People around the world decorate Christmas trees with elegant glass balls. Did you know these ornaments originated in Eastern France? Traditionally, the French decorated their trees with apples, but after the harsh winter of 1858 apples were scarce. A glassblower craftsman from Meisenthal in the Moselle region (Eastern France) had the brilliant idea of inventing colorful glass balls to replace them.

Watch the video below to learn how glass ornaments are made.

You are going to make your own elegant glass balls. Don't worry! You won't be blowing glass, but you will make decorate clear ornaments with paint. Gather the following supplies and watch this video for instructions.

When you finish, take a photo for your creation and write a detailed description about it. Share it 2 ways.

• Upload to Instagram and tag it #onlineunitstudies #christmasaroundtheworld @techiehomeschoolmom
• Upload your picture to your family's "Online Unit Studies" Pinterest board.

Supplies needed:

• Glass ornaments
• Acrylic craft paint
• Paper towels
• Plastic cups