Christmas Ornament Round-up, Trim Your Tree!

Every year the Christmas decorations hit the stores a bit earlier. Like many people I complain that it is too soon, but I still find myself tempted by the new ornaments showing up in stores and in catalogs. In fact, I will confess that I’ve purchased new Christmas ornaments as early as Halloween.

Decorating a Christmas tree is my favorite part of Christmas. My birthday is on December 22 and there were a few years when decorating the tree was part of my birthday celebration. Over time I have created a collection of ornaments that were given to me by my grandparents when they were paring down their collection, or given to me by friends, or purchased on vacations. Each Christmas season I try to find an ornament to give to my husband to add to his part of the collection. My favorite ornaments are the ones that are handmade. There are some wooden ornaments that my Mom painted, others that friends made, and others still that were purchases from wonderful makers on Etsy. Now each ornament I hang from the tree has a story, which makes the holidays even more special.

Here are some of the tree trimmings that I have been trying to resist this year.

Crate and Barrel always has great ornaments. This year is no exception. These White Art Glass Ball Ornaments are elegant and would capture light from the tree beautifully. The Felt Gnomes would make a whimsical addition to my tree. (They must not have been in the store when I was or some might have escaped the store in my shopping bag.)
Crate and Barrel’s spin-off store, CB2, has more modern ornaments. Their flying saucer might be a good addition for sci fi lovers out there.
West Elm has many adorable knit, felt, and bottle brush animal ornaments, but this year their Agate Ornaments are vibrant and a bit out of the ordinary.
One of my favorite purchases last year was a set of handmade bird ornaments from oktak on Etsy. This year I was unable to resist her kitten in a mitten ornament. All of Aki’s work is extremely well made. You couldn’t go wrong ordering other gifts from her shop either.
My tree doesn’t always include a garland, but this Felted Owl Garland from Anthropologie would be right at home with the other birds on my tree. The Temple Bell Garland from Viva Terra is also festive.
Maybe you would like to buy ornaments that also do a little good, these Beaded Butterfly Ornaments from Unicef would brighten up any tree. The National Wildlife Federation has an assortment of animal ornaments. (My favorite might be the beaver.)
If you or someone you love is a Whovian, how better to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who than with a silver TARDIS?
Last, but not least, this Felted Wool Snowman ornament from madeinlowell on Etsy is going to be both a cherished addition to my tree and a gift for at least one special person in my life this year. As soon as Liz tweeted a photo of the prototype, I knew I would be ordering at least one. Liz has many other wonderful ornaments, including the Sleepy Sheep that I purchased one year intending to give as a gift and couldn’t quite give away.