to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak
peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a
related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an
incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.
Every year I make ornaments to give as gifts. Ornament gifting has become a special tradition in our home. My children each get a new ornament every year in their stockings from *Santa* so that one day when they leave the nest they will have a good start on their own holiday decorations. My husband and I gift each other with an ornament instead of lavishing presents on one another. We buy what we want anyway, and this has always been a more meaningful gift that started when we had little money and a whole lot of love. But we keep it going because it is a fine tradition.
I love the idea of having something special and hand made to give to those that I cherish. I don’t always make the ornaments that I give, but I do like to support handmade if at all possible. Last year my ornament to my husband was a limited edition ornament from Kylie Parry with these sweet little initials carved in a ceramic tree.
 |
| {Check out the other offerings from Kylie Parry} |
When I started making my Simple Truths line a few years ago, I knew that these adornments for your self would translate to adornments for your tree just as well! These pendants-turned-ornaments or ornaments-turned-pendants are limited edition each year, so you have to get them while you can!
In 2011, I had three Nutcrackers that were made to order, and snowflakes in soft pastel colors because they are my favorite winter theme.
 |
| {2011 – Snowflakes} |
I also made snowmen. I have a collection of snowmen that I bring out every now and then. I like things that can make it through more than one month on the calendar and snow seems to fit the bill.
 |
| {2011 – Let It Snow} |
The beauty of making your own ornaments is that you can tailor them to the recipient and you know that there will be nothing else like it in world. You can focus on their likes and interests or commemorate something special that happened in the past year. Although I do have several new limited edition holiday pendants/charms/ornaments in my Etsy shop, you don’t need to stick to holiday themes to make them festive. All you need are a few embellishments and some pretty ribbon and you can turn any pendant into a pretty – and meaningful – tree bauble. Here are some suggestions…
For the newlyweds…
 |
| {Get the last three of this pendant in my shop! I see this with a small brass circle stamped with the wedding date and dangling from that a large purple faceted crystal briolette. Finish with a regal burgundy ribbon for a sweet remembrance of a happy day.} |
For the beach bum…
 |
| {My sea-themed pendants can be customized with your message or dates on the back. Maybe a reminder of a special trip, or just the year. I would take a small glass bottle and fill it with sand. Cork it up and wire wrap some shells and pearls and create a wire hanger for this pendant to swing from, topped with a little burlap ribbon for a hanger.} |
For the nature lover…
 |
| {A Woodsy Owl (or a Motley) would look great hanging from a branch made from hammered copper wire and wrapped with little czech glass leaves and an acorn of course!} |
For your favorite teacher…
 |
| {This small pendant with a quote from The Lorax is perfect for you favorite teacher. I would do a cascade of silvery leaf chain and add a few bright colored wire spirals in honor of Dr. Seuss.} |
Of course, I have some new limited edition holiday pendants that have been popular this year, and I am still making them for Christmas delivery (hint, hint ;-).
 |
| Holiday Botanical Birds, available in Pine, Poinsettia, Holly & Mistletoe Reindeer Won’t You Guide My Sleigh Tonight?Frosted Flakes in both Ginger and Steel J-O-Y To the World Snowfolk, available in three styles: It’s Snow, Man; Hooray for Snow ; Snow Much Fun |
If you want some more ornament inspiration, come over to my blog Treasures Found as I am participating in a Holiday Ornament Swap Hop today hosted by Miss Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime and you can see a view of my brand new winter mantelscape as well! Whee! Let it snow!
The elves are working overtime in the Tesori Trovati workshop. But the Head Elf assures me that there are a lot of pendants and charms that are ready to ship, all with FREE gift wrap. Made to Order items (like these ornaments above) do take a little time, but if you hurry, there might still be time to get them to you by Christmas! If you order by Monday, December 17th, I think they will reach you with enough time for your gifting. To treat you this holiday season, I would like to extend a special discount in my Etsy shop:
So, what about you? Do you like to buy ornaments for gifts? Do you have any ornament traditions? What is your favorite ornament? Share something about ornaments in the comments and you can win this one of a kind snowflake pendant that you can turn into your own ornament!
 |
| {Leave a comment to win!} |
Anonymous
December 15, 2012 at 1:04 pmHello Erin! I love all of your beads! I love snowmen and snowflakes and they are everywhere in our home right now.
Diana Kolowski
EB Bead and Metal Works, LLC
December 15, 2012 at 2:15 pmErin,
You know I love all your pieces!!!! I love the idea of giving each other ornaments for gifts each year – awesome tradition.
This year mom and I made up ornaments for our co-workers (for mom's co-workers she used family photos. For my co-workers I used pics of buildings on campus that mom and I took to insert into the ornaments and then added black and gold (Purdue) for the theme).
Maybe next year we can think of a different ornament idea to give as gifts – will keep that on the back burner for ideas.
Alice
December 15, 2012 at 4:25 pmErin, I love that you give ornaments to your children and husband every year. I'm the superintendant of our Sunday School and we give a spiritual themed ornament to each child every year. It is my hope they keep these ornaments reming them of their faith and the true meaning of Christmas. Just recently I've started buying the gorgeous handpainted 'Li Bien' ornaments from Pier One Imports for the Sunday School teachers and my own children.
Your own handmade ornaments are lovely and I would be thrilled to be a winner!!!
Erin S
December 15, 2012 at 5:09 pmI use sea shells as ornaments. A hot glue gun and tiny pearl and silver rounds work great. I've seen them sold in shops that are covered in glitter, but I don't like those as well.
Becky Pancake
December 15, 2012 at 5:24 pmHi Erin, We make ornaments every year. For a couple of years we did turned wood. I made a tiny mobile from an antique button and Christmas shaped macaroni that I painted. One year we made a sleigh from teak wood scraps from our job and old screendoor parts for runners. The next year my husband carved a santa head & I made the body. Even santa's belt buckle was from recycled brass out of the old ice cream plant that got scrapped out. I have used paper, beads, and anything else I can get my hands on. My tree is a memory tree I love making ornaments.
freshbakeddesigns
December 15, 2012 at 5:35 pmI too was inspired by the Holiday Ornament blog hop this year (such great designs!) and made about a dozen poly clay ones to gift to friends and family. This could be the beginning of a new tradition for me. Thanks for the opportunity to win one of yours, Erin.
Susan White
December 16, 2012 at 12:06 amI make ornaments every year. What they are made of depends on my current obsession. They have been enamelled metal, lampworked glass and now polymer clay. I give them to friends and family, always take some with me as a hostess gift.
Kathy Lindemer
December 16, 2012 at 1:05 amI love your ornaments. What a wonderful tradition to start.! It can create meaning in a world that is too materialistic!
beadrecipes
December 16, 2012 at 12:04 pmI love ornaments! I have a really eclectic collection of them, everything from homemade ornaments (made by my kids, by friends and by me!) to some beautiful handblown glass baubles that my late Grandma gave me many years ago. I add to my collection every year, and the only criteria is that I like what I buy 😉
I'm just finding that I need a bigger tree every year to fit everything on it …
(melissa_trudinger at yahoo dot com)
KeRobinson
December 16, 2012 at 2:16 pmSo unique! Love the colors! 🙂
Jennifer Cameron
December 16, 2012 at 5:34 pmI do love to give ornaments. My favorite ornament related tradition is that whenever we travel somewhere or go someplace special that may or may not be local, we buy an ornament or find an object that can be made into an ornament and write the date we were there. We add a note to the bottom of if it isn't immediately clear where we got it. We try to pick something that represents the trip for us.
The very first vacation hubs and I took together after we got married was to Maine. This was when the tradition started. We bought a star shaped ceramic ornament with a puffin hand painted on it. We dated the back and added the place, and the tradition was born. Every year when we put up our tree it's so fun to remember all these amazing and fun places we've been together as a family.
Susan
December 16, 2012 at 9:45 pmI love to give ornaments as gifts! Several years ago I started making an ornament for each of the grandchildren with the idea (like you) that one day when they leave home they will have a collection of them to take with them. I now have 18 grandchildren to make ornaments for!! Needless to say, I'm still working on this years batch!
Susan
Despina
December 16, 2012 at 11:05 pmMy favorite ornament is a crocheted angel my grandmother had made for me.
I miss her so much, it is precious to me…
DESPINA
[email protected]
Shaiha
December 17, 2012 at 1:49 amI am one of people that absolutely not Christmasy so we really don't have a tradition besides going out to a movie on that day. Now I do get excited about Thanksgiving and host dinner at my place.
Renetha
December 17, 2012 at 4:52 amI like just about everything Erin makes. As for my favorite ornament, I don't have one, but I did love going through all of the ones my parents had when I was little. Mom has some very old ornaments that are not made anymore.
becca
December 17, 2012 at 5:54 amI give my girls an ornament each year as well. I try to give them something that reflects what they are doing or interested in. I haven't been giving them one I made, though, and I LOVE that idea. I think I might try that next year.
Caroline
December 17, 2012 at 10:19 amYour designs are perfect Erin, every one is beautiful! I love your idea of giving ornaments! I'm a little behind this year on Christmas, but next year, I will start the tradition in my family. Thanks for the wonderful inspiration! x
Susan Lloyd
December 17, 2012 at 4:14 pmI adore your style and designs! My mama and I made ornements and she gives one to my son each year also.
Shaiha
December 20, 2012 at 6:34 amI actually (gasp) don't decorate for the holidays because for years both myself and the hubby were working so much during them. But I love your ideas and I think that I will turn one of pendants into one for a couple that is getting married on New Year's Day.