I spend my Fall making a lot of ornaments for the holiday markets. Every year, I tell myself to get started on them sooner, but it doesn’t seem to happen. This year, I really made things difficult for myself by making spray-painted snowmen in a makeshift lamp-heated spray booth in my garage. I got two ornaments done and a snowman box done before giving up on the cold weather. With the hustle of the holiday market season, I neglected to get a photo of the snowman box before it sold.
Building on the success of the mushrooms that I made in the Fall, I focused on a woodland theme. I made morels, pine trees and mini-birdhouses with the thought that ornaments aren’t just for Christmas trees. They can be used to decorate doorknobs, cabinet knobs, or pull strings for ceiling lights. I have even made mini-birdhouses that I stake into my house plants.
The woodland theme seemed popular this year as everything sold. The mushrooms and morels are fun to make and because I’m on a roll, I think I’ll keep going. If I get started on next year’s batch now, I won’t have to worry so much about the finish being dry in time.
With the holiday markets now behind me, it’s time to rest, clean up the shop and reflect on the past year. One thing I’m planning for next year is starting on ornaments in the Summer instead of the Fall.
As I close out the year, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read my newsletter or bought my work in this past year. As a maker who spends a significant amount of time alone in my basement, connecting with other people at markets or through this newsletter is a grounding force for me in the world.
Cheers to a good year and I’ll write more in 2024.
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