Decorate your Christmas tree with fillable baubles

Decorating the Christmas tree is one of the best parts of setting up for the silly season, and this year fillable baubles are one of our favourite ways to add a unique and crafty touch to your décor. Read on to find out everything you need to know about this fun decoration trend, and how we at Spotlight have everything you need to make your own!

What are fillable baubles?

Unlike the pre-made baubles you can buy, fillable baubles are clear and empty - the perfect blank canvas to unleash your creativity upon! They are usually made from plastic, but glass varieties are also available.

The baubles will have three ways of being filled:

• Through a small opening at the top. This will be covered by a screw-on cap that also serves as the hanging point for the bauble.
• Through an open gap in the side. This large window allows you to place bigger objects inside and create a scene, but it can't be closed off.
• By opening the bauble in two. These baubles come split in half and can be clasped together when you're finished filling them. They will either snap closed or come with a small latch.

The kind of bauble you choose should reflect on what you want to use as your fillings, the experience of who is making them and how your baubles will be displayed.

If you are wanting to place larger objects in your baubles, you may need to choose baubles with a large opening in the side or ones that come apart fully.

Because of their fragility, glass fillable baubles should be handled with care and under supervision if crafters are young.

And if you plan on moving your baubles around (or they are within reach of young hands), fully enclosed baubles will make sure nothing accidentally comes spilling out!

What kinds of things can I use in fillable baubles?

The options for fillable Christmas baubles are almost endless, and you can find fillers at Spotlight or in your own home and backyard! Some of our favourites include:

• Fake snow and glitter - create a mini winter-wonderland by filling your bauble with fake snow or opalescent glitter.
• Mini houses - great when paired with a little fake snow, mini wooden houses are super cute and can be left plain for a rustic look or painted for a more colourful theme.
• Tinsel - eye-catching and shiny, foil tinsel is an easy but effective choice for filling your baubles with.
• Wooden shapes - you can suspend wooden shapes like stars, trees and even snowflakes using cord and a little glue inside your bauble.
• Shells - beach shells are a great way to show off the sunny side of an Aussie Christmas! You can also lay down a small layer of sand for a really beachy look.
• Small figurines - a tiny reindeer, snowman or penguin are longtime favourites for filling Christmas baubles with. Glue them to the bottom of your bauble so they stay standing upright!
• Edible treats - make Christmas a little sweeter by filling your baubles with small lollies or chocolates! Candies wrapped in foil, colourful candy-coated chocolate buttons or hard lollies all look great inside fillable Christmas baubles due to their colour. Make sure whichever you choose won't melt or degrade while inside the bauble, and that you don't glue this particular bauble shut.

Of course there are many other kinds of objects and materials you can use to fill your baubles - have a look around your home or backyard and see what catches your eye! Be sure that whatever you use won't rot or collapse while inside the bauble, and avoid things that are very heavy or sharp.

Fillable bauble tips and tricks

Ready to start creating your own fillable baubles for Christmas? Check out the following expert tips and tricks to take your bauble game to the next level!

Swirling liquids inside

You can coat the inside of a bauble with a screw top opening with liquids like acrylic paint or glue easily. Carefully pour (or use a dropper) to insert a small amount into the bauble, then close the top and swirl the bauble carefully so the inside is coated. Quickly take off the lid and clean it so it doesn't get stuck shut afterwards, then pour out any excess. This is great for creating a solid single colour on the inside of your bauble or for creating a layer of glue that you can then cover with glitter, fake snow or confetti!

Painting outside

Don't forget you can decorate the outside of your baubles too! Painting the outside of your bauble is great fun and a chance to flex your artistic muscles. You can also attach decorations to the outside of your baubles like bands, stick-on gems and pom poms.

Attach decals with Cricut

Names, shapes and merry phrases can be adhered to the outside of your bauble using a cutting machine like a Cricut cutter. Use permanent vinyl as your material and apply your lettering to your baubles using transfer tape.

Use glue to seal baubles permanently shut

Worried about your fillable bauble splitting open and spilling out all your decorations? Use a little glue to seal it shut permanently! Apply a strong craft glue to the rim of the bauble and join them together for a permanent bond that will last.

Create festive fillable baubles with Spotlight!

Get creative this Christmas with Spotlight! We have all the bauble fillings you need, as well as heaps of baubles for you to choose from in a range of sizes and shapes. Check out our amazing range of Christmas decorations online or head into your nearest Spotlight store near Christmastime and check out our supply in person.