Acrylic vs Ceramic Ornaments: A Simple Guide
Want help choosing custom ornaments for clients, staff, or a trade show? Start a quick quote with The Monterey Company. We’ll help you pick size, finish, and customization options.
Key Takeaways
- ✦ Acrylic ornaments are lighter and usually withstand drops better than ceramic ones.
- ✦ Ceramic Christmas ornaments do give that classic look, but don’t have the durability.
- ✦ For business ornaments, acrylic is often the low-stress pick. But for timeless gifts, ceramic is the answer.
I’ve had this talk at my own Christmas Tree while picking up a broken piece and acting calm. Acrylic vs ceramic ornaments sounds nerdy, then the tree gets bumped, and it stops being nerdy. For us with kids and pets, my passed-down ceramic ornaments are all in pieces. Ceramic is very timeless and classy, although. Still, for most orders, I prefer custom acrylic ornaments.
Acrylic vs Ceramic Ornaments
Ornament Types at a Glance
There are lots of ornament types. You’ll see glass ornaments, custom leather ornaments, wooden ornaments, ceramic Christmas ornaments, and even stainless steel or other types of custom metal ornaments. We are also seeing more customers mix ornaments into home decor, such as wall hook displays in the living room, and even in garden design. Yes, even garden designs. Some folks collect vintage ceramic ornaments just for the nostalgia.
Acrylic ornaments are made from a clear plastic sheet that is printed and cut. Clear acrylic can maintain a glossy finish and show great detail perfectly, like a family portrait under the family name (my personal favorite in my collection). Modern acrylic can look clean on a Christmas tree and still fit many decor styles. People ask about acrylic paint, and it can work, though adhesion can be hit-or-miss. There are some fun DIY videos on YouTube for acrylic-painted ornaments if you are interested in digging into that project. Most acrylic manufacturers add a print under the premium acrylic top.
If you want ceramic, one simple supplier option is Zazzle. They sell ceramic ornaments you can customize with photos and text.
Christmas Tree Durability Test
On a Christmas Tree, weight distribution matters. Heavy ornaments pull branches down and create stress points at the hook or hole. Ceramic Christmas ornaments are often heavier than acrylic, so small branches can sag. Acrylic has better impact resistance, so it usually survives a tumble.
Now the messy truth. Breakage rates go up when kids, pets, or crowded storage bins get involved. Ceramics can chip, and that chip is all you see. Traditional custom glass ornaments can shatter. Acrylic tends to handle wear and tear better, even if it gets a small scuff.
Buying Guide: Ceramic vs Acrylic
Print, color, and finish
Ceramic can feel classic and smooth, and the “keepsake” vibe is real. Still, photo prints on ceramic sometimes look softer, and curved surfaces can make images bend in odd ways. Clear Acrylic can look crisp, and modern acrylic can give a clean, bright finish that feels more like a product than a craft project. If you plan to use acrylic paint, test first. Paint adhesion varies by surface and topcoat.
Finish and Print Quality
When it comes to finish, I think glossy can feel “wow” fast, then you take a photo, and the glare shows up right over the face. A glossy finish on acrylic ornaments often looks crisp and clean, kind of like a printed sign in mini form. Clear acrylic makes colors look almost literally perfect, at least in my experience. Photo quality stays sharp, tiny details don’t blur, and you can pull off super intricate color gradients without that “muddy” look that sometimes shows up on other materials. Even small text, like a family name, stays clean and easy to read, which matters a lot during the holiday season when you’re ordering for teams, clients, or loved ones. It’s also often cheaper than ceramic, so you can get the look you want without watching the total creep up at checkout. Matte acrylic can look softer and more “modern,” and it hides fingerprints better, which is nice if lots of hands are touching the tree.
Ceramic Christmas ornaments can go two ways. Glossy ceramic tends to look classic and smooth, and it can feel like a keepsake you’d carefully pack away. Matte ceramic has a cozy, handmade vibe, yet photo prints can look a little less “photo-like” to me, almost slightly muted. Part of it is the surface and shape. Ceramics often have a curve, and photos can wrap in a way that slightly bends faces.
Laser engraving isn’t an option on acrylic or ceramic ornaments, so if you’re after that etched, engraved look, it’s going to be a miss with either material. That service works best on our metal, leather, and custom wood ornaments, so if you want that style, treat it like a “new arrival” direction change and consider a different material, even if you were set on an ornament gift card/s idea at first. For super-thin ornaments that are easy to mail, we suggest our new photo-etched bronze, which allows engraving and stays sleek in an envelope.
If your main goal is a clean photo print, acrylic usually wins on sharp lines and fine details. Ceramic can still look great for simple art, icons, or a short message, and I do like how it feels in your hand. Still, if you want that “this looks like the original file” look, acrylic ornaments are often the safer pick, even if I’m being a little cautious here.
Why we make acrylic ornaments only
At The Monterey Company, we only produce personalized acrylic ornaments. It’s a choice we made after years of seeing what holds up and what customers truly want. We love that the prints are crisp and stay light. Modern Acrylic is also easy to store flat. If you want a shape cut to your art, we can do die-cut shapes without any problems.
We keep production monitoring tight so edges are smooth and holes are clean. Production monitoring helps us spot print shifts before packing. Our quality standards focus on clean cuts and solid hang points. Quality assurance is huge, and getting what you paid for is the first priority.
This process applies to all our custom ornament types, including wood, glass, metal, and even our three-dimensional customized PVC rubber ornaments. Which you don’t see every day.
Wrap-up
If you want that old-school feel, vintage ceramic ornaments can be a great choice, even if the sale price is higher. Ceramic Christmas ornaments can feel special for a small family gift, too. If you want fewer worries, acrylic ornaments are often the safer bet. Either way, holiday decor should feel fun, not stressful.
If you want a clean, high-quality ornament for clients, staff, or as a trade show giveaway, reach out via our site and include your email address and phone number so we can share a proof and a clear timeline.
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Eric Turney
Eric Turney A devoted father, football fanatic, and stand-up comedy enthusiast who loves nothing more than bringing people together over great food and a good time. When he’s not cheering on his favorite team or experimenting in the kitchen, you can find him connecting with others on LinkedIn
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