Category: Holidays

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Personalized Valentine’s Day Ornaments for Everyone You Love

personalized Valentine’s Day gifts

Have Personalized Valentine’s Day Ornaments Delivered to Your Loved Ones

Boxes of chocolates and bouquets of flowers are nice, but they are also a little played out at this point. This year, skip the cliche and give your special someone a Valentine’s Day gift that is a little more personal. At Calliope Designs, we are playing Cupid with customized gifts that are sure to win the heart of your special valentine. 

 All of our ornaments are handmade with care and can be personalized with meaningful messages, dates, and names. So if you’re looking for a special gift for her or a unique present for him, a personalized Valentine’s Day ornament is a perfect way to show your love. 

Take a peek below at some of our most popular personalized Valentine’s Day gifts and send your sweetheart something extra special this year!

1. Cheers to Love with a Personalized Valentine’s Day Ornament

Wondering what to get your significant other for Valentine’s Day? In our experience, the more personalized the gift, the better! Whether you’ve been married for 20 years, or are celebrating your first Valentine’s Day together, a personalized couple’s ornament is sure to be a romantic gesture they will cherish for years to come!

Add your names and a special date to show your partner how thankful you are to get to celebrate this Valentine’s Day together.

2. Celebrate a Valentine’s Day Proposal with a Personalized Ornament

Love is in the air, so it’s no surprise that many couples get engaged on Valentine’s Day. If you are looking for a unique way to pop the question this year, check out our selection of personalized proposal ornaments! 

Our customizable engagement ornaments are sweet tokens of your love and a special way to commemorate the Valentine’s Day you proposed. Add a romantic message, your names, and the year so you can celebrate this significant day for years to come.

3. Personalized Valentine’s Day Ornaments for Expecting Parents

There is no better time to spoil your loved one than on Valentine’s Day! But if you have a baby on the way, you’re probably going to want an extra special gift for your partner this year. Our collection of personalized pregnancy ornaments are perfect Valentine’s Day gifts for soon-to-be parents and a meaningful way to celebrate this exciting time for expecting couples!

4. Personalize a Same-Sex Wedding Ornament for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is about celebrating unconditional love. Our selection of personalized same-sex wedding ornaments are perfect Valentine’s Day gift ideas for LGBT couples. We have a large variety of bride and bride ornaments, as well as groom and groom designs that you can customize with names and a wedding anniversary date!

5. Commemorate a Wedding Anniversary this Valentine’s Day with a Personalized Ornament

Show your forever valentine how much you love them with a Valentine’s gift personalized just for them. Our customizable Wedding Anniversary ornaments are perfect for newlyweds and couples who have been married for years. Relive the day you said “I Do!” this Valentine’s Day and many more to come with this romantic keepsake from Calliope Designs.

Celebrate Love Near and Far this Valentine’s Day with Personalized Ornaments from Calliope Designs

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

At Calliope Designs, we have been celebrating love with handmade gifts for over 45 years. Make this holiday extra special with a personalized gift that is as unique as your valentine. All of our ornaments can be gift wrapped and shipped directly to your special someone!

If you are looking for a sentimental gift for a loved one this Valentine’s Day, check out our entire selection of personalized ornaments and explore all of our unique designs!

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Personalize an Ornament to Commemorate Baby’s First Christmas

Personalized Baby's First Christmas Ornaments from Calliope Designs

Personalized Baby’s First Christmas Ornaments from Calliope Designs

The holidays are here and if you or someone you love recently welcomed a new baby to the family, you’ll probably want to make baby’s first Christmas extra special. Even if you can’t be there to celebrate in person this year, sending a sentimental gift to the proud new parents is a meaningful way to share your well wishes! 

At Calliope Designs, we have hundreds of personalized ornaments that you can have shipped directly to their door to commemorate this extra-special holiday season. Take a look at some of our most popular personalized baby’s first Christmas ornaments that will be a great keepsake to hang on the tree in celebration of a new member of the family!

1. Baby’s First Christmas Rocking Horse Ornament

Our adorable Teddy Bear on a Rocking Horse ornament features classic Christmas colors and is perfect for either a little boy or a little girl. We have several new baby phrases to choose from to welcome the newest addition to the family, or you can add your own custom message. 

Personalize the name on the hat and add the date on the wreath to create a tender gift that celebrates baby’s first Christmas.

2. Baby’s First Christmas Angel Ornament 

A whimsical angel ornament is a perfect way to welcome a new little girl to the family. As she grows up, your little angel will love hanging this ornament on the tree year after year. Start her very own personalized ornament collection with a special commemoration of her first Christmas! 

Add her name, the year of her birth, and a custom phrase for a precious keepsake she can cherish as she grows up.

3. New Baby Christmas Ornament

Personalize an ornament for the proud new parents of a sweet bundle of Joy and spread Christmas cheer on this extra-special year! Our New Baby Snowman Family ornament is a lovely gift for either a baby boy or a baby girl. Add mommy and daddy’s name and their new baby to create a truly personalized memento they will treasure for years. 

4. Grandchild’s First Christmas Ornament

Send grandma and grandpa an adorable gift this holiday to celebrate the new addition to the family! Our Grandchild’s First Christmas ornament is a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of a new grandbaby, and can be personalized with a sweet message, the date, and their names.

This is a perfect sentimental gift to give to the grandparent that “already have everything they need”!

5. Adopted with Love Personalized Christmas Ornament

The day has finally arrived and this cheerful family gets to welcome home their newly adopted child just in time for Christmas! The day you adopt a child is one of the most important moments in all your lives. Our Adopted with Love ornament is the perfect way to celebrate your first Christmas together as a family.

Personalize this touching gift with one of our special phrases, every family member’s name, and the date to commemorate the monumental year.

Commemorate Baby’s First Christmas with Personalized Ornaments from Calliope Designs

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

It’s more important than ever to commemorate the happiest moments of our lives with the people we love. If you are looking for a meaningful gift to celebrate the arrival of a new baby this Christmas, consider one of our many customizable baby ornaments.

Find out why so many people have incorporated Calliope Designs gifts into their celebrations, for over 45 years and personalize your ornament today!

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Personalized Covid-19 Christmas Ornaments

Personalized Covid-19 Christmas Ornaments

6 Personalized Covid-19 Themed Christmas Ornaments from Calliope Designs

As we prepare for a unique 2020 holiday season and reflect on a very eventful year, we could all use something a little extra special — with a dash of comic relief — right about now! At Calliope Designs, we want to help you find a fun and unique way to commemorate your 2020 holiday with personalized Covid Christmas tree ornaments! 

All our new Covid-themed Christmas ornaments are sure to get a chuckle or two this year, as well as bring back happier memories of this unusual time for years to come. Read on to take a peek at some of our brand new personalized Covid-19 themed Christmas ornaments available for the 2020 holiday season!

1. Personalized Quarantine Gingerbread House Christmas Ornament

Quarantine has probably left your 2020 Christmas celebration a bit smaller this year, but that just means more gingerbread cookies for you! Commemorate your cozy celebration with a personalized Quarantine Gingerbread House Christmas ornament!

With this design you can add a funny phrase like “The Year We Stayed Home” to create a playful quarantine ornament that the whole house is sure to enjoy! Don’t forget to add the name of every member of your quarantine group and of course the year for a delightful way to commemorate your Covid Christmas.

2. Personalized Covid Mask Christmas Ornament

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s the importance of handwashing, mask-wearing, and social distancing! Our personalized Covid Mask Christmas ornaments are a humorous way to commemorate this crazy year! Always remember the year you stocked up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer with this lighthearted Covid Christmas ornament from Calliope Designs.

3. Personalized Quarantine Coping Wine Lover Ornament

We have all found different ways to cope while sheltering in place during quarantine this year. And if you ask anyone from Sonoma or Napa County, they will tell you a glass of wine a day keeps the quarantine blues away!

Our personalized wine lover ornament is the perfect gift for the person who loves to coordinate the zoom happy hours! Raise a glass to this memorable year with a personalized wine connoisseur Christmas tree ornament from Calliope Designs.

4. Personalized Quarantine Baker Christmas Ornament

Do you know someone who baked their way through quarantine this year? Here is the perfect gift for them to commemorate the many hours spent in the kitchen perfecting their Christmas cookie recipe during quarantine!

Our personalized baker ornament can be customized to feature multiple members of your quarantine crew and of course the year. We won’t be sheltering in place forever, but this ornament will ensure those quarantine cookies will be remembered fondly for years to come.

5. Personalized Covid Doctor Christmas Ornaments

The doctors working the front lines during the Covid pandemic are the true heroes of 2020. And our personalized doctor ornaments from Calliope Designs are exactly what the doctor ordered this holiday season! Show how much you appreciate their dedication and care with these unique thank you gifts this holiday season.

6. Personalized Covid Nurse Christmas Ornaments

This year it’s more important than ever to recognize the care provided by nurses. Commemorate their dedication to helping us during our biggest time of need with a custom nurse ornament. Personalize these thoughtful ornaments with their name and the year to thank them for all their support and compassion during these trying times.

Order Your Personalized 2020 Covid Themed Christmas Ornaments from Calliope Designs

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

2020 has been a wild ride for all of us, and we could all use a little pick-me-up this holiday season. Put a funny twist on your Christmas decorating this year with our personalized Covid themed Christmas ornaments. We have added hundreds of new 2020 ornaments to our inventory and they are selling out fast! 

Order all your personalized 2020 Covid Christmas Ornaments from Calliope Designs today!

Christmas Shipping Deadlines:
First Class Mail: Last day to ship for Christmas delivery is December 18th, 2020 (USPS estimates 3 – 7 days for delivery)
Priority Mail: Last day to ship for Christmas delivery is December 19th, 2020  (USPS estimates 2 – 3 days for delivery)
Once your order has been placed please allow a 3-day processing/personalizing time.

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Order Your Personalized Ornaments in Time for Christmas

new 2020 personalized Christmas ornaments from Calliope Designs

Get a Head Start on Christmas Shopping and Order Your Personalized Ornaments Today!

At Calliope Designs, our favorite holiday tradition is dressing up the Christmas tree with sentimental decorations that commemorate all of life’s most meaningful moments. That is why each ornament you order from us is handmade just for you with the utmost care.

Calliope Designs Ornaments are Handmade

Calliope Designs personalized ornaments are handmade from clay dough, (a polymer clay similar to FIMO), that are designed and produced just for our customers. We have also started carrying a handpainted resin ornament line, to give you even more design choices! Each design has its own unique and whimsical personality and is always delicately crafted to ensure its durability and quality.  

Our charming handmade clay ornaments do require some time to prepare and personalize, so once your order has been placed please allow a 3 day processing time.

Design Your Own Christmas Ornaments

At Calliope Designs, we also offer the option to design your very own personalized family and pet ornaments! These custom-designed mementos do require a bit more time for our artists to create depending on the number of family members or pets you add to your unique design.

 After you have designed your own family and pet ornaments please allow a 5-7 day processing time for us to prepare and personalize your custom ornament designs.

Calliope Ornaments are Personalized by Hand

Our talented Calliope Designs calligraphers are located locally in Santa Rosa, and are responsible for hand inscribing your ornaments exactly to your personalized specification. With delicate calligraphy skills, they will detail each Christmas ornament with your requested names, dates, and phrases.

The ink we use to add the perfect personalized touch to your ornaments is guaranteed to never rub off, or smudge. We always make sure to use high quality permanent black ink to ensure all inscriptions are clearly legible and elegantly applied.

All Our Personalized Ornaments are Inspected to Ensure the Highest Quality

Once your custom ornament is personalized, they will go through a final quality control inspection to ensure your satisfaction. Our quality control team at Calliope Designs will thoroughly inspect and confirm your Christmas ornaments are free of any scratches, smudges, or weak points before it is shipped directly to your desired location. 

Names can be tricky, and we are all human, so if we miss something we are always quick to fix our error!

Personalized Ornaments Christmas Shipping Deadlines

The holiday season leaves the post office especially busy, and unpredictable winter weather conditions is something to consider when ordering gifts during the holiday season. While many things can affect the delivery times from the U.S. Postal Services, most Calliope Designs customers are very pleased with how promptly they receive their orders.

Christmas Shipping Deadlines:

  • First Class Mail: Last day to ship for Christmas delivery is December 18th, 2020 (USPS estimates 3 – 7 days for delivery)
  • Priority Mail: Last day to ship for Christmas delivery is December 19th, 2020  (USPS estimates 2 – 3 days for delivery)

At checkout, we offer USPS First Class and U.S.Priority Mail to ship most U.S. orders. You will be provided with all the necessary tracking information and regular updates of its journey to its new home! Unfortunately, USPS is unable to guarantee exact delivery dates so we encourage early ordering as much as possible.

Personalize Your Christmas Ornaments from Calliope Designs Today!

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

The holiday shopping season is already in full swing here at Calliope Designs and our new 2020 designs are selling out fast. Get a head start on your Christmas shopping to ensure your personalized ornaments are delivered in time for the 2020 holiday season by ordering as soon as possible. 

Start personalizing your Calliope Designs Christmas ornaments today and enjoy your custom holiday decorations for years to come.

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5 New Personalized Christmas Ornament Designs for 2020

new personalized christmas ornaments for 2020

New Calliope Designs Personalized Christmas Ornaments Available Now!

At Calliope Designs, we count down to Christmas all year long! The holiday shopping season has already kicked off with our premiere of over 100 new 2020 Christmas ornament designs. Calliope’s original dough ornaments are all hand-made with care, and can be personalized to make the perfect sentimental gift. With thousands of unique designs to choose from, we are confident you can find the ideal personalized gift to commemorate this eventful year for everyone on your Nice List.

Read on to take a peek at some of our brand new personalized Christmas ornament designs for the 2020 holiday season!

1. Celebrate a Year of Distance Learning with a Personalized Ornament

The holiday season brings a well-deserved break for all our hard-working distance learners and their incredible teachers! At Calliope Designs, we have customizable Christmas gifts that will help show your support to anyone adjusting to a new online curriculum. 

Our customizable first day of school and graduation ornaments are a great way to commemorate a successful year. And don’t forget about all those dedicated teachers out there, making it all possible! Customize one of our new teacher ornaments for a unique gift they will love for years to come. 

Student with Tablet Ornament

Congratulate the new digital whiz in the family for getting through the 2020 school year with new distancing learning methods. These brand new tablet ornaments are hand-made with care by our talented artisans, and can be customized with a name and the year!

2. Celebrate New Hobbies this Year

2020 had its ups and downs, but for many people, one good thing that came out of this year was discovering new hobbies. However you spent your downtime this year, we are confident we have a custom Christmas ornament to celebrate it!

Cycling Couple Ornament

After spending so much time cooped up at home, nothing beats getting some fresh air and going for a good bike ride. If you and your significant other like cycling together, our handmade Bicycling Couple ornament is the perfect addition to your tree this year!

3. Welcome the New Baby with a Personalized Ornament

At Calliope Designs, we have hundreds of customizable baby ornaments for you to choose from. From pregnancy announcements to baby’s first Christmas – and everything in between – you can find a gift to celebrate your growing family this holiday season!

New Baby Ornament

If you welcomed home a new baby in 2020, this Christmas is sure to be one you will never forget. Commemorate your child’s first Christmas with one of our new personalized baby ornaments, and cherish this time for years to come.

4. New Personalized Ornaments for Families

We celebrate families of all shapes and sizes at Calliope designs! Our handmade family ornaments are perfect keepsakes to pass down to your children and even your grandchildren! Personalize your family ornament to feature everyone’s name or a meaningful message to celebrate another year together as a family.

Personalized Family Ornament with a Christmas Tree

One of the most exciting holiday traditions is coming together as a family to decorate the Christmas Tree! Customize our new family of four Christmas tree ornaments to feature siblings or grandchildren.

5. New Custom Pet Ornaments

Add a furry family member to your Christmas tree with one of our personalized pet ornaments. Whether you’re shopping for a cat person or a dog person, one of our custom tree decorations will be the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone with a four-legged friend at home.

Personalized Dog Groomer Ornament

You can’t forget about the ones who make sure our family pets always look their best! Our new personalized dog groomer ornament is a great way to show your appreciation this Christmas.

Shop all Our New Personalized Christmas Ornaments From Calliope Designs

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

As our selection grows with new designs every year, so can your collection of personalized Christmas ornaments. Check out these and many more brand new 2020 Christmas ornaments from Calliope Design and get a head start on your holiday shopping!

Shop our entire collection of customizable Christmas ornaments online today!

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Personalized Christmas Ornaments for Every Family Size

Custom Family Christmas Ornaments from Calliope Designs

Custom Family Christmas Ornaments from Calliope Designs

The holidays are all about celebrating the ones you love the most – your family! Personalized family Christmas ornaments make the perfect addition to any tree as a meaningful memento to be treasured for years to come. 

The handmade family ornaments from Calliope Designs are perfect to pass down to children and even grandchildren as your family grows. We offer over 200 decorative designs for families of any size that can be personalized to suit your unique needs.

Celebrate every member of your family this holiday season with a handmade gift everyone will love. From families of two to twelve, we have the perfect Christmas ornaments handmade just for you!

Personalized Ornaments for Couples

If you’re looking to start your first collection together, a personalized ornament is a perfect place to start. Every holiday spent together as a couple is a reason to celebrate and our selection of couple’s Christmas ornaments make the perfect addition to the tree!

Whether you’re recently engaged or newly wed, our handmade gifts are a sentimental way to lovingly look back on life’s special moments with your partner. 

Personalized Ornaments for Families of 3

Our gorgeous selection of hanging decorations make great gifts for growing families celebrating the holidays together. A personalized ornament for a family of three is a great way to commemorate the arrival of a new baby this year. Add a special message, baby’s name, or birth date to create a truly special gift for the family.  

Don’t forget about man’s best friend! Our handmade Christmas ornament featuring the family dog is an essential gift for all a household of three with a beloved family pet!

Personalized Ornaments for Families of 4

Our adorable keepsakes are the perfect decorations for budding families no matter the age! Our collection of custom family of four ornaments features fun characters like snowmen, penguins, and reindeer to represent every family member! A whimsical memento featuring the names of two parents and two children is a great way to share your holiday cheer with them all!

Personalized Ornaments for Families of 5

At Calliope Designs, we carry over 50 holiday ornaments with five family members for you to customize. Our family of five Christmas ornaments can make the perfect handmade gift for Grandma and Grandpa this season! 

Personalized Ornaments for Families of 6

We have ornament options for families of every size and orientation available at Calliope Designs. Tell your unique family story with a customized family-of-six decoration! Our handmade keepsakes are a fun way to celebrate all the fun times you share together. 

Our Grandparent photo frame ornament is also a great decoration to turn your favorite family photographs into custom ornaments for the Christmas tree.

Personalized Ornaments for Families of 7+

Our handcrafted ornaments are a unique gift idea to celebrate large families too! With our selection of personalized decorations for a family of seven or more members, you can customize these pieces with the names of your aunts, uncles, in-laws, or any unique family tree!

Celebrate Family with Personalized Ornaments from Calliope Designs 

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

Whichever personalized ornament you choose this year it is guaranteed to delight family members near and far. At Calliope Designs, we offer nationwide shipping on all our handmade ornaments so everyone can expect a new addition to their tree this year. 

Discover why our custom ornaments have been a part of so many families’ Christmas traditions for over 44 years by starting your collections today. Shop our entire collection online and customize your very own family ornament!

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Celebrate Baby’s First Christmas with a Personalized Ornament

custom christmas ornament with two snowmen

Ways to Welcome the Newest Family Member this Christmas

Everyone gets excited about a baby on the way! One of the best ways to celebrate this joyous life event is with a personalized Christmas ornament. Year after year, while decorating your Christmas tree, you will remember the time when your family grew. Custom Christmas ornaments can be personalized with all of baby’s important information. 

“Baby’s First Christmas” ornaments also make great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers from friends and family. Whether you are giving or receiving this gift, you will love the sentiment attached to it. 

Calliope Designs works to ensure our customized ornaments fit your special occasion. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can customize a “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament this year:

Pregnancy Announcements

If you or a loved one is expecting, we have just the right ornaments to celebrate. We especially love the pregnant snow couple, complete with personalized names on their hats, a special saying, and the year. Just imagine giving this to the future grandparents as a way to announce that their grandchild is on the way!

Our Calliope Designs customers have come up with some creative personalizations for their ornaments in the past — here are a few ideas for you this year:

  • Soon To Be… A family of Three!
  • We’re Expecting!
  • Mommy and Daddy to Be!
  • Grandparents-To-Be in May 2020!

Of course, you may compose any saying you like.  We’ll do a beautiful job with the lettering, and you’ll have a very unique ornament to keep or use as a gift.

Birth Announcements

Was baby born earlier this year? What better way to remember the occasion every year than with an ornament announcing the birth? This ornament says it all: the birth date, length, weight, and the name of your darling baby. 

Adoption Announcements

Similar to our Birth Announcement ornaments, we have crafted the perfect ways to announce adoptions with personalized Christmas ornaments. Here are a few ideas for phrases to personalize your own adoption ornament with:

  • First Christmas Home 2019
  • Adopted with Love
  • Born in Mommy’s Heart

Start a New Tradition with a Calliope Designs Baby’s First Christmas Ornament

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

Many families love seeing their ornament collections grow as more children and grandchild are born or adopted. In fact, you might already have a Calliope Designs personalized ornament from the past with your own child’s information on it! Whether you already partake in this holiday tradition or not, now is the perfect time to order your “Baby’s First Christmas” hand painted, personalized ornament.

Calliope Designs has ornaments for every special situation. Contact us today to get started on designing a personalized ornament that tells your unique story best.

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Christmas in July: Thinking Ahead About Custom Ornaments

custom christmas ornament featuring girl holding surf board

Custom Christmas Ornaments for the 2019 Holiday Season

Are you already thinking ahead to the holidays? You are not alone! Summer is the ideal time to perfect those holiday plans. From parties to gifts, no one likes to be a last minute planner during the holiday season. 

If you are looking for a fantastic gift or stocking stuffer, a personalized ornament from Calliope Designs might be just what you are looking for. Custom ornaments add a special touch that will let your loved ones know how much you care. 

Your year has probably been full of memories and milestones, and we have ornaments for every occasion! Now is the perfect time to look back and start planning your custom Christmas ornaments.

Personalized Ornaments for Weddings, Anniversaries, and Proposals!

Was there an engagement or wedding in 2019? Whether they are a close friend or family member, a personalized couples’ ornament will be a reminder of their new life together, throughout the years. 

custom clay christmas ornament of two bears getting married in wedding outfits

A personalized ornament with customized names, year, and message is appropriate for engaged couples, newlyweds, and those married for several years. No matter what stage of life they are in with their loved one, a custom ornament will be the perfect gift and keepsake this Christmas.

…or maybe you are looking for the perfect way to pop the question to your fiancé during the holiday season! In that case, customize one of our Marry Me personalized ornaments. The holidays are such a warm, romantic time — we can’t imagine a better way to propose.

Celebrate New Additions to the Family with Custom Ornaments

Calliope Designs carries a variety of custom ornaments celebrating new additions to the family. Births, adoptions, baby’s first Christmas…these are just a few of the milestones you can celebrate with a customized Christmas ornament.

clay ornament consisting of bear in stroller with customized wording on it

These ornaments are perfect for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles — you name it. Everyone loves celebrating a newborn or baby’s first Christmas! We especially love the photo frame ornaments, so you can really capture the moment in time. Every year the ornament is used, it will be a reminder of the sweet addition to your family.

Let’s not forget about our fur-babies, either! We have the perfect personalized pet ornaments to celebrate your new four-legged family members, as well. 

Capture Vacation Memories and Moments with Custom Ornaments

custom christmas ornament of family on cruise ship with personalized information

Did you take an exciting vacation in 2019? Cherish the memory every year with a personalized vacation ornament. With a wide selection of personalized ornaments, you are sure to find your vacation in the mix. Did you go on a cruise? Camping? Skiing? We are sure to have a vacation ornament just for you.

Get a Head Start on Your Calliope Designs Personalized Ornaments

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

It’s never too early to start thinking ahead to the holidays. We’re happy to help you start the personalization process before the holiday rush hits. No matter what you are celebrating this year, we are sure we have an ornament for you and your loved ones.

Start shopping to begin creating a custom Christmas ornaments for the people in your life. We suggest gathering names, dates, and other information that you will want to include in your design. Think about the little details that will make than ornament your own. This little gift will be a memory that lasts a lifetime!

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Customize A Grandparent’s Wreath Gift for Christmas from Calliope Designs

Favorite ornaments for Grandparents

The Perfect Personalized Gift for Your Grandparents

We all know it can be hard to find just the right gift for Grandparents.  They seem to be at the time of life where they have “everything” and don’t really want more.  They say they “don’t need anything” and sometimes that’s true.  Yet when the holidays come around they are often high on our shopping lists because they have been so super all year long, helping with our children, inviting us for holiday meals, making cookies for the family, and in all ways loving and helpful.  We know they adore their grandchildren and spoil them to death.  And often, the children want to find their sweet Nana and Poppa something special as a gift.

Here’s an idea that came from a customer many years ago.  A Grandparent’s Wreath.  Purchase a nice quality artificial Christmas wreath suitable for hanging on a door or on a wall inside the home.  The size should be up to you, but be sure to purchase some pretty ribbon to make a bow, or purchase a pre-made bow that is large and pretty on the green wreath.  If you are adventurous, buy a strand of mini lights to wrap around the wreath and plugin for added brightness.

Now, spend some fun time with your children shopping online for some personalized Christmas ornaments for Grandma and Grandpa. We have lots of cute reasonably priced items at www.calliopedesigns.com.   Let each child pick one ornament that will have their name on it – and don’t forget the year.  When they arrive, have the children help you decide where to affix them onto the wreath.  Make it a strong permanent attachment so the ornaments can stay on the wreath year after year.

The first year the wreath might be sparse, but you can choose to add an ornament each year and soon the wreath will be a collection of memories of each child as they grow and experience new things.  For instance, if you have one child, a girl, you can start with a cute photo frame ornament of her first Christmas.  Then progress to Baby Girl’s First Steps and the next Christmas – She’s Potty Trained.  Yes, we have a cute ornament for that.  There’s one for losing the first tooth.  And the first day of school.  All sports and hobbies can be represented by an ornament, as well as special achievements and vacations.

Begin at Home & Grow your Holiday Tradition with Custom Gifts from Calliope Designs

Another way to start the wreath collection is to involve your siblings so that all of the grandchildren are represented on the wreath!

If you feel the wreath is getting too expensive, please read our blog on How to make your Own Dough Ornaments at home.  We give the recipe and tips to create fun designs.  Each child can create something that is special.

This will become a fun tradition that the children will look forward to and the Grandparents are sure to treasure.

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Christmas Craft Memories Guest Blog Post by April!

mom with girl baking cookies

My daughter is a year and a half old. I am so excited to be able to begin doing crafty things with her like my siblings and I used to do with my mom!

Holiday Baking with my Daughter

For Halloween, our major project was our pumpkins. We wouldn’t carve them, we use to paint them. Painting them gave us so much more freedom in choosing our designs, and the pumpkins lasted longer. For Thanksgiving, we would make turkeys from our handprints. Christmas was always my favorite. We would make different ornaments. We made snowmen with popsicle sticks, reindeer with clothespins, and we would buy plain white globes to paint. As much fun as all that was, my favorite activity for all three holidays is making sugar cookies. Preparing the dough, cutting the shapes, and then decorating them with all the different colors of icing.

Thank you to guest blogger April Bruinekool.

Grow your Holiday Traditions with Custom Gifts from Calliope Designs

Celebrate any occasion with a personalized ornament from Calliope Designs. View all our amazing and diverse designs on our online shop today!

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Baby’s First Christmas Stocking Stuffer Ideas

A Red Stocking personalized christmas Ornaments

Your Baby’s First Christmas will be exciting and fun for Mommy and Daddy, and certainly happy for your child as well.  Is a Christmas Stocking part of your family’s tradition?  Did you have a fun time picking out just the right stocking and maybe have it personalized with the baby’s name?  We hope you purchased a big stocking because as your child gets older, the stocking stuffers get larger too!   We encourage you to add, as the first gift in your baby’s Christmas stocking, a personalized Baby’s First Christmas ornament from Calliope Designs.  We have so many cute ones to choose from.  You can even have one that is All About Baby, with his or her birth stats, name, and holiday greeting all done to order.

Here are some suggestions for stocking stuffers for baby by age:

Newborn to 3 months old:

– A new Binkie!  Maybe a red, green, and white one just for Christmas day and all of the fun photos that will be taken.

– Cute baby socks with ruffles and pink for little girls, and trucks and blue for little boys.  You can never have too many newborn socks.

– A cute Christmas onesie, decorated with cute pictures of ornaments, a Christmas tree, reindeer or Santa.  Also good for those wonderful Christmas photo sessions.

– A board book such as Goodnight Moon, or Global Babies.  It’s never too early to start reading to your little one and teach them a love of books and reading.  And so many baby board books are available now.

– A cute chewable stuffed animal or creature!  Something that has texture, scratchy, soft, smooth, and something that has bright colors.

– A not too noisy rattle or something baby can wrap a little hand around and shake.  Just make sure it’s not too hard and won’t hurt if banged against a little head or face.

– A sweet music cd to play at bedtime.  Something soothing, with a good clear beat and rhythm, like ethnic music. Idea: Dreamland, World Lullabies, and Soothing Songs.

– A teething ring for those coming months.

From 3-9 months:

– A Whozit!  A favorite interactive stuffed funny faced toy loved by many children.  (We needed 3, one for the car, one for purse, one for home)

– Again, small board books. Baby can now turn pages and look at books on his or her own, but other fun books that can be read from the backseat passenger.

– CDs for the car.  Sesame Street Favorites, Pete Seeger: Folk Songs for Young People, Peter Paul and Mommy, The Beatles 1, and other fun sing-alongs.

– More socks

– A cute Christmas T-Shirt with matching tights or pants.

– New mittens and cap for snowy days outside

– Healthy treats for baby.

– New toothbrush

– A sippy cup

– A new tiny teddy bear.

From 9 months to a year:

– Socks or slippers with treads or traction on the bottom, for those early attempts at walking.

– Christmas Sweat Shirt, with matching pants or tights.  Always be thinking about those Christmas photos.

– Bath toy, a new rubber ducky perhaps?

– Bath mitt and fun gooey tub paints.

– Teething rings and toothbrushes.

– Board books of colors and shapes

– Music CDs for bedtime and in the car.

-Fun age-appropriate healthy packaged snacks and drinks.

These are just getting started ideas.  Of course, it’s not necessary to go overboard with gifts and toys for a child this age.  Your time is the most valuable gift you can give your baby, and lots of hugs, kisses, and special times together.

Grow your Holiday Traditions with Custom Gifts from Calliope Designs

Celebrate any occasion with a personalized ornament from Calliope Designs. View all our amazing and diverse designs on our online shop today!

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Start Your Own Family Traditions for Christmas Eve

pajamas family of 3 personalized christmas ornament

Every person who celebrates the Christmas holiday brings their own family traditions to their adulthood.  And when a new family is formed through marriage, or living together, there will be new ideas and compromise and creativity in starting new traditions that can be a blend of both family’s past, or completely new.  Family traditions don’t have to begin when there’s a baby, but if one hasn’t before, this is the perfect time to start thinking about what you would like to do with your child over the coming years of celebration.  Let’s start with Christmas Eve, the beginning of the story of Christmas.

Start and Keep Family Traditions for Years to Come

Some ideas from friends, from our family, from the internet, and from magazines:

– Is religious worship going to be part of the holiday for your family?  If so, visit your church, or if you are not a member of a church, find a lovely house of worship to visit that evening.  It is truly hard to resist the beauty of a wonderfully decorated church at night, the candlelight, the red ribbon swags, the fresh evergreen smell, and the beautiful story and hymns.  In our family, we loved to go to midnight services at the local Episcopal church in San Carlos, California.  It was a treat to go and be out so late, and also had a beautiful calming effect for a good night’s sleep.

– When do you have your main holiday meal with family? Is Christmas Eve a simple meal?  Prepared at home, or take out?   It took my mother, who is now 93, many many years to realize Christmas Eve was the better night to have a big fancy turkey dinner with all the trimmings.  Yes, it was fun and festive and delicious.  And we all helped clean up the table and dishes.  Then the next day, Christmas Day, we had a beautiful spread of leftovers for dinner and she, my mom, didn’t have to spend the entire day cooking!  We weren’t from a big family – no aunts, uncles, cousins, to share the holiday cooking.  So it was all on our mother to prepare, and this was a lovely tradition we established.

– Do you decorate the tree on Christmas Eve when the children are asleep?

– What arrangements do you make for Santa and the Reindeer?  Cookies and milk?

– Are Christmas stockings, stuffed with age-appropriate small items going to be part of Christmas morning?  Believe it or not, my adult children still want their stockings if they are home for Christmas. And now there’s a son in law and grandson, so we are still in the stocking stuffer shopping club.

– Will you have a Christmas eve family photo in front of the tree?

– Would you enjoy taking the kids for a drive around town to see the decorated homes?  Does your town have a Santa Claus Lane, where everyone on those blocks decorates their homes?

– Do you have a favorite Christmas movie to watch every single Christmas Eve?  How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Peanuts Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street (first filmed in 1947!), Babes in Toyland,  The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, Frosty the Snowman, Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, or The Polar Express to name a few.

– Are you going to open just one gift for each person on Christmas Eve?  Many families do this right after Church services.  And one of the cutest ideas I’ve heard from a friend was that everyone gets new matching pj’s on Christmas Eve and then poses for a holiday photo.  – That was a Grandmother gift by the way.

Whatever your Christmas Eve traditions become they will be yours, they will be remembered, they will be treasured.  And many will be passed down through generations.  Favorite recipes, fabulous ornaments for the tree, fun photo albums of Christmas past.

Grow your Holiday Traditions with Custom Gifts from Calliope Designs

Celebrate any occasion with a personalized ornament from Calliope Designs. View all our amazing and diverse designs on our online shop today!