I love Christmas.
I love the lights, the music, the traditions, the anticipation—and especially the feeling of pulling out the boxes of Christmas decorations each year.
But there is one part of decorating the tree that I love more than almost anything else.
The ornaments.
Not just the ornaments themselves, but the memories that come with them.
My Own Keepsake Ornament Tradition
Many years ago, I started a tradition of buying myself a new Christmas ornament every year.
It doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate.
I simply look for something that I love.
Something that catches my eye.
Something that feels like it belongs on my tree.
Then, when Christmas comes around, I add that year's ornament to the collection.
One by one.
Year by year.
And now, when I decorate my tree, I get to see a little collection of my own life hanging in front of me.
Every Ornament Reminds Me of Something
There's something funny about Christmas ornaments.
You can forget about something for years, and then suddenly you'll pick up an ornament you've had forever and remember exactly where it came from.
A trip.
A particular Christmas.
A person.
A home you used to live in.
A period of your life that somehow feels both incredibly recent and impossibly long ago.
That's what I love about decorating my tree.
I'm not just putting up Christmas decorations.
I'm revisiting pieces of my life.
Some memories are big.
Some are tiny.
Some make me laugh.
Some make me a little nostalgic.
But each ornament has a place in the story.
Watching My Son Discover Those Memories
Perhaps the most meaningful part of my ornament collection now is seeing my son experience it with me.
As we decorate the tree, he'll recognize certain ornaments and say things like:
“Those are my Mom's favourites.”
And honestly, I love that.
He may not know the entire story behind every ornament yet, but he's learning that these little pieces matter to me.
He's learning that we don't just throw them into a box at the end of Christmas and forget about them.
We carefully put them away.
We bring them out again.
We remember.
And I hope that one day, he'll have his own collection of keepsakes that carries the same kind of meaning for him.
That's Why I Love Making Christmas Ornaments
When I create my own handmade Christmas ornaments, I'm bringing that same love of the holidays and nostalgia for the season into my work.
I genuinely enjoy making them.
I love thinking about what makes a Christmas ornament fun, charming, beautiful or memorable.
I love working with colour.
I love the little details.
And I love imagining someone discovering one of my ornaments and deciding that this one belongs on their tree.
Maybe they'll buy it for themselves.
Maybe they'll give it to someone they love.
Maybe it will become one of their favourites.
I don't get to know what happens after it leaves my studio—and I think that's part of the magic.
A Handmade Ornament Becomes Part of Someone Else's Collection
When I sell a Christmas ornament, I know I'm sending a small piece of my own holiday spirit out into the world.
But once it reaches its new home, it becomes something more.
It becomes part of someone else's Christmas.
Maybe it joins ornaments they've collected over the years.
Maybe it's the first ornament in a brand-new collection.
Maybe it's a gift from someone special.
Maybe it becomes the ornament their child reaches for first.
That's the wonderful thing about keepsakes.
Their meaning grows after they leave the person who made them.
One Ornament, One Year, One Memory
That's why I love the idea of choosing one special ornament every year.
It doesn't need to represent a major milestone.
It doesn't need to have a name or date engraved on it.
It simply needs to be something you love.
Over time, those ornaments become a record of your life.
One year at a time.
One memory at a time.
And years from now, when you unpack the decorations, you'll have something more valuable than a box of pretty things.
You'll have reminders of who you were.
Where you were.
Who you loved.
And the life you were building.
I Hope My Ornaments Become Someone's Favourite
When I'm creating my Christmas collection, I bring my own love of the holidays to every piece.
I think about the joy of decorating.
The excitement of discovering something new.
The nostalgia of old ornaments.
And the feeling of seeing the tree come together year after year.
I hope that some of my ornaments find their way into collections that grow over time.
I hope someone chooses one this year and then looks forward to choosing another next year.
I hope a child eventually points to one and says:
“That's my Mom's favourite.”
Because that's when I know the ornament has become more than something I made.
It's become part of someone's story.
Handmade Canadian Christmas Ornaments
My Christmas ornaments are handcrafted in my Alberta studio and made with my own love of the holiday season.
They're designed to be enjoyed now, collected over the years and—hopefully—cherished for generations.
If you're looking for a unique Canadian-made Christmas ornament, or you're ready to start your own yearly keepsake tradition, explore my Seasonal Collection at krystaljones.ca.
One ornament. One year. One memory at a time.
