These folk art holiday ornaments were inspired by the extensive collections at the Museum of International Folk Art. Pictured alongside this set are a few examples of the holiday related figures from the museum's collections.
Every culture and country celebrate the winter holidays in their own unique way, but across the world there are some commonalities: bringing fresh greens into the home – evergreen boughs, palms rushes, and pine, spruce, or fir trees – preparing special foods and singing songs. In the of midst of winter’s long days, the greens represent the promise of renewal; the sharing of food brings people together and singing lifts the soul.
As for the origin of ornaments, it is the Germans who, in the mid-1800’s, invented shaped glass ornaments. Since then, ornament designs have evolved and, like most folk art, represent objects, animals and beings that bring joy, blessings, and abundance.
This flat pack, folk art Holiday Ornament Kit is made of plywood and unpainted. We invite you to bring these shapes to life with a bit of paint.
Instructions included, but please note, for best results, we recommend you remove the ornament shapes and paint then before assembling them. Enjoy them as table ornaments or hang on your Christmas tree.
Seven ornaments included, approximately 5 1/2" high
Pictured to the left are a few of the sources of inspiration for the Holiday Ornament kit:
Carved and painted wood chickens, Sweden, ca 1960, gift of Girard Foundation Collection, Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photo by Blair Clark. ©Museum of International Folk Art
Angel doll, Germany, ca 1950, Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photo by Blair Clark. ©Museum of International Folk Art