Beautiful DIY Christmas Bells Made From Recycled Materials

Written byMichelle Dickson Updated

These DIY Christmas bells may look like real vintage brass, but they’re made from simple recycled jars — a beautiful, budget-friendly holiday craft anyone can make.

There’s something truly magical about turning everyday items into beautiful holiday décor — especially when no one would ever guess their humble beginnings!

In this DIY Christmas bells project, we’re transforming simple mustard and peanut butter jars into stunning, vintage-inspired Christmas bells that look just like real antique brass.

It’s a budget-friendly, eco-conscious craft that proves you don’t need to spend a fortune to create timeless holiday charm.

Ready to see how easy it is to make your own handmade Christmas bells from recycled materials?

Let’s get started!

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Why You’ll Love This DIY

You’re going to love this DIY Christmas bells project because it’s the perfect mix of creativity, sustainability, and charm.

It’s eco-conscious and budget-friendly, giving new life to recycled jars instead of tossing them out.

With just a bit of paint and imagination, you can achieve that real vintage brass look—no metalworking required!

Plus, it’s completely customizable to match your holiday decor style, whether you love classic, rustic, or coastal Christmas vibes.

It’s an easy, rewarding weekend Christmas craft you can enjoy solo or as a fun family project.

Supplies You’ll Need

Before we dive in, gather a few simple supplies — most of which you probably already have around the house!

This Christmas bell DIY uses recycled jars, a bit of paint, and a few clever tricks to create that realistic vintage brass finish.

Recycled mustard and peanut butter containers that will be used for Christmas bells.

It’s the kind of Christmas craft that’s easy, affordable, and guaranteed to add charm to your holiday decor.

Whether you hang your DIY Christmas bells on a wreath, display them on your mantel, or use them as ornaments on your tree, they’ll bring a cozy, handmade touch to your festive home.

Materials list:

Paint supplies for peanut butter jar bell:

Paint supplies for mustard container bell:

We also used a drill, scissors and an oscillating tool to cut the peanut butter container, but a hot knife will work also.

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Pinterest image, DIY Christmas bells made from trash with jar of peanut butter.

Best Containers to Use for DIY Christmas Bells

While mustard and peanut butter jars are perfect for this DIY Christmas bells project, you can get creative with all kinds of recycled containers!

Try using shampoo bottles, plastic bouillon jars, yogurt cups, pudding containers, or even tin cans for different Christmas bell shapes.

The key is to look for containers with a smooth, round base that gently tapers at the top — that’s what gives your bells a realistic silhouette.

In fact we’ve even used a toilet paper roll and easter egg for a small faux brass bell, or an oat container and dollar store plunger for a realistic metal bell.

Mix and match sizes and shapes for variety, and don’t be afraid to experiment!

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Prep the Container for Your DIY Christmas Bells

Before adding any paint or finish, it’s important to prep your container properly so your faux brass Christmas bells turn out their best.

Start by cleaning the jars thoroughly, removing all labels (if desired, Steph chose to keep her labels on the mustard container adding more detail to the finished bell.

If you’re concerned about your paint adhering to the plastic, lightly sand the surface — this helps the paint adhere better, especially if you’re using plastic containers.

However, if you’re using a chalk type paint, it should bond just fine without sanding.

Shorten Container

You can also trim off the threaded section where the lid screws on, or shorten the container’s height if needed (like we did for our mustard jar bell) to get that perfect bell shape.

Rim of peanut butter jar is removed with an oscillating tool.

The mustard container was easy to shorten with scissors, however the peanut butter jar was a different story.

We found the best way to cut it down was with our oscillating tool, or you can use a hot knife and then I cleaned up the rough edges with sandpaper.

Or you can keep the rim of the jar on and just add a little more texture to that section.

Add Ring

Woman drills 2 small 1/8" olds into the bottom of the recycled peanut butter jar.

Next, drill two small holes in what will become the top of your bell.

Wire is attached to a 3/4" crimp ring.
Recycled peanut butter container with a ring wired to the top for DIY bells.
Recycled mustard container with a ring wired to the top, dabs of hot glue for texture and jute attached to the bottom of the container for DIY bell.

Cut a piece of wire twice the length of your container, fold it in half, twist around a small ring, then thread both ends through the holes and twist inside to secure it — this will be your hanger.

We found a bag of leftover crimp rings in Steph’s garage and they were the perfect size for our DIY Christmas bells.

If your container is larger you may want to try a disposable napkin ring that can be found at party stores.

To add a rim to the bottom of the mustard container bell, adhere a piece of jute or cord around the bottom of the bell.

I added the rim to the peanut butter jar on my first bell, but decided it wasn’t necessary on my second bell because of the shape of the container.

Create Texture with Glue

Woman applies hot glue around the side of mustard contain to form a seam to craft Christmas bells.
Woman pounces hot glue with a plastic cap to make a textured finish on a recycled mustard container.

For extra texture, Steph added a faux “seam” line along the sides of her cowbell using hot glue.

She also dabbed on small spots of glue and pounced them with the plastic mustard lid to create subtle texture — a clever trick that gives your bell an aged, realistic look once the paint finish is applied.

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Faux Vintage Brass Bell Finish (Option 1)

To create the perfect faux vintage brass finish for your DIY Christmas bells, start by mixing a little baking soda into charcoal gray paint — about one part baking soda to two or three parts paint.

The more baking soda you add, the more texture you’ll get.

Baking soda is mixed into charcoal grey paint to add texture for recycled Christmas bells project.
Woman uses a foam brush to pounce on textured grey paint as an undercoat for the bell project.

On my first bell, I used quite a bit and ended up losing some of the ribbed details in the container, so on the next one I used less.

Grey undercoat paint applied to recycled peanut butter container.
Woman holds two bells showing difference in texture with the grey undercoat of paint.

Personally, I prefer seeing those details come through, but it’s totally up to your taste!

This textured gray coat creates a great base for layering your metallic finishes.

Metallic Rich Espresso craft paint is dabbed onto the DIY Christmas bell.

Once the base coat is dry, add depth by pouncing on DecoArt Metallic Rich Espresso acrylic paint with an old, sprung artist brush.

Don’t cover it completely — let some of that gray peek through for a natural aged-metal look.

Woman gently rubs on ebony Rub 'n Buff over textured bell surface.

When that layer dries, apply a touch of Rub ’n Buff in Ebony to a few of the raised or textured areas, then gently buff with a paper towel once it’s dry to bring out a soft sheen.

Originally, I thought I was done there — but I wanted a little more warmth and variation, so I added a final layer using metallic gold acrylic paint.

Woman applies a second coat of metallic gold craft paint to Christmas bell made from recycled materials.

Using the same brush, lightly pounce the gold over a few spots to highlight and brighten the surface.

This final step adds incredible depth, giving your bell the rich, dimensional glow of real aged brass.

Cow Bell Faux Finish (option 2)

Steph’s inspiration for this vintage brass cowbell finish came from a pair of beautiful bells we purchased last year — she wanted to capture that same warm, aged patina in her own DIY Christmas bell.

To start, she painted the entire bell with a rich chocolate brown undercoat and let it dry completely.

Recycled container painted brown.

This dark base gives the metallic layers that follow a deep, authentic tone.

Next, she slipped on a glove and applied Antique Gold Rub ’n Buff, rubbing it on with her fingertip in small circular motions to mimic the look of aged brass.

Woman applies Antique gold Rub n Buff over brown undercoat of bell made from recycled materials.
Woman applied a second coat of European gold Rub 'n Buff to bell made from recycled materials.

Once that first metallic layer set, she added European Gold Rub ’n Buff in a few random areas, again working it in softly with circular motions to create depth and variation.

After allowing it to dry, she gently buffed the surface with a paper towel to bring out a subtle, warm sheen.

Woman lightly dabs on black Rub 'n Buff over textured areas of DIY Christmas bell.

For the final touch, Steph used a small sprung artist brush to dab a little Ebony Rub ’n Buff onto the raised textures she had created earlier with hot glue, then finished with one last light buffing.

The result?

A stunning, dimensional Christmas bell DIY finish that looks convincingly aged — just like the vintage bells that inspired it.

Assemble and Add Details

Now that your DIY Christmas bells have their beautiful faux finish, it’s time to bring them to life with a few finishing touches!

First up — the clapper. Start by deciding how long you want your clapper to hang, then trim a popsicle stick to that length using kitchen shears.

Paint the stick with dark charcoal paint to mimic the look of aged iron.

Once dry, rub a little Ebony Rub ’n Buff over the surface to add depth and a subtle metallic sheen.

Next, drill a small hole in the cut end of the popsicle stick.

Feed the wire from inside your bell through the hole and twist it securely around the stick until it hangs at your desired length.

DIY faux brass Christmas bell made from recycled materials.

To create the hanger, we used a soft rope from the floral section at Michaels.

Cut a length of rope, thread it through the top loop of your bell, and then wrap the two loose ends together neatly with jute.

Secure the ends with a bit of hot glue to keep everything in place.

Finally, it’s time for the fun part — embellishing your bells!

Add small bows, greenery, or faux berries to tie in your holiday theme.

These details instantly add charm to your Christmas bells.

The Reveal

And now for the best part — the final reveal!

It’s hard to believe these Christmas bells started out as mustard and peanut butter jars.

Once assembled and embellished, they look just like genuine vintage brass bells you’d find in a boutique holiday shop.

Styled DIY Christmas bell on a Christmas hymn book with greenery.

The warm metallic tones, subtle texture, and charming clappers give them an authentic, timeworn feel that instantly elevates any space.

Styled DIY Christmas bell on a Christmas hymn book.

We styled our handmade Christmas bells with a few evergreens and love how the mix of rope and greenery added cozy, old-world charm.

Styled DIY Christmas bell made from recycled materials with Christmas greenery on a table.

Whether you hang yours from a wreath, display them on your mantel, or cluster them in a basket by the tree, these upcycled treasures will fill your home with the spirit of the season — proof that a little creativity can truly turn trash into timeless Christmas decor.

Styling Ideas for Your Handmade Christmas Bells

There are so many beautiful ways to style your vintage-inspired DIY Christmas bells!

Try embellishing an evergreen garland with a few bells for a timeless look, or tie a small cluster to the newel post of your staircase with a bow and greenery.

Styled DIY Christmas bells made from recycled containers.

We also love grouping bells on either side of the mantel, accented with ribbons and fresh greens, or adding a couple to an evergreen wreath for instant holiday charm.

You can even tie them to your Christmas tree branches with satin ribbon, string them along jute across a mirror, or fill a basket with your creations and tuck it under the tree for a cozy, collected look.

However you display them, these handmade Christmas bells will add warmth, texture, and vintage magic to your holiday decor.

How will you style yours?

Shop Christmas Bells

No time to DIY Christmas bells? Then take a look at these!

More Christmas Bell and Decor Ideas

For more Christmas bell ideas check out our video on YouTube.

Final Thoughts

We hope this handmade Christmas bells project inspires you to look at everyday containers in a whole new way.

With a little creativity, paint some Rub ’n Buff magic, you can turn simple recyclables into timeless holiday decor that feels both vintage and personal.

Styled DIY Christmas bell made from recycled materials with Christmas greenery on a table.

Whether you make one or a whole collection, these handmade bells will add charm and character to your Christmas home for years to come.

If you try this project, we’d love to see how you style your bells — tag us on Instagram or share your photos!

And don’t forget to pin this idea to save it for your next cozy weekend craft session.

We hope you found some inspiration for your home this Christmas.

Please share your tips and ideas with us.

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Michelle Dickson

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What New . . .

I have always had a passion for transforming spaces and creating organized, functional homes. Even as a child, I loved rearranging furniture and decorating my childhood home. In fact my dad would comment he was afraid to come home from work and sit, for fear the furniture would be rearranged. I enjoy the challenge of turning ordinary items into extraordinary pieces, whether it’s a piece of furniture or an entire room. My creativity and attention to detail drive me to find unique ways to breathe new life into any space.

As a wife (to a supportive and patient husband, Steve), mother of three, and grandmother of five, I balance my love for home improvement with family life. I enjoy spending time outdoors, hiking, and exploring nature. I also frequent yard sales, thrift stores, and vintage markets, always on the lookout for my next project.

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