I have been collecting Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments every year for over thirty years.  I buy at least one for the family and one for each of my children.  I’ve also collected different series like: Betsey Clark, Disney, Unicef and Star Trek ornaments for my husband.  My son’s collection includes: Peanuts, Looney Tunes and Star Wars.  My daughter’s collection includes Disney Princesses and Barbie.  Our total ornament count is easily over two hundred.

It takes a couple of hours to unpacked all the ornaments and it is something that my daughter and I enjoying doing every Christmas.  Eventually, when my children get married and establish their own homes, for their first married Christmas they will receive a large storage box filled with their Hallmark ornaments to decorate their own Christmas tree.  My wish is that when they open the boxes it will bring them happy memories of their childhood.

HISTORY OF THE HALLMARK KEEPSAKE ORNAMENTS  

In 1973, the Hallmark Greeting Card Company introduced six glass ball ornaments and 12 yarn ornaments as the first Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments.  This started a new tradition of Christmas decorating and created a new collectible industry.  Since that first year of production, Hallmark has manufactured more than 3,000 different Keepsake Ornaments and over 100 different ornament series with specific themes.

Since the first year Hallmark produced the first Keepsake ornaments, many different styles, materials and technologies have gone into creating these wonderful collectibles.  Ornaments are made with a wide variety of materials that includes glass, acrylic, bone china and porcelain.  The technology includes ornaments that light up, motion and voice recordings in recent years.

Each ornament is dated with the year of production and this makes them highly collectible.  A new Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Collection appears every year in July and a “Dream Book” is released prior to that time and shows all the ornaments for the upcoming year.  For additional information on Hallmark Ornaments  please see their website at www.hallmark.com/keepsake-ornaments.

Not only are Hallmark Ornaments used for decorating the Christmas tree, but they make wonderful gifts for family and friends.  There is such a variety of choices that it is easy to find that perfect ornament for the newlyweds, new homeowner, parents-to-be, baby’s first Christmas, teacher or even a special friend.

Hallmark Ornaments can also be used to decorate a home.  Some ideas include:

• add a ribbon to an ornament and tie it around a napkin at each place setting
• incorporate ornaments into the centerpiece of the table
• with ribbon, hang special ornaments in a shadow box
• use several themed ornaments to decorate a pine wreath
• tied with a ribbon special ornaments can add to a presents gift wrapping
• use several themed ornaments to decorate a pine garland on a fireplace mantel

The high quality and superior craftsmanship ensure that Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments will become family heirlooms and cherished collectibles for years to come.