Start Your Own Handcrafted Ornament Collection

For many years people filled their Christmas trees with a variety of handmade ornaments crafted with care from quality materials. Over time, these one-of-a-kind ornaments were gradually replaced with plastic and paper versions, purchased in bulk, none of which could compare with the beauty of the old fashioned hand-crafted items.

But today many people are discovering again the wonder of decorating their trees with special ornaments that were carefully fashioned to be unique and unusual. While most of us can't afford to purchase those original vintage ornaments, we can start a handmade ornament collection of our own. If you are looking for quality ornaments which are also handcrafted, try shopping at etsy.com. There you will find over 78,000 of them for sale, with more being added every day.

Here are 10 (in no particular order) handcrafted tree ornaments from my fellow etsians which I think everyone should have to start a collection:

1. The Christmas bear
Follow this link to check out this rotund and adorable little bear ornament created by uncommoncreatures. He is made of polymer clay, sculpted over glass & rubbed with oil paints to give a vintage patina to the piece. This crafter also offers several other animal figures--the little pigs are especially cute. Best of all, she's offering free shipping!

2. Lavender Snowmen
I'm partial to any shade of purple, and these puffy little snowmen, hand sewn by Freddismom, are dressed in a soft lavender shade that makes them a must-have for me. The crafter even added purple buttons to decorate the front of this snowy duo. Note the attention to details like their shiny red noses and the holly leaf decorations on their hats. Here's the link.

3. Re-purposed Ornaments
I appreciate anyone who can find a way to creatively re-use items that would normally fill the trash, but these snowmen, created from recycled Diet Pepsi cans, go well beyond just being "green." They were well thought out, as indicated by the foam backing added so no sharp edges stick out to cut curious ornament-touchers. Plus, they are really attractive. My hat's off to their creator, o0oCuppyCakeo0o, who also sells Santas and other Christmas symbols created from soda cans. Find the re-purposed ornaments here.

4. Your Favorite Pet
TheMagicSleigh's store features ornaments hand-sculpted from Porcelain clay. Most are cats or dogs, but there are some neat fantasy creatures, too. I especially love the little one-of-a-kind Golden-Doodle (or Labra-doodle) found here. The adorable little guy has a string of Christmas lights in his mouth and he looks so real he could probably bark a greeting on Christmas morning.

5. Chainmaille Christmas Star Ornament
LauraJoyJewelry is a jewelry maker who works in a most unusual art form: chain maille. Yep, the metal used in Medieval days to protect warring knights! But her version is updated and absolutely beautiful when she turns it into her jewelry art. Her star ornament is so unique it caught my eye immediately. It is so perfectly woven and detailed it's almost too pretty to hang on a tree. Find it here.

6. Dachshund Dog Ornament
KaysK9s does needle felting, which is a detailed and very time-consuming art. The perfectly-detailed miniature works of art she produces are extraordinary. Check out her Dachshund Dog Needle Felted Christmas Ornament. It's one of many pets she has re-created in her ornaments, but I chose him because he looks just like my granddog! You may prefer another breed for your collection.

7. Baby's First Christmas Ornament
PaperTigerNStitches creates wonderful counted cross stitch designs, then uses quilting techniques to produce these stunning multi-colored Baby's First Christmas Ornaments. My favorite, of course, is the purple one found here. If you don't have a new baby at your house, check out her other styles.

8. Angel Ornament
Petalbelles produces the most beautiful and delicate little fairies and angels from silk flower petals. Then she "floats" them in clear glass balls, using invisible thread, so they appear to be flying as they hang on your tree. It's a one-of-a-kind creature in a beautiful ornament. Check it out at this link.

9. My tropical Christmas tree ornament
Every collection of handmade ornaments should include a stained glass ornament. Of course, I prefer my own creations. For many years I wanted to have a decorated palm tree instead of an evergreen for Christmas. When we moved to Florida, I got the chance, so I decided to share the fun with everyone across the country. Check out my ever-lasting stained glass version here.

10. One I Can't Even Describe
Couldn't resist adding this special ornament for the person who has everything: sharkman123
is offering a purple ornament created from real moose poo! He even lists it as "weird," but the overall ornament is pretty cool and surprisingly attractive.

There you have my 10 favorites, but everyone is different. Follow the link below to the etsy website and check out all the wonderful, unusual, one-of-a-kind, handcrafted ornaments and gifts offered there. Have a Merry Handmade Christmas this year!

References:
etsy