If you’re short on time this holiday season but still want to add a handmade touch to gifts, this easy airbrushing project is perfect. It’s a semi-handmade approach that works on almost any surface—metal, glass, wood, paper—and gives store-bought items a thoughtful, custom finish.
I partnered with Testors, a trusted brand for hobby, craft, and home-decor products, to create a subtle winter white ombré look on a collection of small gifts and decor I found locally. Using a compact airbrush kit, I transformed copper candle containers, holiday bells, a perfume bottle, a vase, and more. The tool is surprisingly fun and simple to use.
This guide explains how to use an airbrush to customize gifts quickly and shows examples you can recreate in just a few minutes. It’s ideal for adding a personal DIY touch without committing to a big time investment.
Wondering how difficult airbrushing is? On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the hardest), I’d rate it a 3—very approachable. It looks intimidating at first, but assembly and use are straightforward once you’ve tried it.
Materials
- Testors AZTEK airbrush
- Testors AZTEK propellant
- Airbrushable acrylic paint (any color; I used pearl white)
Step-by-step Instructions
1. Attach the color cup to the airbrush following the manufacturer’s directions. It typically clips on easily. Once the color cup is in place, connect the airbrush to the propellant can.
2. Pour airbrushable acrylic paint into the color cup. This paint is thinner than standard acrylic, allowing it to atomize properly in the airbrush.
3. Hold the airbrush like a pencil and press the trigger to release paint. Test on scrap paper first to get comfortable—the paint may take a few seconds to start flowing.
4. Once you’re familiar with the spray, pick a giftable item (for example, a glass vase) and begin airbrushing. Move the airbrush in smooth, back-and-forth strokes while pressing the trigger and pulling back slightly to regulate paint flow. Maintain even motion to build a soft ombré effect.
5. Apply multiple light layers if you want a stronger effect. Allow each layer to dry fully before adding another or handling the piece. That’s all—now you can airbrush nearly anything!
It’s a simple technique and produces polished, professional-looking results. Below are examples of pieces I transformed with this method.
More items to customize
Copper container candles and gold holiday bells are especially well suited for airbrushing and make lovely gifts or seasonal decor. You can also make candles at home and airbrush the containers, or apply this technique to vases, bottles, picture frames, and small wooden objects.
Why choose airbrushing over spray paint? I still use spray paint for many projects, but airbrushing offers greater control and a subtler finish. It’s ideal for achieving a soft ombré effect and for building up delicate layers. The precision makes it easy to blend colors and create nuanced finishes that are harder to achieve with traditional spray cans.
Photography Amelia Tatnall Lawrence
Styling Brittni Mehlhoff
Have you tried airbrushing before? If so, what did you create? If not, this quick, low-commitment technique is a fun way to personalize gifts and home items this holiday season.
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This post was created in partnership with Testors. Thank you for supporting brands that help keep creative blogs and DIY projects alive.