Make Arabesque Tile DIY Christmas Ornaments

Today, I will be teaching you how to create DIY Christmas ornaments. I will be using arabesque tiles that you can find in your local hardware store! Arabesque tiles are those ornate shaped tiles that are typically used for backsplashes in kitchens and bathrooms. They can be made from a variety of materials such as glass, ceramic, or stone.

For this particular craft, you'll want to find the lightest porcelain or ceramic tiles since they will be hung on the tree.



We will go over the supplies needed for this project and the steps required to create your own DIY Christmas ornament. I will also share a few optional ways to finish your ornament and get it ready to be hung on your tree.

Did you know that you can score FREE Christmas designs from Design Bundles? I'll also be adding a link to a FREE bundle at the end of the article!

Materials and Equipment

In addition to your arabesque tiles, there are a few other supplies you need to create this craft.

• A cutting machine (I am using my Cricut Explore 2 for this craft)
• Vinyl- various colors: red, black, brown, light brown, tan, and light blue.
• Transfer paper
• Ribbon or jute to hang your ornament
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• SVG File - I used the Reindeer Christmas Ornament from Glint Design

Make Your Arabesque Christmas Ornament

Now that we have all our supplies gathered, it's time to create! Follow along with the following six steps to create your own reindeer ornament.

Once downloaded, you will most likely need to unzip the file to your PC or Mac.

Step 1: Upload SVG Into Design Space

Open Design Space. Click New Project. Next, you'll want to click on Upload and Browse to locate the reindeer file on your computer. Inside the "Merry Christmas" zip file, click on the SVG file. Then choose Merry Christmas-01 to upload into Design Space.

For more detailed information, have a look at the Design School tutorial on how to upload SVG files to Cricut Design Space.

Select the reindeer file from your recently uploaded files. Now click add to canvas.

Step 2: Group Same Colors Together

When you open this file, you will notice the creator did not group like colors together. If you were to cut the project as is, you would need to lay down each layer separately. This is completely fine to do. However, if you would like to save some time, follow the groupings I make to speed up the process.

Ungroup all.

Select Merry, Christmas, and the black ledge and then attach them together.

You will then want to move this grouping behind all other layers. To do this, right-click and then send to back.

Next, delete the solid white layer on the design as well as the white eyes. Your tile is already white, so you do not need these layers.

Attach the reindeer paws and the antlers.

Attach the reindeer's chin and the inner ears.

Attach the red outline of the arabesque tile and the brackets around the word merry.

Attach the black of the eyes and the reindeer's smile.

You will be left with five attached groupings and three separate layers.

Step 3: Size The File To Your Tile

Arabesque tiles come in many different sizes. You will need to measure your tile to get the correct measurement for your design.

An image that is approximately 3.25" horizontally will fit nicely on my arabesque tile. Highlight your design in Design Space and then type in 3.25" into the Width.

Step 4: Cut Out The Layers

Now it's time to cut! Select the cut settings for your material. Then, cut each layer out and weed the extra vinyl off the sheet.

Step 5: Assemble The Layers

Now it is time to layer the vinyl onto the tile and create our reindeer image! Our first layer is going to be the red outline and the brackets. Leave the red nose on the sheet for later.

Next, place the black Merry Christmas and line layer down. Leave the eyeballs on the sheet for later.

The dark brown layer is next. Line up the antlers and the paws onto the tile.

Grab the light brown layer next. This will be the head of the reindeer.

Next up is the chin and inner ear. This is your light brown layer. Followed by the black eye layer.

The last two layers are the red nose and the blue snowflakes. Place them down to finish layering the vinyl.

Step 6: Finish the Ornament

Using your glue gun, glue a loop of twine or ribbon to the back of your ornament. It's ok if you aren't the best at a glue gun but be careful not to burn yourself!

Place a glob of glue onto the tile, press the twine on top of it, and then add another blob on top to make sure the twine stays in place. My twine was a bit thin, so I used three separate pieces to thicken up the loop for hanging.

You may even choose to add a small bow to the top for a little extra finishing touch. A nice red or buffalo plaid would look great!

There you go, all done!

Happy Crafting!

I can't wait to see your finished project! Hop over to our Facebook Community Group, to share photos of your completed ornament.

Don't forget to score your FREE Christmas Decoration Ornament Svg Bundle!