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The world of Christmas ornaments is incredibly diverse. From traditional glass baubles to quirky, novelty ornaments, there's something for everyone. Many modern ornaments feature popular characters from movies, TV shows, and cartoons, adding a touch of pop culture to the holiday season.
The tradition of decorating trees, particularly during Christmas, dates back centuries. However, the concept of hanging ornaments on trees is believed to have originated in 16th century Germany. Back then, people decorated their trees with fruits, nuts, and other edible items. Over time, this evolved into using more decorative items like candles, paper decorations, and small trinkets.
Saturday, November 2nd
With an inventory of over 35,000 Christmas ornaments, Wayfair presents a myriad of options for every taste and budget, from plastic snowflakes to Lladro tree toppers. You'll love being able to see hundreds (if not thousands) of customer reviews and photos of many of the ornaments here. Plus, Wayfair's customer-friendly policies include a 30-day return window and complimentary shipping for orders over $35. Given its unparalleled selection, competitive pricing, and easy-to-browse website, Wayfair still earns our highest recommendation as the premier destination for Christmas ornaments sold both in sets and individually.
Etsy is our top choice for unique and personalized Christmas ornaments. With thousands of options starting at just $2.50, each ornament is crafted with care and often receives glowing reviews. From handblown glass to creatively-painted shells, Etsy offers a diverse selection that stands out from mass-produced alternatives. While browsing, it's easy to see which ornaments have lots of positive reviews (and that's most of them), and detailed listings provide all the information needed to make an informed purchase, from estimated delivery windows to all available customizations. Interacting with Etsy sellers adds a personal touch, and with Purchase Protection, shopping is worry-free. From niche interests to special occasions, Etsy's Christmas ornaments earn our highest rating for their quality and individuality.
At Personalization Mall, a part of the 1-800 Flowers brand family, you'll discover over 4,500 Christmas ornaments ready for your personal touch, all without additional fees for customization. Ranging from whimsical to elegant, the ornament styles offer something for everyone. Utilize filters to quickly find ornaments tailored to your needs, whether you're memorializing a beloved pet or seeking a design with photo options. However, be mindful of shipping fees, which can increase with order total, and consider joining the Celebrations Passport to score some savings. Personalization Mall has earned enthusiastic praise from customers for quality, fast delivery, and true-to-image products, making it one of our most trusted destinations for customized Christmas ornaments.
At Christmas Central, you'll discover over 4,600 Christmas ornaments ranging from individual pieces to full sets, backed by over 20 years of expertise in delivering festive cheer. With a vast selection spanning tons of fun categories, finding ornaments to suit your taste is a breeze. Prices range from budget-friendly options starting at $1.99 to unique finds like a towering "Gargantuan" Illuminated Christmas Ornament priced at $1,177.99. While customer reviews are limited, product pages provide detailed information and multiple photos to aid in your decision-making. Free shipping is available on orders over $77, and you've got a 30-day return policy if you change your mind. Despite a few minor drawbacks, Christmas Central gets plenty of 5-star ratings from customers for its quality products and excellent customer service. With its extensive selection and stellar reputation, Christmas Central is a top destination for purchasing Christmas ornaments, easily earning a high rating from us.
Target maintains a year-round selection of Christmas ornaments, from basic filler balls and baubles to cute themed designs that commemorate a special person or occasion. While it's not as easy as we'd like to find the ornaments we're looking for (because Target could be a little more specific with the filters), the selection of 3,400+ options is fun to browse. You can get free shipping on most Christmas ornaments if your order is at least $35 or you have a Circle 360 membership, and returns are free and easy within 90 days (or longer if you meet the criteria). Target is a wonderful place to shop online for all things Christmas.
At Lowe's, not only can you tackle home improvement projects, but you can also spruce up your Christmas tree with ease, thanks to their vast selection of over 1,200 ornaments. With options ranging from individual pieces to sets, prices from $8.99 to $300+, and free shipping on orders over $45, Lowe's makes ornament shopping a pleasure. Their user-friendly website offers convenient filters to help you narrow down your search by color, theme, or even sports team. While you won't find ornaments with hundreds of reviews, customer feedback is available for some popular options like StadiumViews and funny designs from Design Toscano. Plus, with a 90-day return policy and additional perks for MyLowe's Rewards members, including reduced free shipping thresholds, Lowe's earns a strong rating. So, don't hesitate to add those Christmas ornaments to your cart and spruce up your tree.
Walmart comes in as a surprisingly good option for buying Christmas ornaments. Because so many people shop at this retailer, you can benefit from dozens (if not hundreds) of reviews on most of the ornaments that catch your eye. The 7,000+ options range from the cheap plastic kind you're likely picturing, up to high-end, sought-after Hallmark items and everything in between. Many ornaments include free shipping, and all of them come with a 90-day return window and free returns. We had to dock Walmart's score slightly for a lack of filtering options, but we're recommending it overall for having a wide selection of Christmas ornaments.
The Home Depot isn't a terrible option for buying Christmas ornaments, especially if you're already shopping their online store for other items. This home improvement giant not only has ornaments for both indoor and outdoor use, but also sets you can use to decorate your entire tree and individual styles you'd never expect at a store like this (think Bigfoot). And, your order will almost undoubtedly ship for free and be covered by a 90-day return window. However, because the selection here is much smaller than most of its rivals, Home Depot gets a "just okay” rating for Christmas ornaments.
In operation since 2001 in a cute little shop in Middleburg, Virginia, The Christmas Sleigh offers Christmas ornaments and décor inspired by German and Austrian heritage. While the prices are reasonable, with hand-crafted ornaments available for under $20 (though they can go as high as $120+), the variety is limited to the European theming and style, and it can be hard to find things in stock. The website is clunky and fails to share the shipping or return policy too. We still give The Christmas Sleigh a good rating, as a nod to how much people will like shopping here if they're trying to decorate their tree in the Old World way, but most people won't find the Christmas ornaments they want here.
At Michaels, you'll find a wide selection of Christmas ornaments, though navigating their website may leave you feeling a bit frustrated. While they offer thousands of options and free shipping on orders over $49, finding holiday-appropriate decorations can be challenging amidst unrelated items (like wooden beetles and water fountains). Pricing can also be steep, with sets of plastic ornaments reaching upwards of $143.99, though occasional discounts are available. While Michaels does offer a generous 60-day return policy, the lack of reviews on Christmas ornaments doesn't make it easier to see which ones are worth buying. With a lower rating, Michaels may not be your top choice for Christmas ornament shopping, as there are better options available elsewhere.
Ornament Shop used to be one of the best places to get personalized Christmas ornaments. But, despite being in business for over 40 years, this store isn't one of our favorites anymore. The website has typos, some popular categories of ornaments have no products in stock, and recent customer reviews are too mixed to give us much confidence in the retailer's promise of 100% satisfaction. Ornament Shop has dropped to a lower rating, and we'd recommend going higher on our list for your customized Christmas ornaments.
Despite the name, King of Christmas has a rather small selection of common glass and shatterproof-plastic ornaments, all sold in sets of 6-48. If you happen to be buying your Christmas tree here, you could absolutely get enough ornaments to fill it from top to bottom in a traditional color pattern like silver or red and green. However, there are quite a few complaints about the quality of the trees and the disappointing response of King of Christmas' customer reps, so we really can't offer an enthusiastic recommendation for buying ornaments here either. King of Christmas earns a below-average rating.
As this tradition spread throughout Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, the ornaments themselves evolved. Handcrafted glass ornaments became popular in the 19th century, particularly in regions like Germany and Czechoslovakia. These delicate decorations were often intricately painted and adorned with glitter. In the 20th century, with the advent of mass production, Christmas ornaments became more accessible to the general public. Materials such as plastic, metal, and fabric were used to create a wide array of ornaments, though traditionalists still looked for the old-world styles in glass too.
Personalization has also become increasingly popular. People now look for ornaments that can be customized with names, dates, or special messages, making them unique keepsakes for families and loved ones. Many families have the tradition of buying a new ornament every year to reflect their interests, hobbies, or significant life events. For example, newlyweds may look for ornaments that celebrate their first Christmas together, while pet owners may seek out ornaments shaped like their furry companions.
Are you ready to deck out your Christmas tree? The world's best selection is, of course, online, but where should you shop? Here are a few things to look for that can help you get started:
To help you find the perfect Christmas ornaments to adorn your tree and create lasting memories for years to come, the elves at Top Consumer Reviews have shopped the selection at some of today's most popular retailers, ranking them from best to worst so that you know which ones are on Santa's "nice” and "naughty” lists. Happy decorating!
Select any 2 Christmas Ornament Stores to compare them head to head