Why sublimation print on blank ornaments as a class project? It’s a great way to connect your students to a centuries-old holiday tradition—with a creative, high-tech twist!

Did you know the earliest Christmas ornaments were created by German glassworks craftsmen in 1597? Most of the original decorations were glass fruit and nuts, warm reminders of summer to bring the evergreen tree through winter. 

Yet, tree ornaments only became truly popular 250 years later. 1857 was the year Hans Greiner, the great-grandson of those craftsmen, began selling “baubles”: colorful, spherical “bubbles” made of hand-blown glass. These round Christmas ornaments became a smash hit! 

Today, Christmas decor is an $8B industry, and ornaments come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and materials. Glassworking skills might be a little out of reach for most kids, but sublimation printing is a fun way to create something new at a wide range of skill levels. 

Discover how to run a DIY ornament project that works for everyone, tailored to your particular classroom’s unique needs. 

How Kids Can Make Christmas Ornaments With Sublimation—In 5 Easy Steps!

There are many ways to engage students in a creative sublimation project. For this project, start by reflecting on a few questions, and use what you know about your classroom to weigh different options.

What Are the Best Types of Blank Ornaments To Personalize?

Consider how the ornaments’ colors, materials, and shapes affect the project. There are a range of options that will work on a technical level. Just make sure whatever ornaments you choose are compatible with the sublimation process.

Quick Review: How Does Sublimation Printing Work?

Sublimation printing uses a unique chemical process to transfer designs onto diverse objects. A design printed on sublimation paper, with sublimation ink, becomes gaseous when heated and pressed against an object’s surface. 

In gas form, the printed design integrates into the surface of a sublimation-compatible object. In essence, the vaporous ink dyes the object’s vinyl, polyester, or polymer-coated surface. The vapor dye transforms the colors of the particles or threads composing the object’s surface to reflect the design. 

The result is a smooth, single-layer surface, wholly embedded with the design. 

Process Differences Guide Material Choices

Sublimation differs from other methods of transferring prints. 

For example, heat transfer vinyl methods actually add a thin layer over top of the surface of the object receiving the transfer. The surface of the object itself is unchanged. This layer can chip or peel off over time, so heat transfer vinyl designs have a much shorter lifespan than sublimation printed designs.

In contrast, sublimation actually dyes the material composing the object’s surface, the sublimation ink mixes with the threads’ or particulates’ pre-existing color.

Ornament Color

When sublimation dye ink mixes with colored particulates, the resulting color differs from the one in the original design. Thus, you should only sublimate designs on white, transparent, or light-colored objects. Sublimating directly onto dark reds or greens just won’t work.

That said, there sublimation ornament blanks that incorporate festive colors. The key is making  sure those festive elements are outside the sublimation area. As long as the sublimation surface element of the blank ornament is white, the design will work. 

Ornament Materials

Likewise, the vaporous sublimation ink needs to connect with a compatible surface in order to dye it. Compatible surfaces are typically polyester or have a polymeric coating. Polymer readily absorbs the vapor. In contrast, glass, ceramic, and most natural fabrics repel the gaseous ink. 

There’s good news, though: you can find a wide range of blank Christmas ornaments designed specifically for sublimation. 

Some, like cast acrylic or vinyl blanks, are naturally compatible with the sublimation process. Others, like blank glass, wood, and metal ornaments, are also still viable options, as long as they have a sublimation powder coating. Fortunately, these options are available in an array of shapes and sizes. 

Ornament Shape

That brings us to shape. For most students, sublimation is easiest when they can press their design onto a flat surface. So, while attachments to sublimate onto spheres and cylinders exist, they aren’t the best choice for a class project. Instead, choose a flat, festive shape, like a snowflake, star, or tree. 

Age Group Considerations

When running projects for a diverse group of students, it’s important to adapt or personalize them based on the students’ ages and levels of skill. Consider each student’s:

• Dexterity
• Technological skill
• Attention span
• Personal preferences 

Some kids may be old enough and skilled enough to design, print, and press their ornament with minimal supervision. Others may require more one-on-one direction, or they may benefit from lighter-weight tools. [this mini heat press] requires less strength and dexterity to use than the conventional, large heat press.

Once you’ve thought through your options, it’s time to start the project!

Step #1. Get Your Materials Ready 

Any sublimation project requires a sublimation printer and a heat press. 

You might already have both set up in your classroom or maker lab. If so, that’s excellent! If not, why not explore our guide to choosing the best sublimation printer and the right heat press machines for your space?

In addition to your gear, this project requires a few more materials. 

Materials

• Sublimation inks
• Sublimation paper
• Sublimation blanks (i.e. blank ornaments with polymeric coating)
• Rubbing alcohol or a similar cleaning agent
• Cleaning cloths
• Heat-resistant gloves
• Cutting tool (optional)
• Heat tape (optional)
• Photo- or image-editing software
• Scanner (optional)

Heat Press Prep Steps 

While you won’t use the heat press until Step 4, it’s good to look up the appropriate settings ahead of time. Your sublimation blanks (the blank Christmas ornaments), should come with printed information that explains the following:

• Temperature. What temperature should you set your heat press to in order to sublimate onto the ornament?
• Duration. During the heat press phase, how long should you press the design to the ornament?
• Detailed Instructions. Is there a QR code or link to a video demo or more detailed instructions?

In some cases, there is no printed information. Instead, you have to go straight to the ornament manufacturer’s website. 

Missing Info? Learn Through Trial-And-Error

If you can’t find the information there either, then you’ll have to do a few trial-and-error tests. 

Try sublimating a basic, printed design onto a test ornament by heating your press to 360℉, then pressing for 60 seconds. If the design doesn’t transfer, increase the heat and duration in small increments and try again. 

Step #2. Create Art For Blank Ornaments 

Once you’ve gotten the supplies together, it’s time for students to create their designs. 

If they’re going to create the artwork for the ornaments digitally, using a program like Pixlr or Canva, skip ahead to Step #3. If, instead, they’re creating art with physical materials, and they’ll digitize them later, read on. 

Encourage kids to draw, paint, or collage photos from magazines to create the design for their ornament. They can use holiday imagery like snowmen or reindeer. Or, they can simply create images that depict something meaningful to them personally. 

Younger students might benefit from a life-size “template,” printed on regular paper, outlining their ornament’s borders. That offers a sense of the parameters their design has to stay within, to make sure it fits on their decor. 

Step #3. Scan, Upload & Edit (Design Phase)

Digitize Physical Works of Art

Once the students have completed their designs in physical materials, upload their pieces into an image-editing app. To do this, photograph or scan their pieces with a scanner. Make sure the resulting digital images have a resolution of 300 dpi sRGB (or greater). 

Save each student’s piece under their individual name, as a PNG file. Then, open the piece in an image editing app.

Editing For Print

At this stage, both students who created digital designs on creative apps, and students who made art with physical media and had it digitized, are ready to edit their image for print. 

Make sure the image is saved at a high resolution, so the design is sharp when printed on sublimation paper. Teach students how to:

• Improve their design’s contrast
• Crop or resize the image to fit the ornament
• “Mirror” the design as a final step

Note that their design will be re-reversed, or oriented correctly, in the heat press phase. So, if they don’t mirror it before printing, it will be backward on the ornament. 

Save and Send

Save the final image as a PNG file. Then, send the image to the sublimation printer. 

Step #4 Print Unique Designs On Blank Christmas Ornaments 

Send the student’s PNG file to the sublimation printer. Make sure the printer is loaded with sublimation paper and sublimation dye ink. Regular ink and paper will not work!

Once the sublimation printer has inked the design on the sublimation paper, you can go straight to Step #5. That said, some students appreciate an additional step, to make the next step easier.

Optional: Cutting and Taping

Cutting and weeding aren’t necessary for sublimation. But, some students do prefer to cut out their printed design, so it has no borders. This lets them secure the printed design to the ornament with heat tape, keeping it stable and aligned more easily. 

If you go this route, make sure the inked side of the cut-out, printed design is the side facing the ornament’s surface. You can secure the design by taping the exterior edge of the ornament and design alike. 

Only use a few strips of tape; too much tape will make it harder to peel later. 

Step #5. Heat, Press, Peel, and Cool

Ornament Prep

Set the blank ornament on the flat tray of the heat press. Make sure the side you want to sublimate the design onto is facing up.

Lay the sublimation paper on top of the ornament, so the inked design is touching the ornament’s surface. While wearing heat-resistant gloves, press the paper flat against the ornament, preventing any wrinkles or bubbles.

Pre-heat the press to the optimal temperature, determined in Step #1. 

Press and Peel

Once the ornament is placed, close and press the ornament and printed design together. Maintain pressure for the recommended duration.

After pressing is complete, let the heat press cool. 

Once it’s begun to cool down, gently release the pressure from the ornament. Don’t let the release jostle the paper. As it becomes cooler, move quickly yet steadily, and peel the sublimation paper from the ornament.

Note: “Cool Peel” Paper

Some sublimation papers are labeled “cool peel.” If you use cool peel paper, then wait until the ornament is 100% cool before removing the paper.

If necessary, you can gently transfer the ornament to a separate cooling tray, to free up the heat press. To transfer, hold both the top and bottom of the ornament, to keep the paper in place until it’s ready to peel. 

This Christmas, Let All Makers Make Merry! Find Festive Projects For Your Maker Space And Beyond. 

Sublimation printing is an excellent method to make beautiful, long-lasting Christmas ornaments. Whether you use them as gifts or outlets for self-expression, these DIY projects make an impact.

At AGC Education, we believe in supporting and cultivating students’ creativity in every phase of life. That’s why we offer the technology to bring kids’ creative visions to life, and the support you need to make the tech work in your classroom. 
Call us at 1 (800) 535-7553 to learn more about our sublimation printing equipment, tools, and accessories. Or, use our online contact form to book a free, personalized consultation.

• Category: Sublimination
• Tag: sublimation