Have you seen the DIY penguin ornaments crafters make from recycled light bulbs? This little penguin ornament DIY is an adaptation of that concept using ping-pong balls instead.
The matte surface of ping-pong balls makes them much easier to transform with just a Sharpie…. avoiding the stress of fighting paint on glass!
Gather your Penguin Ornament Supplies
You’ll only need a few supplies for these adorable penguin Christmas ornaments for your tree:
For each ornament, you’ll need:
1 white ping-pong ball (a.k.a. table tennis ball)
2 – 7 mm wiggle eyes
1/2″ x 1/2″ square piece of orange construction paper (or similar)
pipe cleaner (a.k.a. chenille stem), cut in 2″ length
2 small (1 cm) pom poms
12″ length of string, thread, or clear thread (for hanging your ornament)
Tools you’ll need:
Black chisel tip Sharpie permanent marker
Hot glue gun or craft glue
Construct Your Penguin Ornament (in 15 Minutes or Less)
1. With a pencil, lightly trace a circle about the size of a quarter on a white area of the ping-pong ball. With your Sharpie marker, color the remaining area of the ping-pong ball black. This will cover up any brand markings on your ball. Set the ball aside to dry for a few minutes.
2. To make the beak, fold the 1/2″ orange square on the diagonal to form a triangle. Glue or hot glue the lower half of the folded beak, placing the long folded edge along the top of the white belly and the pointy side of the beak facing downward toward the belly. (Reference photo for placement.) 
3. Glue two 7-mm wiggle eyes above the long folded edge of the penguin’s beak.
4. Slightly bend the 2″ pipe cleaner piece so that it’ll hug the shape of the ping-pong ball. Attach your hanging string to the center of the pipe cleaner.
5. Place the pipe cleaner on the penguin’s head, adjusting the pipe cleaner ends to align with the penguin’s eyes. While holding the pipe cleaner in place, glue one end, placing a pom pom on top to cover the end of the pipe cleaner. Repeat for the other side.
6. That’s it! Tie the ends of your hanging string to create a loop. Proudly hang your ping-pong penguin ornament on your tree!
Did you know that a group of penguins assembled on land is called a waddle? How cute is that?
Have fun making your own waddle of penguin decorations for your Christmas tree! These kid-friendly homemade penguin ornaments work up in no time. (Always supervise the use of a hot glue gun.)
More Christmas crafts can be found here:
How to Use Rosemary: A Creative Guide for DIY Gifts & Crafts
How to Make Gingerbread Coffee Syrup (+ Free Printable Gift Tags)
Happy Crafty Holidays!
For a FREE Printable Ping-Pong Penguin Ornament Craft Project Sheet, complete the form below to gain instant access:
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