How to Make Personalized Christmas Ornaments: Turn Your Tree Into a Memory Book

Key Takeaways

• ▸ Personalized Christmas ornaments make meaningful gifts that family members will cherish for years to come.

• ▸ You can create DIY Christmas ornaments using simple materials from any craft store or items you already have at home.

• ▸ Handmade ornaments add a personal touch to your holiday decor and can become treasured keepsakes that tell your family’s story.

• ▸ With the right techniques, anyone can make beautiful custom Christmas ornaments, no artistic skills required.

• ▸ Save the mess and have a professional like The Monterey Company create your Custom Ornaments.

How to Make Personalized Christmas Ornaments: Turn Your Tree Into a Memory Book

Let’s be honest. Those generic Christmas tree ornaments you bought last year are… fine. They’re shiny, they hang there, they do their job. But do they make you smile when you walk past your tree? Do they tell a story? Probably not.

That’s where personalized or branded Christmas ornaments come in. I think there’s something really special about decorating your tree with handmade ornaments that actually mean something. Perhaps it’s the tiny handprint from when your kid was two, or maybe it’s that goofy photo of your dog wearing a Santa hat. These are the decorations that turn your Christmas tree into a timeline of your life.

And here’s the best part: you don’t need to be crafty to make them. Seriously.

Ready to create ornaments that’ll have everyone asking “where did you get that?”

Connect with our team, and we will craft extremely high-quality custom ornaments for you.

Why Custom-made and DIY Christmas Ornaments Beat Store-Bought Every Time

Sure, you could head to the mall and buy another box of identical glass balls. Or you could spend an evening making Christmas ornament crafts that your loved ones will actually fight over when you’re gone. (Morbid? Maybe. True? Absolutely.)

Getting Started: What You Actually Need

The Basic Supplies

Before you dive into making your own ornaments, let’s talk supplies. The good news is you probably have half of this stuff already. The bad news is you’re about to develop a craft store addiction. It happens to the best of us.

Here’s what you’ll want to grab ⬇️

Acrylic paint is your friend. It sticks to basically everything, dries quickly, and comes in every color imaginable. Grab a few paint brushes, too, unless you enjoy getting paint under your fingernails. (Some of us do. No judgment.) I typically buy packs of acrylic paints from Amazon. They are inexpensive and come in some fun kits. Here are a couple popular options: Shuttle 50 Paint + Brushes Set, 24 Colors + Brushes Set

For the fancy folks, a Cricut machine or other cutting machine opens up a whole world of possibilities. You can cut vinyl, cardstock, and even thin wood. But don’t worry if you don’t have one. Scissors still work great. I promise. Cricut is very cool, but it’s more for experienced ornament builders.

Mod Podge is basically magic glue. It seals, it sticks, it makes things shiny. Get some. You’ll use it more than you think. I ordered this from Amazon as well. Cheap, inexpensive, and it works like a charm. Here is the exact product I ordered: Mod Podge from Amazon.

Other helpful items: ribbon, twine, glitter (if you’re brave), cookie cutters for tracing shapes, photo paper for DIY photo ornaments, and maybe a paper towel or twelve for cleanup. I am a frequent flyer at my local Hobby Lobby and load up on all these fun supplies.

Tools That Level Up Your Game

If you want to get a bit more advanced, consider these additions. A laser engraver can create incredibly detailed designs on wood ornaments. Yes, they’re pricey, but if you’re serious about making custom Christmas ornaments, they’re worth looking into. We use our CO2 laser engraver to add personalization to wood, glass, and even custom metal ornaments. You can start with something easy, like an xTool laser tool, for hobbyists. This is an excellent tool.

A scraper tool helps with vinyl application if you’re using a cutting machine. And honestly, a good pair of scissors beats a mediocre cutting machine any day.

Easy Christmas Ornament Ideas That Look Impressive

Photo Ornaments That Capture Memories

Let’s start with the crowd-pleaser: DIY photo ornaments. These are ridiculously easy, and people go crazy for them.

Or… Another option is to have The Monterey Company do custom photo ornaments for you. We need a photo, and we can print it in high resolution and apply a thick layer of acrylic over the ornament for that excellent, rich look. Customized acrylic ornaments can be produced quickly and can be fully custom-shaped. Simple, easy, and no extra trips to the craft store.

Handprint and Paw Print Keepsakes

Glitter Ornaments for People Who Like Sparkle

Warning: glitter is forever. It will be in your house forever. Accept this before proceeding.

That said, glitter ornaments are stunning. Place clear ornaments inside, add a small amount of floor cleaner or liquid floor polish, swirl it around, then pour in your glitter. Put the cap back on and shake as if your life depends on it. The glitter sticks to the inside of the ornament, creating a beautiful, sparkly effect.

Personalized Name and Initial Ornaments

This is where that cutting machine really shines, though you can absolutely do this by hand, too. Cut out names, initials, or meaningful words from vinyl or cardstock and attach them to ornaments.

Advanced Techniques for the Ambitious

Using Cookie Cutters for Perfect Shapes

Creating Layered Ornaments

This technique involves stacking different materials to create depth. Start with a base ornament, add a layer of patterned cardstock, then maybe a photo or vinyl design on top. It sounds complicated, but it’s really just fancy layering.

The trick is using a good adhesive. Mod Podge works, but for heavier layers, you might want stronger craft glue. Just don’t use hot glue on clear ornaments unless you want cloudy spots. Learn from my mistakes. This layered look gives the appearance of a customized rubber ornament, with fun raised and recessed areas.

Christmas Tree Decorations with a Personal Touch

Want to take your custom ornaments to the next level?

We can help create bulk custom Christmas ornaments that are perfect for retail.
The video below goes into depth on retailing ornaments

Making Ornaments as Christmas Gifts

Here’s a great idea: give personalized ornaments as a token of appreciation instead of Christmas cards this year. Hear me out. A Christmas card gets looked at once, maybe twice, then recycled. An ornament? That comes out every single holiday season. It’s the gift that literally keeps on giving.

For loved ones, create ornaments that reflect inside jokes, shared memories, or their interests. For example, if your friend loves coffee, make an ornament with a tiny coffee cup design and their name. It’s thoughtful without being expensive.

You could even start a tradition. Give someone a new personalized ornament every year. Eventually, they’ll have a whole tree’s worth of memories, all from you.

Holiday Season Projects for the Whole Family

Get everyone involved in making ornaments. Set-up a crafting station with all your supplies and let people create whatever they want. Yes, it’ll be messy. Yes, some ornaments will be… interesting. But that’s part of the fun.

Storing and Caring for Your Handmade Ornaments

Let’s talk about the practical stuff for a second. You’re going to put effort into making these, so let’s make sure they last.

Store handmade ornaments separately from heavy commercial ones. Wrap each ornament in tissue paper or bubble wrap. I use egg cartons for small ornaments. They fit perfectly and stack nicely.

Keep them in a cool, dry place. Attics get too hot, basements get too damp. A closet shelf is usually perfect. Label your boxes clearly. Trust me, future you will appreciate this.

For ornaments with photos, keep them out of direct sunlight on your tree. UV rays fade photos over time. This isn’t a huge deal for ornaments that only hang for a few weeks, but it’s worth knowing.

For a much deeper dive into storing custom ornaments, here is an excellent article that goes in depth on exactly how to store your wonderful custom ornaments looking sharp year after year.

Turning Your Hobby Into Something More

If you’re really getting into making personalized Christmas ornaments, you might consider sharing your creations. Social media is full of craft communities where people share Christmas ornament ideas and techniques. Instagram and Pinterest are particularly great for this.

Some people even turn this hobby into a small business. Sell ornaments at local craft fairs or through social media. Just remember, if you’re selling, you need to follow copyright laws for any designs you use. Keep it original or use properly licensed designs.

Ready to expand your ornament-making operation? 🎄

Connect with The Monterey Company for bulk custom orders

Final Thoughts: Just Start Making

Here’s the thing about making personalized Christmas ornaments: your first ones probably won’t be perfect. Mine certainly weren’t. I’ve made ornaments that were too heavy and fell off the tree. I’ve had glitter disasters. I once accidentally used permanent marker on an ornament thinking it was paint pen. It happens.

But each ornament you make teaches you something. You figure out what works, what doesn’t, and what definitely shouldn’t be done while drinking eggnog. And even the “failed” ornaments usually turn into funny stories and cherished memories.

The holiday season goes by quickly. Before you know it, you’ll be packing up your decorations and wondering where the time went. But those handmade ornaments? They stick around. They become part of your family’s history. They’re proof that you took the time to create something meaningful.

So grab some blank ornaments, round up your supplies, and just start. Make mistakes. Get glitter everywhere. Create wonderfully imperfect ornaments. Because in the end, the best ornaments aren’t the prettiest ones. They’re the ones that make you smile when you hang them up, year after year.

Merry Christmas, and happy crafting!