Christmas Ornament Themes

Welcome to the magical world of Christmas ornament themes. Every year, households around the globe adorn their homes with a variety of decorations to celebrate the season. Decorations that reflect personal style, family traditions and heritage.

Whether you are a veteran decorator or this is your very first year, exploring a variety of Christmas ornament themes can help reveal what's important to you and that best reflects your season of life.

Considerations When Choosing Christmas Ornament Themes

Thinking about your space and your preferences and your particular situation will really help you hone in on a theme that will be perfect for you.

• Do you want a theme that reflects your hobbies or interests? (books, sports, pets, travel) 
• Do you have a particular ambience that appeals to you? (sophisticated, whimsical, contemporary, casual) 
• Do you like trendy themes or timeless classics?
• Do you need decorations that are safe for kids or pets? 

• How big is your tree? Smaller trees may limit the number and size of ornaments that can be accommodated while larger trees offer more options for larger ornaments and elaborate themes. You may also give consideration to whether you will have a real or artificial tree. Heavy ornaments on a real tree are best suited towards the middle of the tree where branches are thicker. They may also require extra support such as securing the ornament to a branch with pipe cleaners.   

• Are you decorating a mantel, shelf or stair railings as well as a tree? Considering all areas you intend to decorate may help you choose a theme that is well suited to each area. The bigger your house and more spread out the areas, the more themes you could potentially utilize. Or you choose one theme for the entire home for a cohesive look.

• A sentimental theme could be ideal for you if you treasure family heirlooms, hand made ornaments, or ornaments that celebrate significant milestones. Think you don't have any family heirlooms? It could be something as simple as framing your mom's hand-written recipe card with your favourite Christmas cookie, and hang from the tree with a velvet ribbon. 

• Consider the colours and style of your home. For a harmonious look you may want to either match or contrast to your existing decor. If you're not sure what will look best together, use a colour wheel to find complementary colours. Although in my opinion the classic tones of red, green and gold are always a solid choice or the winter wonderland palette of blue, silver and white.

• How much to spend on Christmas is a dilemma most people can relate to. The upside about buying Christmas decorations is that it is a long-term investment. You'll buy things this year that will still be meaningful and make your heart happy years from now. I still have a 2-foot tree adorned with wooden ornaments that were bought in the 80's. My advice is to buy a set of decorations (or ask for a set as a gift) to get started and start building your collection. Determine your annual decoration budget and make decisions between affordable store-bought items and collectible pieces such as Swarovski crystal snowflakes. With stores such as Etsy and Spirit of Christmas, you can shop any time to spread your purchases throughout the year. Shopping throughout the year can be a helpful strategy to avoid spending too much during the Christmas season. 

• If you have a creative side, you can make unique, personalized ornaments to adorn your own tree with or to give away as gifts. Much of this site will be dedicated to ideas and tutorials for ornaments you can make at home. Be sure to bookmark Coast Ornaments and come back often for exciting new content. 

Why Choose a Theme?

One of the best reasons for choosing a Christmas ornament theme is that it can help guide your future purchases (and creations). If you know that your theme is "winter wonderland" and the colours you decided on are blue, silver and white then that green glass pickle (that gives you a chuckle) won't end up in your cart! You don't have to have a theme but it sure can make it easier to focus if you do! 

Christmas Ornament Themes

Traditional Christmas Ornaments

Timeless classics feature shades of reds and greens with white, gold and silver. Most often we think of shiny round balls that are either solid in colour or may display a Christmas motif such as holly or candy canes.  

Other Christmas ornament themes that are considered traditional include:

• Santa Claus
• Mr. and Mrs. Claus
• Father Christmas
• Snowflakes
• Snowmen/women
• Reindeer
• Ornaments with religious significance
• Stars
• Angels

Modern Minimalism

For anyone who appreciates a minimalist aesthetic then clear glass, monochromatic colour schemes and simple geometric shapes such as stars, will appeal to your sleek, contemporary style. Clean lines and other materials such as wood and metal will complement the modern minimalism theme.

Vintage

Vintage-themed ornaments evoke nostalgia of times gone by. When I think of vintage, I think of the vibrant pinks and blues of the 60's and 70's and the exquisite finial and teardrop shapes. For others it is designs inspired by the Victorian era, the Art Deco period or mid-century. Vintage ornaments can include retro-inspired figurines such as Victorian skaters, Father Christmas, delicate lace accents and antique mercury glass baubles.

You obviously can't walk into a store and buy a box of vintage ornaments but you can still occasionally find authentic items through resellers, at yard sales, church fundraisers and if you're lucky - your grandparent's basement! There are however new ornaments inspired by vintage techniques, styles and materials readily available.

Nature-Inspired

Celebrate the great outdoors by bringing the outside in. With natural materials such as pinecones, berries, bark and driftwood, decorations in this theme have an earthy, rustic appeal. Add in woodland creatures such as deer, fox and owls and you have a charming theme that celebrates the simplistic beauty of nature.

Glitz and Glam

Do you like a little sparkle and shine? A Glitz and Glam Christmas ornament theme might be perfect for you. With this theme you'll decorate with glittering baubles, sequins, pearls, crystals, feathers, beads and more! If it shimmers and shines, it is perfect for this theme. Metallic tones such as gold, silver and bronze and the more modern champagne and blush pink colours add to the opulence. Get ready to dazzle!

Personalized & Keepsake

Probably my favourite Christmas ornament theme! What better way to cherish those special memories than with a personalized or keepsake ornament. From graduation, to our first home to baby's first Christmas, the sheer volume of milestones that can be celebrated with thoughtful ornaments is mind-bending. Dated ornaments that highlight special moments throughout the year can be found in Hallmark stores across the nation or you can make your own. 

Upcycled & DIY

So many everyday items can be made into ornaments. Consider the hand-written recipe card above, salt dough ornaments your child made or a hand crocheted bauble for your aunt.

I love DIY ornaments so expect this section to grow the fastest in the coming months as I create new items and share how to instructions with you (and videos if I get brave enough). Bookmark Coast Ornaments and come back often for ideas and inspiration or just to say hi!