The Best Glass Ornaments

Buying Guide for Glass Ornaments

Why should you buy glass ornaments?

Glass ornaments have been around for a long time. Technically, they’ve been used for home decor in the U.S. since the mid-1800s. They come in a variety of styles, appealing to almost every age group and decorative theme you could choose for the holidays. They add a bit of nostalgia and festiveness to the decor. Their delicate, hand-crafted, skillful designs make them all the more enjoyable, and you can create a beautifully decorated tree with glass ornaments.

These timeless ornaments are also fantastic options to give as gifts. You can find a style or theme to fit nearly anyone on your list—a coworker, child, parent, friend; you name it.

What should you consider when buying glass ornaments?

• Gifting: Glass ornaments are a great gift. Since they come in just about any shape you could want, you can find the right novelty ornament for almost anyone on your list. They’re also the perfect gift to turn into a tradition; you can create a beautiful collection over the years for a loved one or yourself. Some people will pick one ornament each year that resonates with a significant experience they had that year to build a collection of memories that way.
• Decor Theme: Some glass ornaments are fancy, while some are whimsical. You can find various moods and color schemes to match the decor you’re using.
• Size: Glass ornaments come in various sizes. You can find large ornaments that may fit a window display, standard sizes for hanging on a tree, and miniature ones suited for a small tree or decorative space.

What are some popular collections of glass ornaments?

Glass ornaments come in a wide variety of designs. From movie themes to precious pets, yearly milestones, decorative icicles, favorite foods, or bedazzled balls, you can find a glass ornament to fit your style or theme. And these are just some of the glass ornament collections that people enjoy compiling. Ultimately, go with ones that make you smile or mean something to you, even if they don’t have an obvious theme.

Our Picks for the Best Glass Ornaments

Pros: Hand-crafted in age-old traditions that date back to the 1800s, these glass ornaments add true character and originality to your decor. Coming in eight dog breeds, these hand-painted and glittered ornaments are carefully created to accurately represent humankind’s best friend, the dog. These beautiful ornaments measure 3.5 x 3.5 inches to stand out on your tree, yet they’re lightweight and will not bend your branches. And each dog ornament comes in sturdy, giftable packaging.

Cons: These ornaments are extremely delicate. Be sure to handle them carefully, keep them out of reach of children (and furry friends), and store them securely with bubble wrap.

Bottom Line: If you want a piece of nostalgia to represent or commemorate your pup, these traditional glass ornaments are a great way to do that for the holiday season.

 

Pros: This carefully boxed set of 24 glass ornaments includes 12 3.5-inch long icicles and 12 5.5-inch icicles. Each ornament is made of clear glass that’s expertly detailed to look like ice and dazzle among your Christmas tree lights. They add an icy, wintery texture to your tree that looks and feels more elegant than plastic or resin icicle ornaments. And each ornament comes with a loop attached for easy hanging. These ornaments are shipped in a sturdy box that’s padded with bubble wrap, and each ornament is individually wrapped in tissue paper to ensure they arrive intact.

Cons: The strings are pretty long, and the ornaments may look better on the branches of your tree if you shorten them a bit.

Bottom Line: Do you love creating an icy, wintry look on your Christmas tree? These gorgeous icicle ornaments add a touch of sparkle with a realistic icy drip design.

 

Pros: One of these garden-themed ornaments may be the perfect gift for a gardening guru. Each is hand designed by artists with techniques used for hundreds of years. The molten glass is mouth-blown into finely carved molds for precise shapes that look like your favorite flowers, gardening tools, seeds, and garden accessories. There are over a dozen fun garden designs to collect. And each ornament has a touch of glitter for the perfect amount of sparkle on your Christmas tree.

Cons: This is a more expensive option than some others.

Bottom Line: These unique gifts are handmade by experts to achieve a classic, vintage-inspired look. They’re beautiful, made from glass, and come in giftable packaging. Though they’re a bit more expensive than some other options, many buyers felt they were worth the money.

 

Pros: With over 25 color choices, you’ll be sure to find your favorite color or colors of classy glass ornaments to choose from. They’re nearly 3 inches in diameter, so they’re small enough not to weigh down your branches and large enough to make a statement. The insides of the glass ornaments have a silvery finish to make the colors on the outside pop and sparkle. And each ornament is handmade by artisans in North America. Plus, these ornaments come with loops and hooks for easy hanging.

Cons: The packaging is a little flimsy.

Bottom Line: Do you love the look of classic glass Christmas bulbs? These are an excellent selection. The colors are vibrant and vintage, and each box comes with eight ornaments.

 

Pros: This set comes with two packs of 12 assorted classic Christmas ornaments. You can get a candy cane, snowman, Santa, snowflake, angel, wreath (and more) in this multipack. Each ornament comes with a string loop to hang it on your tree. These delightfully cheerful ornaments will brighten your home with the good feelings of the holiday season. They’re the perfect size for a mini tree or to fill in some gaps on your full-size Christmas tree.

Cons: Some painting on the ornaments is on the sloppy side. Instead of looking hand-painted with care, some look like mass-produced products, and you may not admire them as much while up close.

Bottom Line: These miniature ornaments capture the cheerful essence of the holiday season. They are cute and fun holiday ornament staples.

Final Thoughts

Glass ornaments are a timeless holiday feature. Their beauty and nostalgia inspire joy for millions around the world. No matter how you like to decorate your home or who you plan to give them to, glass ornaments are an underrated staple of the season.