Category: Gifts

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Christmas In July!

airplane family of four personalized christmas ornament

As the temperatures soar and we enjoy the beach, ice cream, and outdoor picnics it seems a funny time to think about snow, Santa Claus and Christmas, but that is what Christmas in July is all about! There are five months until families and friends gather to celebrate the Christmas holidays but it is both fun and practical to make some Christmas shopping plans now. We all know that time for shopping is hard to find in December, but now in July it’s a breath of fresh air to think of Christmas present shopping. Finding the perfect gift for your friends and family can be a challenge, but personalized Christmas ornaments handmade of dough by Calliope Designs are just the right gift.

July is Not Far from Christmas Celebrations and Gifts!

An individual handmade Christmas ornament is something that you can be proud to give as a gift. The wide range of designs that we offer means that you can find something special for your loved ones. There are personalized sports ornaments for athletes like football, wrestling, baseball, fishing, tennis, and karate (and more!) and each can be personalized with a name, a year or a special message. Do you have a new baby in your life? We have special ornaments for ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ for that new bundle of joy! These ornaments last a lifetime and will bring a smile of joy to your loved one each year that they display these treasured gifts. These beautiful ornaments are crafted to capture the joy of Christmas for you and your loved ones!

Family
When the family comes together at the holidays it is a time of celebration, catching up, remembering and having fun. You can commemorate each of these years with a special personalized family ornament that can be hung every year to remember that special gathering. We have snowmen, penguins, angels, gingerbread houses, teddy bears all to bring cheer and good wishes to your family. You can make a gift of an ornament that celebrates each branch of the family with the names of parents and children to be shared, or you can give individual ornaments to each person so that they can treasure that year. Have the grandkids found a new sport that they love? You can give them an ornament that features their new passion! Has someone graduated? Gotten engaged? Celebrating a special anniversary? These are all moments that Calliope Designs celebrates with its Christmas ornaments.

Friends, Neighbors and More!
Christmas in July is the perfect time to think about what you need as the Holidays roll around once more. December is a hectic time for everyone and getting a bit of the planning and work out of the way now will give you more time for baking, wrapping and visiting! Many children enjoy giving their teachers and coaches a present at Christmas- let them take a look at our personalized Christmas ornaments for the teacher or student! You can order the perfect ornament for the baseball or tennis coach as well as their school teachers. Does your neighbor love to fish? Sail? Are they a doctor? Fireman? Teacher? There are ornaments that feature all of these and more- a fun way to celebrate the holidays and your friendship! We have a special ornament that features two houses standing side-by-side, decorated for the holidays- perfect for you and your next door neighbor to celebrate Christmas. Have you been best friends for years? We have ornaments that celebrate the special bond of friendship, a delightful gift that can be shared with your favorite person!

Hostess Gifts
Many of us will be attending Christmas parties and gatherings with friends, neighbors, and colleagues from work and it is customary to bring a token of your appreciation and Christmas sentiment to these parties. Charming personalized ornaments for homes and neighbors make a perfect size gift that can be enjoyed in any home- or even the office! You can choose one special holiday ornament or a variety of ornaments and perhaps have them personalized only with the year or a holiday greeting appropriate for neighbors, friends, and co-workers so that they can be given as gifts. You never know when someone might surprise you with a present, so it’s a great idea to have a few ‘extra’ presents hidden away so that you can return the favor.

Easy Online Shopping
Christmas shopping online means that you can browse the wide selection of ornaments and place an order with a few clicks of the mouse! There are pictures of each of the ornaments, all of which show you how they can also be personalized, meaning you can find just what you want. We have our ornaments organized by categories to help you search, but you can also use our ‘search’ window to find something specific. We also have a section with our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ so that you can find the answers to any question. If you still have questions you can email us! No mileage on your car, no packages to carry, no parking spaces to find- shopping at www.calliopedesigns.com is a cinch!

Beat The Rush
Thinking about Christmas in July means that you beat the rush! You will have carefully planned, beautifully crafted, handmade ornaments stashed away and ready for you to give as gifts. If you finish your Christmas shopping early it means that you can double-check your lists, ensuring that no one is overlooked or forgotten in the Christmas rush. Ordering now means that you don’t have to worry about the most popular items being out of stock. And you don’t have to worry about squeezing in past the shipping deadline or delays in the mail as the 25th of December approaches! We can even gift wrap your ornaments for you- a time saver indeed! When everyone else is struggling to try and find just the right last minute gift you’ll have the best wrapped and ready to give to friends and family!

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Finding the Perfect Ornament for Each Person or Occasion

Personalized christmas fireplace ornament hanging on holiday tree.

Finding just the right gift at the holiday season is hard enough, but when you have a whole family to shop for and a large group of friends, you can quickly get overwhelmed. When we give our loved ones a present we want them to enjoy it, we want them to be excited and we want them to know that we thought about them when we bought the gift- that’s a lot of pressure! Not to worry- Christmas ornaments by Calliope Designs make a spectacular present for loved ones of all ages!

The Perfect Ornament

Every ornament is individual, handcrafted and beautifully detailed, and a fitting present for friends, neighbors and loved ones. For an added something special each ornament can be personalized, personalized Christmas ornaments let you send a message such as ‘I love you’, ‘Happy Birthday’ or can be marked with names and years to commemorate each Christmas. Don’t let gift buying nerves get the best of you! It’s fun to shop for our family and friends; there are just a few things to keep in mind when selecting the right ornament. Do you want your ornament to mark a special occasion such as a wedding or new baby? Is this gift personal to an individual? If so then maybe an ornament of something they enjoy or one that reflects their profession such as ‘CPA’, ‘Nurse’, ‘Fireman’, ‘Ballerina’ or ‘Soccer Player’ will be the one that you want. Or is this ornament a gift to a whole family? Our family ornaments reflect all shapes and sizes of family and with the ability to have each one personalized with names or nicknames, they make an ideal gift.

For Special Occasions:

Wedding
A wedding Christmas ornament is a great gift for a couple starting a new life together. No need to worry about the season when the wedding is held, this is a gift that is meant to last a lifetime and it’s always in season. Calliope Designs has brides and grooms of all types each with a space on the ornament to personalize and customize the message. You can send the happy couple your ‘Best Wishes’ or put the date of their wedding for them to always remember their special day.

Anniversary
If you are celebrating a special anniversary what better way to remember than with a beautiful anniversary Christmas ornament that marks your years together? Calliope Designs has couples of all sorts so you can choose a design that reflects your family. If your anniversary falls near the holidays it makes the perfect seasonal gift, if not then it is a present that celebrates not only the anniversary itself but gives reason to celebrate again when you hang your anniversary ornament on the tree at Christmas. If someone close to you has recently married you can give a ‘First Christmas Together’ or a Bride and Groom ornament that celebrates the happy couple and marks their first holiday together.

New Home
A new home is an important moment in our lives- from our first tiny apartment to the dream retirement home, each place that we have along the way is special in its own right. Calliope Designs has several beautiful ornaments with a ‘New Home’ theme that will be perfect for the Christmas tree in their new home. Whether your friend is celebrating their first solo apartment or you know a family in their first new home an ornament for every kind is available. Each new home ornament can be customized with a message such as ‘Welcome Home!’, the family name and year or even each person’s name. Bought a new house this year? Give a gift to yourself and your family in honor of your new home!

New Baby
There is nothing like welcoming a new baby into the world! Whether the new one is joining your family or that of a friend a Christmas ornament to commemorate the occasion makes a lovely gift. You can make a gift of a Baby’s First Christmas ornament to the new family. There are ornaments for ‘Mommy’s First Christmas’, ‘Daddy’s First Christmas’ and ‘New Grandparents’ so everyone can get in on the fun of having a new baby to celebrate. There are families of every size and shape from which to chose your favorite ornament to personalize and share. We even have several ornaments for moms and dads that are still expecting their bundle of joy when Christmas comes. These ornaments make wonderful Christmas presents or can be given as baby shower gifts at any time of the year!

Choosing Based On Areas of Interest:

Interest
We all march to the beat of our own drummer finding things that we like to do and places that we like to go along the way. You can find Christmas ornaments here that feature all sorts of hobbies and interests. Hobbies are a big part of who we are and there are ornaments that reflect the interest of artists, musicians, dancers and more! You can give them a gift that shows you care about their interests and they can hang their ornament on the tree with pride. Just about every sport you can think of has an ornament, and lots of outdoor pursuits like camping, fishing, golf even SCUBA diving! Give the cheerleader or sports fan in your life something to cheer about! Have you been on a big trip this year? Perhaps you took a cruise or spent time at the beach; there are ornaments that will capture the memories of that special vacation for all time!

Profession
Another way to select a Christmas ornament is to find something relating to their career. Doctor, Painter, CPA, Mechanic, Nurse, Teacher and more- Calliope Designs has an occupational Christmas ornament that will bring a smile to their face. Need a gift for the boss? There are ornaments designed especially for the boss, great for the office gift exchange or as something special from a colleague. Has someone begun a new career? This Christmas is a great time to celebrate their accomplishments with an ornament made just for them!

The quest for the perfect present is over! Personalized ornaments make a great one-time gift or they can be part of a long tradition that grows with each year! There is no reason to limit your imagination when you buy Christmas ornaments for loved ones. We have a list of popular personalization phrases for all types of ornaments. Or you can create your own unique phrase to add a special touch. Be creative and have fun!

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Great Gifts Ideas for Grandparents

Gingerbread Couple by Tree Personalized Christmas Ornament

We know Grandparents are much-loved family members! And each is unique – some wanting to be Grandmother and Grandfather, Grandma and Grandpa, others Nonna and Poppa! Some still live in the home where they raised their family, and some have had the big garage sale, sold the home and downsized to something “more manageable”, or closer to their kids. The one thing we hear from our customers, time after time, is that when asked what they’d like for Christmas Grandparents often reply…. Oh, I don’t really need anything! I have everything! Or, I just don’t have room for anything!

Great Gift Ideas

Grandparents will love our ornament designs
We’d like to suggest that you use one of our darling personalized Christmas ornaments as a gift to the Grandparents in your life! It’s not an extravagant gift in terms of money, but it’s extravagant in terms of love and thoughtfulness. Take a look at our section of ornaments for Grandparents. We have it divided up by the number of grandchildren to make it easier for you to shop.

Create a personalized ornament each grandchild’s name
You can make an ornament with a cute phrase: “Proud Grandparents of” is one of the most popular. Then add the names of your children on the little gifts or angels or gingerbread kids. You can make it using just your own children’s names…. Or you can add the names of all of the grandchildren in your extended family – i.e. all the cousins!  Don’t worry that more grandchildren might come along the way in the future.  We’ll put the current year on the ornament and Grandparents will love showing the grandkids which ornament was for the year they were added to the family Christmas ornament.

Give a Christmas ornament when there’s a new addition to the family
When you’re expecting, give a special “We’re Grandparents Again in …..” ornament such as one of our cute Snow Couple expecting ornaments.   This is also a super fun way to tell Grandparents that you are pregnant again, and that a new grandchild is on the way for the next Christmas celebration.     And always be sure to add the year to each gift. We’re certain the Grandparents will enjoy looking at their collection each year as they get their box of ornaments out to decorate the tree.

More ways to use our personalized Christmas ornaments for Grandparents
If the Grandparents are no longer decorating a tree, start a Grandparents Wreath for them!
Purchase an artificial Christmas wreath and decorate it with a big red bow and some small red balls. Fill in the spaces with an ornament custom personalized for each grandchild. This would be a decoration for the home that could be used each holiday and could be added to as more grandchildren come along.

We also know that Grandparents enjoy being part of their grandchildren’s special occasions in life. We encourage newlyweds to give their parents and grandparents each an Our First Christmas ornament celebrating their wedding! Be sure and put the wedding date on it – no one will ever forget their anniversary! It’s also a nice way to say Thank You to parents and Grandparents who might have contributed to the wedding ceremony and party!  And when there’s a Baby’s First Christmas – buy the Baby Photo Frame ornament and put a picture of the newest grandchild. What a wonderful gift to the proud grandparents! We have ornaments for Engagements, Anniversaries, and even Graduation. So always remember to keep Grandma and Grandpa in mind at Christmas time.

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Ornaments for an Engagement, a Wedding, or an Anniversary!

Bride (Brunette) and Groom Just Married Personalized Christmas Ornament

Personalized Ornaments for the Special Occasion

Personalized Engagement Christmas Tree Ornaments
We developed this idea when we noticed many engaged couples looking at our personalized wedding gift ornaments and discussing whether to buy one now or wait until after the wedding next year. We feel being Engaged is a special time, and why not start the Christmas tree ornament collection for their marriage by picking a personalized Engagement ornament.

All of the couple Christmas ornaments can be personalized for an engagement gift. The first names of the bride and groom-to-be can be inscribed. Some of the phrases to be included are:
Just Engaged!, Our Christmas Engaged! Engaged, 2005.

Christmas Tree Ornaments – Personalized Wedding Gifts
A personalized Bride and Groom ornament is a must for all newlyweds. It makes a great Christmas tree ornament gift, a cute shower gift, and a wonderful wedding gift package tie! Some brides are fortunate to have a “Christmas tree ornament shower” and start their first Christmas together with a big collection. A personalized dough ornament will be one of the most treasured.

One of the cutest phrases was suggested by a customer at Gump’s in San Francisco –
They chose a Bear Bride and Groom and had their names inscribed with the phrase
“We Did It! 2004” on their ornament. They gave one to each of their parents as a thank you for all of the wedding planning and celebration.

The most traditional inscription for the Bride and Groom is “Our First Christmas” with the year. Also (Bride’s Name and Groom’s Name)’s First Christmas – David and Lisa’s First Christmas, 2005. Some of our dough ornaments have different color hair for the Brides – What a unique personalized Christmas ornament and one that will be treasured and enjoyed.

First Christmas Together and First Married Christmas are also another frequently used phrases for personalized wedding gifts.

Personalized Anniversary Christmas Ornaments
Here’s a way to celebrate each married Christmas. Have the number of years inserted into the greeting on the Christmas tree ornament along with their names.

For instance: Our 5th Christmas Together. Our 25th Christmas, 2005.

These make a lovely personalized Anniversary gift as well – Our 30th Anniversary, 2005 can be inscribed along with personalizing the dough ornament with the couple’s names.

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Ornament Maker Calliope Designs Thrilled with New “Partner”

skiing family of five personalized christmas ornament

Personalized Christmas ornament maker Calliope Designs has broadened their appeal to families of all shapes and sizes. This year Calliope is offering gay and lesbian families across the US charming personalized family Christmas ornaments.

Santa Rosa, California (PRWEB) December 19, 2007 — Personalized Christmas ornament manufacturer Calliope Designs is always looking to broaden their appeal to families of all shapes and sizes, and this year is no different. Targeting the gay and lesbian families across the US in their marketing strategy has made this holiday season that much more successful.

Christmas is all about family, and we really believe that every family, no matter the shape or size should be able to celebrate with their own personalized holiday ornament. We obviously sell a very traditional product, but our personalized ornaments are truly for everyone and we are so excited to be offering partner holiday ornaments to the gay and lesbian families in the US.

We really have tried to think of every gifting option in the holiday season, from hostess gifts to ornaments you can give your whole family every year as a tradition, and we felt that partner ornaments and family ornaments for the gay and lesbian community were an important addition to our line.

Every person, family and child deserves to celebrate their holiday in a personal way, and that’s why we love our ornaments – they prompt the creation of traditions. We have ornaments with partners, partners with one child and two children and more. This means you can find the ornament that represents your family in that moment every year.

“Christmas is all about family, and we really believe that every family, no matter the shape or size should be able to celebrate with their own personalized holiday ornament,” said Stephanie Eddy, owner and president of Calliope Designs. “We obviously sell a very traditional product, but our personalized ornaments are truly for everyone and we are so excited to be offering partner holiday ornaments to the gay and lesbian families in the US.”

Calliope Designs specializes in creating claydough ornaments that can be personalized for any occasion. With categories of ornaments including everything from the traditional Baby’s First Christmas to Pet Ornaments and Sports Ornaments any customer can find the personalized ornament that will be the perfect, thoughtful gift.

“We really have tried to think of every gifting option in the holiday season, from hostess gifts to ornaments you can give your whole family every year as a tradition, and we felt that partner ornaments and family ornaments for the gay and lesbian community were an important addition to our line,” said Eddy.

The gay and lesbian market demographic is growing quickly in cities and suburban communities alike. Additionally, according to GL Census, 17% of lesbian couples hope to have children and 6% of gay couples also hope to add children to their families. Many of these families want to celebrate the traditions of their own childhood and gay and lesbian holiday ornaments can make the holiday feel that much more inclusive.

“Every person, family and child deserves to celebrate their holiday in a personal way, and that’s why we love our ornaments – they prompt the creation of traditions. We have ornaments with partners, partners with one child and two children and more. This means you can find the ornament that represents your family in that moment every year,” adds Eddy.

About Calliope Designs
When Dorr and Stephanie Eddy began making bread dough ornaments in their kitchen in 1972 they had no idea how popular their handmade Christmas tree decorations would become. Today, after more than 35 years of distributing their Christmas tree ornaments through fine retailers and major department stores nationwide, their whimsical little clay dough ornaments are treasured by children and grownups all over the world.

Each Calliope dough and claydough ornament is an original creation designed by Dorr Eddy. The unique character of each personalized Christmas ornament adds to the style of a completely handmade product. The bright colors and high gloss coating add to the ornament’s attractiveness and durability. The special techniques and the tools we have created greatly enhance our consistent quality.

Every design can be personalized to order creating a unique and treasured gift.