The Dollar Tree DIY That Turns Plastic Wine Glasses Into Rustic Holiday Bells

Bells are a classic Christmas decoration, and they date back to Christmas seasons from long before modern technology. Christmas bells were originally used to tell townspeople that it was time for church services, but they have since taken on a life of their own as the popularity of sleigh bells, ornament bells, the famous song "Silver Bells," and even those notorious Salvation Army bells have become highly associated with holiday festivities. To incorporate large bells into your own holiday decor, you can either splurge for some pricey products or get to your local Dollar Tree and spend some time crafting a budget-friendly, homemade alternative.

If you're hosting any number of guests for the holidays, it's not a bad idea to invest in some disposable drinkware. While you're at it, grab a few extra Dollar Tree plastic wine glasses along with an assortment of jingle bells, jute cord, spray paint, and acrylic paint. By painting the wine glasses and adding a few other Dollar Tree items, you can convert the glasses into cheerful holiday bells with a rustic touch for a Dollar Tree Christmas bells DIY.

Start by cutting off the wine glass stem, keeping a small bit to serve as the top of the bell, and sand smooth the severed plastic. Spray paint the wine glass, making sure you have newspaper or another protective cover down as to not get paint everywhere, though you can easily remove dried spray paint with WD-40 if there is overspray. Metallic silver is always a good color choice for bells, but you can choose whatever festive hue your decor calls for, just make sure the paint works on plastic surfaces. Add some texture by dry brushing or dabbing on acrylic paint to look like natural wear on the bell. The color for these accents depends on what shows the best contrast — black on light silver, white on dark silver, gold on black, etc. You can even dust on a layer of snow spray for a wintery look. 

To make the clapper, tie a string of jute cord to a jingle bell and hot glue the cord inside the bottom of the wine glass. You may want tie a knot at the end of the cord or use a small craft object, like a bead or button, to act as a base to help glue the string. Finally, either wrap more jute cord around the stem at the top of your bell and hot glue a loop in place or cut a wood cabone ring in half and glue the half-circle to the top so that it can easily hang throughout your house. Your finished bell will look merry hanging from the tree, a wreath, a railway, or just about anywhere to decorate your home.