Inside the Glassblowing Studio: Old World Christmas Reveals How Its Mouth-Blown Ornaments Are Made

The heirloom ornament maker opens its glassblowing studio for the first time, showing the mouth-blowing, silvering, and hand-painting behind every piece in a new film.

SPOKANE, Wash., Aug. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Plenty of people have an Old World Christmas ornament on their tree, but very few have seen how one is actually made. The heirloom ornament maker, crafting mouth-blown glass ornaments since 1979, is changing that. This year, the company released its first "How It's Made" film, a look inside the studio where a plain glass tube becomes a hand-painted keepsake.

Every ornament starts as a simple glass tube, heated over an open flame until it's soft enough to shape. Skilled artisans then blow into the glass to form each design in a mold, and that's what makes every piece a little different. Old World Christmas has made its ornaments this same way for nearly 50 years, using techniques that date back to the 1800s.

Key Facts

• What it is: Old World Christmas's first behind-the-scenes film, showing how its mouth-blown glass ornaments are made, from glass tube to finished keepsake.
• How it's made: A clear glass cylinder is heated over a flame and mouth-blown into a finely carved mold made just for Old World Christmas. The piece is cooled slowly, coated inside with a liquid-silver solution for a mirror-like shine, then hand-painted and hand-glittered before it is capped.
• The heritage: Every ornament is made using the same techniques that began in Lauscha, Germany, in the 1800s.
• The craft: A design begins as an idea and a sketch, gets shaped into a custom two-part mold, and passes through many hands before it's done. Because each one is shaped by hand, no two come out exactly the same.
• The catalog: The collection spans more than 2,000 proprietary designs, from traditional to whimsical.
• Where to watch: The one-minute film is on YouTube now: Inside the Studio: How a Glass Christmas Ornament Is Made. A longer three-minute version is also available.
• Where to shop: 2000+ ornaments are available to shop at oldworldchristmas.com and at retailers across the U.S.

How a single ornament comes to life
Every ornament starts as an idea and a sketch. From that drawing, artisans shape clay into a finely carved, two-part metal mold made just for Old World Christmas.

From there, a clear glass cylinder is heated over an open flame until it turns soft, and a glassblower blows into it by mouth so the glass fills the mold and takes its shape. The new piece then goes into an annealer, an oven that cools it slowly so the glass won't crack.

Once it's cooled, a silvering solution is added and the ornament is dipped in warm water, which gives the inside that soft, mirror-like shine. Some pieces are dipped in lacquer for a bit of color.

After that comes the handwork. Each ornament is hand-painted to bring out its details, then finished with a little glue and glitter for sparkle. Finally, the Old World Christmas cap, the signature heart charm, and a story tag that shares the meaning behind the design are added, and the ornament is ready to hang.

From start to finish, every ornament passes through many different hands, and no two ever come out exactly the same.

A film made to be watched up close
The film was made to be watched up close. Shot with macro lenses and slow, steady camera moves, it stays close on the small moments you'd usually miss: the glass filling the mold, the silver moving across the surface, a brush adding one stroke of color at a time. Old World Christmas Creative Director, Melessa Paynter, led the project, giving the craft a warm, premium feel.

Fan favorites to see the craft in
The same handwork goes into every design, from the Sisters Sisters and Sister Love ornaments to Santa's Milk & Cookies, Just Married Magic, the Friendship Tree, and The Little Engine That Could. Each one is mouth-blown, silvered, and hand-painted, just like you see in the film.

A word from the President and CEO
"People have asked us for years how these are made, so we finally brought a camera into the studio," said Neal Applefeld, President and CEO, Old World Christmas. "When you see the glass blown by mouth, shaped by hand, and then painted one stroke at a time, you understand why families keep these for generations. Every piece is made by hand, and to us that's what putting a memory on the tree is all about."

Frequently Asked Questions

How are Old World Christmas ornaments made? A clear glass cylinder is heated over a flame and mouth-blown into a finely carved mold. It is cooled slowly, coated inside with a liquid-silver solution for shine, then hand-painted and hand-glittered before a cap is added. The techniques date back to the 1800s.

Are the ornaments really mouth-blown by hand? Yes. A glassblower heats a glass tube over a flame and blows into it by mouth to shape the glass in the mold. Because each one is shaped by hand, every piece is a little different.

How long has Old World Christmas been making glass ornaments? Since 1979, using the same age-old techniques that began in the 1800s.

Where can I see or read how they're made? Watch the film on YouTube, or read the full step-by-step on the Old World Christmas blog: Decoding the Craft.

Where can I buy Old World Christmas ornaments? At oldworldchristmas.com and at retailers across the U.S.

About Old World Christmas
Old World Christmas has made hand-blown glass ornaments since 1979. Each design is created in-house and handcrafted by skilled artisans, and the collection now spans more than 2,000 proprietary designs, from traditional to whimsical. Built to last and made to capture a memory, a milestone, a pet, or a person you love, the ornaments give everyone a way to tell the story of their lives one piece at a time. Learn more at www.oldworldchristmas.com.

Media Contact
Shelby Wilson
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SOURCE Old World Christmas