Christmas Ornament Clipart Pictures

Christmas tree ornaments have a long and evolving history dating back to the 16th century. In early modern Germany, the first decorated trees were adorned with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels, and paper flowers. By the 1800s, glass beads and homemade ornaments made from wood, beads, tin, and cardboard had become popular tree decorations.

The first glass tree balls or baubles were produced in the town of Lauscha, Germany by Hans Greiner who developed the technologies and molds to mass produce them. The glass ornaments spread across Europe and made their way to the United States by the 1880s. By this time, wool thread, metal hooks, and machinery enabled large-scale ornament production.

In the early 20th century, manufacturers began producing fancier ornaments including beaded garlands, tinsels, electric tree lights, and brightly colored bubble lights. After World War II plastics became widely used materials for ornaments. Aluminum tree ornaments rose and fell in popularity during the 1960s and 1970s. More recently themed ornaments and kitsch decorations have become perennial favorites.

Types of Christmas Ornaments

There are several predominant materials used to manufacture Christmas ornaments today:

Glass – Glass ball ornaments and baubles are still the most popular type of ornament. They come in an endless array of colors, shapes and designs.

Plastic – Lightweight, durable, and inexpensive, plastic ornaments allow for mass production of colorful and detailed decorations.

Wood – Intricately carved wooden ornaments originating in Germany and Eastern Europe are craft favorites.

Fabric – Stuffed shapes and ornaments made using textiles and sewing are common homemade decor.

Straw – Ornaments woven from rye, wheat, or barley stems give a natural, earthy look.

Paper – Homemade paper decorations, chains, snowflakes, and baskets are classic DIY ornaments.

Metal – Tin, silver, and gold ornaments create a glamorous sparkling tree.

Traditional Christmas Ornaments

There are many styles of ornaments that are considered vintage or classic Christmas decorations:

Bubble lights – Mid-century candle-shaped plastic lights filled with bubbling liquid
Candy canes – Glass twisted candy cane shapes in red and white stripes
Snowflakes – Delicate decorations made of glass, lace, beads or glimmering metal
Angels – Ethereal figurines with flowing gowns, wings and halos
Santas – Jolly renditions of St.Nick carrying gifts or driving his sleigh
Icicles – Dripping teardrop or zig-zag shapes mimicking hanging ice
Baubles – Simple glass sphere balls that refract light in festive colors
Pine cones – Naturalistic brown cone shapes festooned with beads, berries and faux snow
Christmas trees – Mini replicas of pine, fir and spruce trees

Christmas Ornament Crafts

Handmade Christmas ornaments allow for creativity and customization. Some ideas for DIY ornament craft projects include:

Felt shapes – Cut out and sew festive shapes like stars, stockings and trees
Popsicle stick frames – Glue sticks together and add a photo or graphic inside
Nature prints – Use natural items like leaves or pinecones to imprint clay ornaments
Perler bead designs – Patterned sprites fused with an ornament hook added on top
Dough ornaments – Roll and cut ornament shapes from salt dough or cinnamon dough
Tropical ornaments – Make beach themed decor from seashells and palm fronds
Decoupage – Cut out images and napkins to decoupage onto plain wood or glass ball ornaments

Christmas Ornament Clipart

Clipart refers to simple ready-to-use graphics, illustrations and images that can be copied or modified. Christmas ornament clipart usually consists of vintage-inspired vector images like:

Toys: rocking horses, stuffed bears, blocks, jack-in-the boxes
Sweet treats: candy canes, gingerbread men, sugar plums
Decorations: wreaths, trees, stockings, bows, bells, candles
Characters: Santa Claus, elves, reindeer, nutcrackers, angels
Signs and symbols: ornaments, snowflakes, poinsettias, stars

The clipart can be used as a starting point for crafts, cards, banners, and other holiday decorating or DIY projects.

Using Christmas Ornament Clipart

Here are some ways to creatively use vintage Christmas ornament clipart graphics and images:

Collages – Print, cut out and paste a unique Christmas ornament collage
Craft templates – Trace or cut clipart designs from wood, felt, or fabric
Printable coloring pages – Add color to black and white printable clipart
Cards – Make unique Christmas cards using ornament graphics
Decals and stickers – Print clipart onto sticker paper to decorate gifts and invitations
Ornament transfers – Print designs onto special transfer paper to decorate plain ornaments
Scrap booking – Incorporate clipart into holiday memory books and journals
Displays – Project lighted clipart images or silhouettes for a window or outdoor display

Christmas Ornament Trends

Christmas ornament trends tend to follow popular culture and current events while drawing inspiration from different decades past. Some recent trends include:

Pop culture characters – Ornaments featuring Disney characters, Star Wars, super heroes
Pet ornaments – Dog, cat and other pet shaped designs with customization
Destination ornaments – Decor that features landmarks and icons from different global cities or countries
Photo print ornaments – Custom designs printed directly onto glass balls with personal images
Foraged style – Natural shapes and found object ornaments using twigs, acorns, chestnuts, wood slices
Mid-century retro – Vintage 1950s-1970s styles and plastic molded shapes
Iridescent and metallic – Mirror-like reflective glass paired with gold and silver accents
Over-the-top themed trees – Having entire trees with color stories or themes like pink champagne or gnomes

Collecting Christmas Ornaments

Christmas ornaments have become collectible items and family heirlooms with sentimental value. Some tips for starting or caring for an ornament collection include:

Curate for continuity – Collect ornaments that share a theme, style, or color scheme
Focus on limited edition runs – Seek out unusual specimens released in small quantities
Archive vintage finds – Carefully store old European glass, rhinestones, and spun glass
Catalog and document – Note details and history to preserve family legacies
Display seasonally – Allow collectibles to shine and periodically interchange tree decor
Protect fragile artifacts – Wrap delicate glass filigree ornaments and antique beads carefully to prevent scratches

Caring for Christmas Ornaments

Christmas tree ornaments can become cherished heirlooms when properly stored and cared for. Here are some tips:

Use sturdy hooks – Replace loose eye hooks and wire loops to prevent damage from drops
Pad ornament storage containers – Line boxes with bubble wrap or soft tissue paper
Wrap fragile pieces – Carefully encase intricate glass or porcelain ornaments before storing to prevent chips and cracks
Avoid attics and garages – Temperature fluctuations can fade old ornaments so store boxes in interior closets
Periodically inspect ornaments and discard damaged items that may tear and destroy adjacent decorations in storage
Clean with gentle soap and water – Avoid hard scrubbing and submerging metallic decorations when cleaning

Displaying Christmas Ornaments

The tree itself presents the perfect opportunity for showcasing treasured ornaments but they can be creatively used in other holiday displays as well:

Showcase silhouettes in windows – Hang ornaments in front of strings of lights to cast shapes and shadows on windows
Drape jewel toned beads over mantels – Mix shapes and shiny baubles on garlands across fireplace mantels or shelving
Nestle vintage finds in pine boughs on centerpieces – Tuck smaller collectible ornaments in evergreen foliage and pinecones on tables
Suspend swirling mobiles from ceilings – Craft dangly wire or fishing line displays with an assortment of hanging round ornaments
Scatter matching sets across tables capes – Allow themed collections like miniature carousels or nutcrackers to shine by arranging vignettes across tables and sideboards

Those are just a few ideas for working prized ornaments into seasonal decor! With a little creativity they can shine beyond just the Christmas tree.

In this page clipartix present 52 christmas ornament clipart images free for designing activities. Lets download Christmas Ornament Clipart that you want to use for works or personal uses.