When we were asked in our childhood who we wanted to be when we would grow up, many proudly said: "An astronaut!". And if the childhood dream remained a dream, and the stars and planets didn't get closer to you, you can create Christmas decorations with this tutorial and make your own galaxy on a Christmas tree. You can choose just one favorite planet or decorate all the planets of the solar system! The creation of balls would be useful for parents with children, as it would let them tell about the world and the cosmos.

We will need:

1. A transparent Christmas ball (plastic or glass, diameter — 8 cm)
2. Acrylic paint
3. Nail polish (colored and sequined)
4. LEDs
5. A synthetic brush
6. Scissors
7. Plastic bottle (5L)
8. Degreasing agent (alcohol)
9. A cotton pad
10. A toothpick
11. Glue
12. Thread/fishing line

Important: check if the LED fits the hole in the ball!

First we need to degrease the surface of the ball using a cotton pad and degreasing agents (I have alcohol).

Next, you should choose the color of the planet — it is possible to take images from the Internet and make a realistic "galaxy" or come up with a design to your taste! I decided to use acrylic paints for glass and ceramics, as they are more transparent compared to conventional acrylic paints.

I chose two acrylic paints: blue and white. You can unscrew a lid from a plastic bottle to use it for mixing paints. Randomly apply paint with a synthetic brush. It is not necessary to paint the entire surface solid, you can leave empty spaces. You can use more than 2 colors, the result will be more interesting.

Leave the paint to dry (for example, hang the ball on a twig). In my case, it took 20 minutes.

Cut a plastic bottle in half and fill the lower part with cool water, leaving 3-4 cm from the edge.

Drip nail polish on the surface of the water. If you look closely, after you drip the first drops a barely visible film appears and drops of nail polish rest on it. Fill with sprays the entire surface of the water. This method of painting is reminiscent of Ebru. You can adjust the drops with a toothpick to make an interesting pattern. If you use brighter nail polishes, the result will look juicier :)

Drop the ball into the water, twirling on it the colored nail polish sprays (the film with the nail polish will stick to the ball) and take it out of the water.

Hang the ball to dry (drying time depends on the amount of nail polish, check the surface periodically with a cotton swab or a finger).

Since every planet has its center — the core, we position a LED inside the center of the ball.

Remove the holder with a cord, on which we will hang the ball. Thread a string/fishing line into the holes in the LED and put the ends inside the holder. Since the ball has a diameter of 8 cm, hang the LED at a height of 4 cm so that to put it in the center. Wind the LED with a thread and secure them together with a drop of nail polish or a thin layer of glue (I have a hot glue gun).

Put the LED into the hole in the ball and look at its location inside (if the thread is long, then wrap the LED with a thread and secure it with nail polish/glue, thereby reducing the distance). There are LEDs of various colors — in my case it is multi-colored and it changes color with different speeds. Don't forget to take out the paper plug from the led, so it can start to work.

Put the LED on a thread inside the ball, fix the ball holder with a cord for hanging on the neck and put our planet on a Christmas tree!

Have a magical New Year!

Thank you for your attention!