Where are the best Christmas ornaments?

When we started out we didn't have enough $ for Christmas ornaments, so we started a tradition of just putting lights on the tree. Now we have enough $ for Christmas ornaments and I'm thinking I'll decorate some Christmas.

Where do you buy good Christmas ornaments that are reasonably priced?

I love lights, lots and lots of lights. So if we had a tree that was just done in lights, I'd be happy with that. The first year we were married, our tree was mainly lights. And little glow-in-the-dark ornaments that Rick bought from the Grit newspaper (Does anybody remember the Grit?). We were tickled with them and hung them on the tree. And I remember feeding our baby son by the lights in the middle of the night. Special memories for me. When our son got married and had his own family, he came home and asked if we'd give them some of our glow-in-the-dark ornaments for their tree, We still had them, so we gave them some. They're still using them and so are we.

Well, we've been married for almost 43 years, so we have a ton of Christmas ornaments for the trees. We have kind of a theme, I guess. Our living room tree is full of our traditional ornaments, things that we've bought throughout the years, things that are a little special to us. The tree in the bedroom is our Santa Claus tree, decorated in all red lights, Santa ornaments and reindeer ornaments....with an orange cat in the back of the tree napping (Amber loves to sleep in the Santa Claus tree). The Tacky White Tree in the kitchen is done in blue and while lights. And blue balls...all the exact same blue balls. That was what my mother did when we were kids and that's why the tree looks like that. It's white, it's tacky, and I love it. 

When we do buy a whole box of Christmas ornaments, we really have to like them before we'll buy them. And we normally only buy one box of something because there are a lot of things on the market and we don't want to clutter the tree with numerous items too much alike. But that's just us.   

Usually whenever we go some place, we'll buy an ornament or two as a souvenir of our visit. We also like to go to various Christmas craft markets and such and we'll buy something that's a little different or something that we really like. You can get some beautiful one-of-a-kind ornaments at craft markets sometimes.

Christmas Tree Hill has a lot of nice ornaments; we've purchased many from there throughout the years (this is a chain store and there are locations throughout the US, I think). There's the Candy Cane Christmas Store, right off I-80 on the western side of the Ohio border and they have truly beautiful stuff. We stop in there every time we're on our way home from Chicago. They're going out of the business, though, and the owners are retiring....they told us the last time we were in, back in September. I know it's difficult for people to get to these places, but I'm putting them out there. We bought a couple things at Lowes. And years ago, when I was still shopping at WalMart, I found a grey tabby kitty tucked in a stocking; I bought it because it reminded me of Banshee. 

We have several strands of different lights that can also be ornaments. I dearly love bubble lights, so there's a strand of bubble lights on the tree. We have the flicker lights, too. And we have a strand of large bell lights that we used to put on the tree, but now those lights are above the kitchen cabinets. Oh, and we have a strand of lamp-type lights. And light covers in the shapes of little drums, pine cones, and we have some snow balls, too.

Basically what usually happens is that we're out shopping somewhere and "Oh look! I like that!" and we buy it.  But in a lot of ways, Christmas is memories. We buy what speaks to us, if that makes any sense. 

I wish I lived next door. I would give you enough to do your tree. We have had a 7 1/2 foot huge tree, very large around too and it took a lot of ornaments to decorate. When I bought that tree I needed lots more and I didn't want to spend a fortune. I hung out in all the local thrift stores between Thanksgiving and bought a lot of things there. I bought some glass ornaments, the traditional type round ball. But I also bought individual type ornaments. We have a Big Lots store that is kind of like a five and dime. I found a set of cat ornaments there one year.

Don't think we have any of the same stores here, and I don;t even have a tree most years (don't fancy it being wrecked, I've got some gorgeous glass ornaments, and I love piles of tinsel on my tree too).  However, I have a tonne of decorations because I love them.  Many collected over the years,  but hey, have you thought about making them?  Great fun, doesn't HAVE to take ages or piles of skill and artistic ability, and very cheep.     Cut out card shapes covered in glitter / glitter glue, and if you're feeling reasonably patient and want something that will last go for salt dough.  You can use cookie cutters to get festive shapes and once they're baked you can paint them with glitter glue, acrylic paint and then varnish, or just cover them in clear varnish to go for a rustic look.  You just have to remember to cut a little hole with a straw or something for the ribbon to get threaded through before you bake them.  You can make them as big or small, rustic or glam as you like. I used to make them with a friend and her kids and my mum still has some love hearts and snowmen we made about 18 years ago! 

MServant said:

 
Don't think we have any of the same stores here, and I don;t even have a tree most years (don't fancy it being wrecked, I've got some gorgeous glass ornaments, and I love piles of tinsel on my tree too).  However, I have a tonne of decorations because I love them.  Many collected over the years,  but hey, have you thought about making them?  Great fun, doesn't HAVE to take ages or piles of skill and artistic ability, and very cheep. 

   Cut out card shapes covered in glitter / glitter glue, and if you're feeling reasonably patient and want something that will last go for salt dough.  You can use cookie cutters to get festive shapes and once they're baked you can paint them with glitter glue, acrylic paint and then varnish, or just cover them in clear varnish to go for a rustic look.  You just have to remember to cut a little hole with a straw or something for the ribbon to get threaded through before you bake them.  You can make them as big or small, rustic or glam as you like. I used to make them with a friend and her kids and my mum still has some love hearts and snowmen we made about 18 years ago! 

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Be careful with tinsel. Years and years ago, when we had just had Hydrox, The Old Coot, we put tinsel on our trees. But then he started playing with the tinsel, taking it off the tree and eating the stuff. We got to where we had to take paper towels and pull the tinsel out of his butt.....nothing looks as bad as a cat walking around with tinsel hanging out of his butt. Not to mention, it's dangerous for the cat. No more tinsel on our Christmas trees.....and I really do miss the tinsel.

Oh I miss tinsel too! But the kitties safety comes first.
When I was little we had 5 cats and we could use tinsel as none of them bothered it but my current clan of kitties are enthralled with it.

I've had a lot of luck buying online from animal rescue organizations' sites, because they often have a good selection of unbreakable ornaments (, I wonder why?). Ditto Christmas bazaars or markets, especially when there are stands (sometimes for animal shelters) selling handmade stuff to raise money. The store-bought ones we have are things I picked up on sale after Christmas or were gifts.

Salt dough and cookie cutters are great. I remember my sister making almost all her ornaments the first Christmas she was married (the tree looked a bit strange only because she used the Hanukkah cookie cutters her husband's grandmother gave them ).

Winchester said:

 
Be careful with tinsel. Years and years ago, when we had just had Hydrox, The Old Coot, we put tinsel on our trees. But then he started playing with the tinsel, taking it off the tree and eating the stuff. We got to where we had to take paper towels and pull the tinsel out of his butt.....nothing looks as bad as a cat walking around with tinsel hanging out of his butt. ............

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  No way!!!  Lovely.  No I won't go there - that's how come I don't put the tree up, I just wouldn't like it the same without all the glitz.  I like tacky Christmas!  

jcat said:

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Salt dough and cookie cutters are great. I remember my sister making almost all her ornaments the first Christmas she was married (the tree looked a bit strange only because she used the Hanukkah cookie cutters her husband's grandmother gave them ).

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Brilliant!  Oooops!       (I apologize now to all those who may be offended by my sense of humour).

I'm thinking maybe I could decorate Mouse's cat tree somehow to make it nice and seasonal?  Maybe I can find some red velvet or something to recover the platforms..... 

I worked for Hallmark while I was in college; so I got into collecting some of theirs over the years  The prices; they have gone up.  I have a few collections I'm almost glad are ending!!  The first few years our tree was pretty bare too.  It's grown a little at a time.
 

We have some decent looking unbreakable balls that I picked up at walmart.   I got the balls when DD was almost 1.  I found my 19 month old chucking them today; so yeah good thing I still have them.  Last year I picked up a set for a small tree I have in DD's room.  

We also have applesauce ornaments on the tree that DD made last year.  (They still smell fantastic too!)  Some are decorated with buttons and glitter glue.  We made some salt dough ones today too.  I have a few salt dough from a few years ago.  I had extra dough while doing hand and footprints with DD. So I cut out a few shapes with cookie cutters and even got the cat's paw prints on them!  I used a sheet of cling wrap so nothing would get on their paws.  They are cute!!  And those you can paint!

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm thinking of going to Macy's tomorrow. It seems like my mom had a lot of nice ornaments and she used to shop in department stores.

Don't forget our Cat Christmas ornaments guide! 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/nine-ch...ld-youre-crazy-about-cats-and-one-menorah-too

I used to go to Big Lots and Michael's has nice ornaments too. But the best ones are made by the kids  / grandkids.

dejolane said:

 
I used to go to Big Lots and Michael's has nice ornaments too. But the best ones are made by the kids  / grandkids.

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I hit Big Lots! and Michael's this week, and I did get some of the bulk ornaments at both places. No kids or even nieces/nephews, though.

Anne said:

 
Don't forget our Cat Christmas ornaments guide! 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/nine-ch...ld-youre-crazy-about-cats-and-one-menorah-too

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I have a couple that are like the little white resin cats here.  Although I don't usually have a tree for my cat to anihilate I like to put the unbreakable ornaments out around the apartment.  These little cats come out and sit on my mantelpiece along with a few other 'things' that can be pinged about like mice.  

I have a small collection of lovely crystal tree decorations that I keep out all year round and I used to hang them from the middle bar of my windows so they cast light prisms all around the room.  That was until I adopted Mouse.  Within about 6 weeks he'd bounced up 5' to reach one I had in my bedroom window: pulled it down and it smashed in to all the individual crystal componants.  I got home from work to find $70 worth of  little spiky prisms  all over my bedroom floor and had to reconstruct it (about 30 pieces) to check he hadn't eaten any of them.    Most of the remaining decorations now hang from the lightshade in my living room - well out of reach but he does eye them up from time to time....

I've been enjoying adding a few new ornaments to our tree this year. We make a lot of our own, but this year I've also enjoyed buying a few from various Etsy vendors.





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