A guide to photo baubles and photo ornaments

Christmas is a time for creating memories and cherishing traditions and one of the most delightful ways to personalise your festive season is with photo baubles.

These unique decorations not only add a personal touch to your Christmas tree but also serve as beautiful keepsakes that capture special moments.

Here, the Christmas.co.uk team looks at the history of photo baubles and photo ornaments and how these personalised decorations allow you to treasure precious memories and add a unique touch to your Christmas tree.

A brief history of photo baubles

While traditional Christmas decorations have been around for centuries, the concept of photo baubles is a relatively new phenomenon.

As technology has advanced and digital photography has become more accessible, people have begun to seek ways to incorporate their personal photos into their festive decor.

Photo ornaments emerged as a perfect solution, allowing individuals to create customised ornaments that reflect their unique memories and experiences.

Why consider photo baubles?

Photo ornaments offer several benefits that make them a popular choice for Christmas decorations:

• Sentimental value: Photo baubles allow you to relive cherished memories, from family gatherings to milestone celebrations
• Unique personalisation: Each photo ornament is a unique piece of art, reflecting your individual style and taste
• Family tradition: Start a new family tradition of adding a new photo bauble to your tree each year
• Nostalgia: As you decorate your tree, you can reminisce about past Christmases and create new memories
• Versatility: Photo baubles can be used for various themes, such as memorials, family milestones or even as gifts
• Durability: Made from sturdy materials, they are designed to last for many Christmases to come!

What are photo baubles made from?

Photo ornaments are typically made from durable plastic, acrylic or glass.

The image is printed onto high-quality paper and then inserted into the bauble.

Some baubles may also have additional decorative elements, such as glitter or ribbons.

Also, some retailers offer wooden baubles which offer a rustic and natural look, perfect for real and artificial Christmas trees.

What photos to use?

Here are some ideas on deciding what photos to use in your Christmas photo ornament:

Family portraits: Family photos from different years to create a timeline of memories – this is also a wonderful opportunity to remember a cherished loved one at a special time of year

Children’s’ drawings: Incorporating children’s artwork to add a personal touch

Pet portraits: Include much-loved pets for happy memories

• Special moments: Highlight significant life events like weddings, graduations or holidays
• Themed baubles: Baubles with specific themes, such as ‘First Christmas’ or ‘Family’.

You could also consider adding personal touches:

• Handwritten messages: Add handwritten messages, quotes or names to the ornaments
• Decorative elements: Consider the use of ribbons, glitter or other embellishments to enhance the baubles.

How to make photo baubles?

Creating photo ornaments and baubles is simple. Choose your favourite photos, upload them to the retailer’s website and select your desired bauble design.

Once your order is processed, you’ll receive your personalised baubles ready to hang on your Christmas tree.

There are also cheaper DIY options but you’ll have to print out the photo at home on quality printing paper so the image will last.

We also like those photo ornaments and baubles where the image is printed onto the decoration – it’s unusual and ever-lasting

Remember that when choosing a photo, you should opt for something meaningful that you want to display.

Many retailers also offer options to add names, dates or messages to your baubles.

How much do photo ornaments cost?

The cost of these baubles varies depending on the retailer, the size of the bauble and the number of photos you want to include.

Generally, you can expect to pay between £5 and £20 per bauble. One retailer on Amazon is selling packs of four baubles for £8.99.

Popular photo bauble retailers

• Personalised Gift Shop: Offers a range of photo baubles, including classic round shapes, heart-shaped ornaments and baubles with additional decorations
• Not On The High Street: This online marketplace features unique and personalised gifts, including photo baubles from various sellers
• Amazon: A convenient option for purchasing photo baubles from a variety of sellers
• Etsy: A great place to find handmade and custom photo baubles from independent artisans.
• Tesco Photo: Offers a wide range of personalised Christmas baubles, including options for adding photos, names and messages.
• My-Picture.co.uk: Provides high-quality photo baubles with various customisation options
• Photobubble: Specialises in personalised photo gifts, including Christmas baubles
• Funky Pigeon: A nice range of quality of festive photo baubles is available.

We also found that there are some excellent DIY photo ornaments being offered.

We love this offering from Boots, and here Hobbycraft offers a detailed guide to creating your own bauble to impress.

Buying photo ornaments this Christmas

We think that adding photo baubles to your Christmas tree is a wonderful way to celebrate the festive season with a personal touch.

Whether you choose to commemorate a special event, remember a loved one or simply add a unique flair to your decorations, photo baubles and ornaments are a charming and meaningful addition to any tree or home decorations.