandoms and make it extra geeky! Don’t forget to hang up some of your favorite Lego minifigures too.

For the Millennium Falcon, I just used a set we already had in the house. Check out your Lego supplies; you may already have all the pieces on hand.

So, which ornament is your favorite? Hard choice for me, but I think my paint job on Squirtle turned out quite well! How do you combine nerdiness with your holiday festivities? Let me know in the comments below.

And if you missed it, be sure to check out most post on nerdy holiday sugar cookies too!

Pop the top off an ornament or buy one of the split halved plastic ornaments (what I used) and fill it with whatever geeky delights you wish! I used Lego, dinosaur bones, and Settlers of Catan game pieces.