Here's how to make a mobile in really 'jazzy' colors, using transparent or solid-color balls painted using different techniques and hung from a wreath. It's the blend of these different techniques and materials that make this mobile a highly original way to hang all types of different Christmas balls. These balls may also be hung together by a system of ribbons and cinnamon sticks.

Materials

• 4 transparent balls with a 2.8 inch diameter
• 2 polystyrene balls (3.1 and 4.7 inch diameter)
• a polystyrene wreath (7.9 inch diameter)
• orange metallic look wrapping paper
• beige gift ribbon
• and, depending on the technique employed for each ball: gallery glass Window Color TM, painting for glass, glitter glue, glitter, scrapbooking rubber stamp, flocking fiber...

The Christmas balls are hung from a wreath in expanded polystyrene.
We are going to decorate them in matching colors:
either by covering them in strips of metallic orange wrapping paper featuring a star design, to be fastened to a long gift ribbon wrapped all the way round the wreath
or by covering them in strips of fabric which will be fastened by means of pins thrust into the polystyrene
or else by painting it, as seen with the red glitter-covered polystyrene ball.
The transparent balls are hung from a loop, the expanded polystyrene balls are hung from a long piece of ribbon tied for a 'gift wrapped' effect.

Here we are decorating a transparent ball with two differently-colored rubber stamps (usually used for scrapbooking purposes): an oval, football shaped stamp, with "bisque" (actually a goldeney-mustard color) colored ink and a square rubber stamp in 'Lime' color (more like old rose). Open the transparent ball and draw a triangle frieze on the curved side of each half, using one half of the square rubber stamp.
Be careful, this type of paint is very oily and you will have to wait for it to dry completely before continuing to decorate the ball so as to avoid any smudges.
Draw a star on the top of each half-ball (the ball halves are placed flat-side down), using the unusual oval/football-shaped rubber stamp.

Apply the transparent gold glitter glue directly (using the nozzle) to draw on the outline of the star, then add some arabesques between the star and the triangles painted around the edges.
Leave to dry.

Flock paint flakes in assorted colors offer an original and easy way to decorate these Christmas balls. You just have to sprinkle the flock paint flakes onto a paper plate, apply glossy glue/varnish to the ball's surfaces and roll it around in the plate. After the glue has dried, repeat the process to ensure the flakes are evenly spread.
You may even sandpaper the ball if you want, after it has dried a second time!

Spiral design Christmas ball : a look that's sure to impress!

On the inside of each ball half, draw on a spiral directly from a bottle of repositionable Window Color TM paint, (here we're using silver-white glitter color). Leave to dry.
Spray the inside of each ball half with glossy glue/varnish. Wait 2 minutes (for the glue's adhesive properties to start working) and sprinkle on the glitter (here we're using copper-colored glitter).
Leave to dry once more.

Copper-colored glitter solid-color ball
To make a ball that really lights things up, paint the insides of the two halves of a transparent ball using Pebéo Vitrea 160 paint for glass (Paprika color) applying the paint with a soft sponge. Follow this up immediately by sprinkling the copper-colored glitter evenly all over.

Other Christmas balls using different craft techniques such as the paper napkin applique technique and glueing on rhinestone

Another Christmas mobile for kids using gallery glass Window Color TM