Handmade Ornaments Warm Up Holiday Decorating

Ceramic Bird OrnamentsJay Johnson - Unless you're the reincarnation of Scrooge, you're probably feeling the rush of holiday good tidings about this time. Although I dread the forced march to Christmas that retail consumers have to take right after Halloween, by Thanksgiving I'm sufficiently in the mood to start decorating the house and thinking about this year's Christmas tree.

Hand-Felted Wool Ornaments

Homemade ornaments are just the ticket to make me think of childhood Christmases. Gone are the days of clumps of tinsel - I hated putting tinsel on the tree! - but today's tree is more streamlined and modern looking. An abundance of well-crafted decorations by artisans will elevate your festive decor beyond the trivial. Do you love Santa Claus? Then select your favorite all-Santa tree ornaments from craft fairs, Christmas markets, and online stores. I've chosen a few selections from Schoolhouse Electric, all available online (click on each photo for more information about the background for their handmade ornaments). Any of these ornaments ... clusters and clusters of them ... would make quite a strong Tree Statement.

Handmade German Snowflake Ornaments

Pressed Porcelain Ornaments