The Making of a Hand-Blown Glass Christmas Ornament

Lift the small metal cap on a glass Christmas ornament, and you’ll find a narrow opening. It’s easy to overlook once the ornament is hanging on the tree. But that opening leads to the hollow center, where some of the work that gives the ornament its shape and finish takes place.

Shaping the Hollow Glass

A glassblower starts with a piece of hollow glass tubing and turns it over a flame. When the glass softens, the glassblower blows through the tube. The air expands the softened section into a hollow shell. A round ornament can be shaped by hand while the glass is still warm enough to move.

A mold helps when the shape calls for more detail. The glassblower places the softened glass into the mold and blows until it presses against the mold’s walls. A ribbed ornament, for example, already has its ridges when it comes out of the mold. The glass is still clear, and a narrow neck leaves the center open for the next step.

Silvering the Inside

To give the ornament a reflective finish, the maker adds a silvering solution through the neck. The solution coats the inner wall with a thin layer of silver. The clear shell begins to look like a mirror, while the outside remains available for color and detail.

Putting the silver inside lets it show through a translucent color on the outside. Light passes through the color, reflects off the silver, and comes back through the glass. That’s why a colored ornament can look brighter on the side that catches a tree light. A painter can also use an opaque finish where they want to cover the reflection.

Painting the Details by Hand

A painter can add a base color first, then switch to a smaller brush for fine lines, dots, or trim. On an ornament with a raised pattern, the glass’s shape gives the painter an edge to follow. A plain round ornament leaves more room for a design, whether it’s a band of color around the middle or a cluster of painted leaves.

Some ornaments get glitter on selected areas, such as the edge of a painted stripe. Once the finish dries, a small metal cap fits over the glass neck. A loop on the cap holds the hook or ribbon that hangs the ornament on the tree.