What’s your Christmas story?

When it comes to decorating a Christmas tree, there are two types of people. The first approaches the tree with the mindset of an interior designer. This individual uses hues, saturation, and brightness to evoke a desired mood that stays within a limited color scheme. The second selects ornaments that tell a story. The tree becomes a vibrant, three-dimensional montage of family traditions and history. If it has meaning, it has a place on the tree.

The first type of person, the designer, has the freedom to work with generic ornaments. They can go to any big box store and find a selection of suitable decorations, such as a case of turquoise and silver Christmas balls, white twinkle lights, and clear plastic icicles. The storyteller, however, isn’t so fortunate. That person needs to locate ornaments that tell a unique and colorful tale, such as a bottle of ranch dressing, a hair dryer, or a corgi in a Christmas sweater. If you want your tree to depict a story that is wholly your own, Old World Christmas can help.

What is Old World Christmas?

According to the company’s website, Old World Christmas “exists to celebrate every occasion, for every family.” That is no small task. But it is one that the company takes seriously. Old World Christmas has over 1,500 ornaments blown glass and hand-painted ornaments. With so many options, it might not be untrue to say, “If you can’t find the ornament you’re looking for at Old World Christmas, it probably doesn’t exist.”

How are Old World Christmas ornaments made?

Old World Christmas started back in 1979 with a few antique German ornament molds that had been passed down through the generations. Today, the company has its highly detailed molds manufactured on demand to exacting specifications. However, it still uses the same glass-blowing techniques that originated in the 1800s.

First, molten glass is forcefully mouth-blown into one of the molds to create a detailed glass shape. The glassblower only has seconds to do this before the molten glass cools and becomes too stiff.

Next, the crafter swirls a solution of hot liquid silver inside the hollow glass shape, to give each ornament a mirrored inner coating. When the outside of the ornament is painted, that finish shines through, giving the ornament a magical look.

Any glitter on the ornament is applied by hand as well. First, the artist paints the areas that need a little extra sparkle with glue. Then, they roll the ornament in the glitter to add that sparkle. Depending on the ornament, decals may also be applied to enhance the final look.

Fun fact: The top of the ornament, the short tube of glass beneath its tiny metallic cap, is actually one of the blow holes the glassblower used to shape the ornament.

Our experience with Old World Christmas

I haven’t had the best online buying experience this year. I ordered holiday presents from a small business the week before Thanksgiving. The gifts didn’t make it here until just a few days ago. Unfortunately, some of the items I received were not what I ordered, while others were just missing.

This was not the case with Old World Christmas. I received my ornaments in two days. They were lovingly packaged in bubble wrap to ensure a safe journey. And each ornament arrived in its own Old World Christmas box, which doubled as a storage container. If you are gifting Old World Christmas ornaments, you do not even need to wrap them — the box is designed for gift giving.

As for the ornaments themselves, they were beautiful. The colors were vibrant, the attention to detail was meticulous, and the additional elements, such as glitter and decals, provided a wonderful final touch. Still, as perfect as these nostalgic-looking ornaments were, each had exhilarating little deviations that revealed they had been hand-crafted by true artisans.

Important note: It is essential to remember that as gorgeous as each piece is, it is made of thin mirrored glass. Dropping one from even a small distance could prove fatal to the ornament. You must handle each with care.

Ways to customize your Old World Christmas ornaments

Even with the cornucopia of options that are available at Old World Christmas, it is possible the company might not have exactly what you want. If that happens, there are a few ways to get exactly what you need.

Personalizable ornaments

The easiest way to make an ornament uniquely yours is to get one that is personalizable. For example, you can get a Snow Family ornament with three, four, or five snow people, and write the names of everyone in your family on it. Or, you could get a Couples First ornament and write names, dates, or even a brief quote. Old World Christmas also makes personalizable ornaments for pets, friends, and memorials. 

Custom ornament redesign

If you’d like to take things a step further, you can order a custom redesign. This means you order an existing ornament, but modify an aspect or two, such as color, glitter pattern, or even add a custom decal. For instance, a craft brewery could order beer mug ornaments with darker beer and a company logo as a special gift (or merchandise) for its customers.

Suggest a new ornament

If you have an idea for an ornament that you think is missing from the Old World Christmas collection, you can submit a design. If the company likes the idea, you might find a version of your ornament available for sale in the future.

Custom ornament design

If the previous options do not go far enough, you can start from scratch. You can work with Old World Christmas from concept to finished product to get exactly what you want. Obviously, this is the priciest path, but it also means you can have the company make any ornament you imagine. 

Where to find Old World Christmas ornaments

The best way to get the largest selection is to visit the Old World Christmas website. By doing this, you can purchase any ornament that is still in stock. If the need is urgent (especially with Christmas being less than a week away), you can use the store locator to find the closest location to your home. The only downside to this option is the store has a limited selection — it won’t have all 1,500+ ornaments.

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