Glowing Christmas Tree Decoration

About this ornament

A clear ball with a miniature nativity scene fixed inside it and a gold-toned cap on top. Held up to a lamp or hung with tree lights behind it, the scene sits in the middle of the glass and the light comes through the figures rather than past them, which is the whole reason to make an ornament out of glass rather than print one on a flat disc. Five scenes to choose from, sold as single ornaments.

The ball

Clear, thin-walled, and light for its size, with a moulded ring at the top and a gold-toned cap above that. The inside is sealed, so nothing shifts and nothing gathers dust around the figures. Because the wall is thin and the surface is round, it takes fingerprints readily, which is worth knowing before you hand it to a child to hang.

The five scenes

The nativity stable with the holy family, the holy family on their own, and three variations on the figure of Jesus: standing, with a sheep, and holding a lamb. Each one is modelled at miniature scale and set on a small base inside the ball, so the scene stays upright whichever way the ornament is turned. Pick at checkout. They are similar enough to hang as a group and different enough that a group does not look like a mistake.

Light, and how it behaves

This is an ornament that wants light behind or beside it. On a tree with warm lights, the ball picks up the glow and the figures inside read as silhouettes against it. Hung in a window it does the same with daylight, though the effect is cooler and the detail is finer. Away from any light source it is simply a clear ball with a small scene in it, which is still worth looking at but is not what it is bought for.

Hanging and storing it

The loop at the top takes a hook, a ribbon or a wire, and the ball is light enough for any of them. It hangs happily among standard baubles rather than needing a branch to itself. At the end of the season it wants its own box rather than a shared tin, because glass rubs against other decorations and the cap is the part that bends. Wrapped in tissue and kept flat, it comes back out the way it went in.

Specifications

Type	Clear ball hanging ornament with an inner scene
Shell	Clear glass with a gold-toned cap and top loop
Scene	Modelled nativity figure fixed inside the ball
Designs	Five, including the nativity stable and the holy family
In the box	1 hanging ornament in the design you choose

Hanging it

1. Near a warm light

   The scene reads best with tree lights or a lamp behind the ball rather than above it.

2. Hang it low

   Down where people are sitting puts the scene at eye level and the light behind it.

3. Group two or three

   Different scenes together look deliberate. One on its own can disappear among baubles.

4. Give it its own box

   Glass rubs. Tissue and a small box are what get it back out next December intact.

In the box

• 1 clear ball ornament with an inner nativity scene
• 1 gold-toned top cap and hanging loop

Care

Wipe the outside with a soft dry cloth, and handle it by the cap rather than the ball, because fingerprints on thin clear glass are the one thing that spoils how it looks. Do not put it in water. Store it in its own box rather than a shared tin, and check the loop before hanging it in the same place as heavier decorations.

Handling glass