Does your family have a box of Christmas ornaments that has been around longer than you have?
Maybe it was your grandmother’s, then your mother’s, and now it sits on a shelf in your closet. You might have wondered if it’s time to let some of it go.
At our house, that box comes out every single year.
The Saturday after Thanksgiving is decorating day for us. The leftovers are in the fridge, and the coffee is on. The family is still in town, and nobody is in a hurry to leave.
My grandson carries the ornament boxes down from the top of the hall closet. I don’t climb for them anymore (my knee made that decision for me). The granddaughters sit on the living room rug and wait for me to open the first box.
My mother did the same thing on the same weekend when I was a girl. Her mother’s ornaments came out first, before anything else touched the tree.
So when I lift the lid, I know what will be on top. It’s my grandmother’s little glass bird, wrapped in white tissue. I always pack it last in January so it can come out first.
Some of the ornaments on our tree are close to a hundred years old. Some were made with glue and glitter by my own children in Sunday school.
Every one of them gets hung.
I know there’s a lot of talk these days about letting go of old things. But these heirloom Christmas ornaments are not clutter to me. They come out every year, and we use them.
So I’ll share whose ornaments are on our tree, the five things I do to keep them in one piece, and how we make sure the stories get passed down too.
Whose Ornaments Are on Our Tree
Our tree is not fancy. It’s a little crooked on one side, and the lights never hang quite even.
But when I look at it, I can see three women’s Christmases on the same branches. My grandmother’s, my mother’s, and mine.
My Grandmother’s Glass Ornaments
My grandmother’s ornaments are the oldest ones we have. Most of them are thin glass, so thin you can almost see through them.
There’s the little glass bird with a clip on its feet so it can sit on a branch. There are a few round balls with the paint worn soft from years of hands. And there’s one long glass icicle that I still hold my breath when I hang.
These came to me the same way her heavy serving dishes did. She passed them to my mother, and my mother passed them to me.
The Ones From My Mother’s Tree
My mother added her own ornaments over the years. Some she bought, and some were given to her.
I remember a set of red glass bells from my childhood. I remember a little felt Santa with one arm that always flopped down.
When I hang them now, I can almost hear her telling me to be careful. She said it every single year (and she was right, every single year).
The Ones My Children Made
Then there are the ornaments that came from my own house.
Each of my three children has a “baby’s first Christmas” ornament. There are paper snowflakes, pinecones rolled in glitter, and a lopsided star made in Sunday school.
None of these are worth a penny to anyone else. But they go on the tree right next to my grandmother’s glass bird, and they belong there just as much.
Five Things I Do to Keep Them in One Piece
Old ornaments break easily. Glass gets thin, paint gets loose, and glue dries out.
I learned most of these steps the hard way, after losing a few pieces I wish I still had. You can do these things now, before the season, and again in January when you pack up.
Clean Them Gently, or Not at All
Most old ornaments don’t need much cleaning. A little dust is fine.
If one looks dusty, I use a soft, dry paintbrush and brush it very lightly. I never use water or spray on old glass, and I never try to clean an ornament with painted designs on it. Water and rubbing can take the paint right off.
I also hold each glass ornament by its body, not by the little metal cap on top. That cap can pull off the glass, and then the ornament falls.
Wrap Each One the Right Way
I wrap every glass ornament by itself in plain white tissue paper. I buy the kind that says “acid-free” on the package, which is gentler on old paint and paper.
I don’t use newspaper anymore. The ink can rub off, and newspaper can yellow and stain over time. I also skip colored tissue, because the color can bleed onto the ornament.
I wrap them loosely, not tight. Then I set them in a box with little dividers, in one layer, so they don’t bump into each other.
I take the metal hooks off and keep them together in a small bag. Loose hooks can scratch the paint on the ornaments.
Label Every Box by Whose Tree It Came From
Every box on my closet shelf has a label on two sides. One says “Grandma’s Glass Birds.” Another says “Mom’s Red Bells.” Another says “The Kids’ Ornaments.”
It sounds like a small thing. But when my grandson brings the boxes down, everyone knows which ones to handle with extra care.
It also means the stories don’t get lost. I did the same thing when I labeled the backs of my old photos, and it gives me the same peace of mind.
Store Them Where It’s Not Too Hot or Too Damp
For years, our ornaments lived in the attic. I didn’t think twice about it.
Then I found out that attics, garages, and basements are some of the worst places for old ornaments. They get too hot in summer, too cold in winter, and sometimes damp. That can crack old glass, loosen glue, and make paint flake.
So we moved the ornament boxes down into the hall closet. It stays about the same temperature all year, just like the rest of the house. A closet shelf, the space under a bed, or a dresser drawer all work well.
When I cleared out our attic, the ornaments were the first thing I brought down. I also made a rule that I don’t climb on chairs or ladders to reach them.
My grandson or my husband carries the boxes, because a fall would hurt me a lot more than a broken ornament would. I wrote more about that in my post on decluttering for safety.
Hang the Fragile Ones Where They Won’t Get Knocked Off
The most fragile ornaments go up high and toward the middle of the tree. That keeps them away from little hands, swinging purses, and anyone squeezing past the tree with a plate of cookies.
The sturdy ones go low, where the grandkids can reach. Felt, paper, wood, and plastic ornaments can take a bump or two.
I hang my grandmother’s glass ornaments on sturdy branches, not on the thin tips. If a branch dips, I move the ornament closer to the trunk.
Decorating Day at Our House
Decorating day has a rhythm to it now, and everyone knows their job.
My husband handles the tree stand and the lights. He has used the same tree stand for about thirty years (he keeps everything, so this should not surprise you). He grumbles about the lights every year, and every year he gets them working.
Then the boxes come out.
The granddaughters unwrap the sturdy ornaments and hang them on the low branches. I unwrap the glass ones myself, sitting in my chair with a box on my lap. I hand each one to my grandson, and he hangs it up high where I point.
As each old ornament comes out, I tell its story. This one was on Grandma’s tree. This one my mother bought the year I was born.
And this one? Your mother made it when she was six.
The kids have heard most of these stories many times. Some of them can tell the stories back to me now, which makes my heart so full.
Not every ornament has to stay on the tree. My grandmother’s glass bird sat in a bowl on our dining room table one year, with a little greenery around it. I liked seeing it up close at every meal.
I believe in using the things we love instead of saving them for someday. That’s true for good dishes, and it’s true for ornaments too. I wrote about this in why you should use the good stuff every day.
Some years, an ornament breaks. It happens, even when we’re careful.
When my mother’s red bell cracked a few years ago, I cried a little. Then I kept the little metal cap and tucked it into the box with the other bells. It still makes me smile when I see it.
Making Sure the Stories Go With Them
An ornament without its story is just a pretty ball of glass. That’s why I’ve started writing the stories down.
Inside each box, I tuck a small card. I write down whose tree the ornaments came from, about how old they are, and one or two memories.
For example, the card in my grandmother’s box says she bought the glass bird at a dime store before my mother was born. The card in my mother’s box says the red bells hung in her front window every year.
I did the same thing when I sorted my mother’s costume jewelry. A short note turns an old thing back into something that matters.
I also write down who has asked for what. My daughter has already told me which three ornaments she wants someday. I wrote those on the card, so nobody has to guess.
I mentioned this in decluttering after a death. When our children don’t know the story behind something, they may give it away without ever knowing what it was.
The grandkids have their favorites too. My younger granddaughter loves the felt Santa with the floppy arm. I haven’t promised it to anyone yet, but I wrote her name on the card in pencil.
This isn’t about planning for the end. It’s about making sure the stories stay with the ornaments for a long time after I’m the one telling them.
Some Things Are Really Meant to Be Kept
I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about letting go. And I believe in it.
But letting go was never about getting rid of everything. It’s about making room for the things we truly love and use.
These ornaments come out every year. They get touched, talked about, and hung by three generations of hands. They are not sitting in a box, forgotten.
When I hold my grandmother’s glass bird, I think of her, and of my mother, and of the Christmases in between. I wrote once about whether keeping their things really keeps the people we lost. For me, these ornaments are the exception, because we use them together.
If you have a box like ours, take it down this year. Check the wrapping, write a card, and tell the stories while you hang them.
Some things are really meant to be kept. And these are mine.
Before the Boxes Come Down This Year
The holidays are easier when the rest of the house feels lighter. Clearing a few spaces now leaves more room for the things you love to bring out.
My free Declutter for Self Care Checklist helps you choose where to start and keep going at a pace that feels good to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you store old glass Christmas ornaments?
Wrap each glass ornament by itself, loosely, in white acid-free tissue paper. Set them in one layer in a box with dividers so they don’t touch. Take off the metal hooks and store them separately. Keep the boxes inside the house, in a closet or under a bed, where the temperature stays steady.
Should I clean vintage Christmas ornaments?
Most vintage ornaments only need a light dusting with a soft, dry brush. Don’t use water or spray on old glass. Never try to clean an ornament with painted designs, because the paint can come off. Hold each ornament by the glass, not by the metal cap on top.
What should I wrap ornaments in so they don’t break?
Plain white acid-free tissue paper is the best choice for old ornaments. Avoid newspaper, because the ink can rub off and the paper can stain over time. Skip colored tissue paper too, since the color can bleed. Wrap them loosely so there’s no pressure on the glass.
Where is the best place to store Christmas ornaments?
The best place is inside your home, where the temperature and air stay about the same all year. A closet shelf, the space under a bed, or a dresser drawer all work well. Attics, garages, and basements get too hot, too cold, or too damp, which can crack glass and loosen paint. If the boxes are up high, ask someone to help you get them down.
How do I decide who gets the family ornaments?
Start by asking your family which ornaments mean the most to them. Write their names and the story of each ornament on a small card and keep it inside the box. You don’t have to make promises right away. A simple note now can save a lot of guessing later.
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