There are so many reasons to love the holidays. The time I get to spend with my family and friends is at the top of my list. One of my favorite family memories is decorating our Christmas tree every year. My brother, sister and I always love sorting through the ornaments and reminiscing on the memories linked to each one. Personalized, homemade, or gifted ornaments are the best way to keep those happy holiday memories fresh and alive each year.
There's a good chance that you have either received or gifted an ornament at some point during the holidays. They are the simple yet dazzling symbol for holiday cheer. Oftentimes, family and friends have some tradition with ornaments. Ornaments can symbolize anything — friendships, memories, milestones— almost everyone has a Baby’s First Christmas ornament dangling from their tree. It's usually pretty easy to recall at what moment you received certain ornaments, and those memories are resurfaced each year when it's time to decorate the tree.
An ornament makes a simple, yet meaningful gift for anyone. Christmas ornaments are everywhere around the holidays and it's easy to find them...but there are a few shops in Butler County where each and every ornament has its own unique story.
Haute Fusion Studio
1050 Central Ave, Middletown, OH 45044
Grab your family, friends or co-workers and head to Haute Fusion in Middletown. This Glass Studio & Gallery doesn't just sell ornaments, but offers Ornament Workshops where you can make your own! Haute Fusion's mission is to engage with their community, to create with all kinds of people, and to empower individuals through art. Each workshop is only $30, and you get to take home two ornaments that you created on your own! If you can't make one of the workshop sessions, don't worry — you can still stop by and shop the beautiful gallery, with a variety of ornaments to buy. The studio has talented artists that specialize in kiln-form glass, mosaics, and stained glass. Each piece is hand-crafted locally with a unique touch, perfect for the person on your list who has everything!
Made to Love
209 High St, Hamilton, OH 45011
Down on High St. in Hamilton is a cozy little boutique called Made to Love, and their name is as inspiring as it sounds. After a trip to Haiti in 2010, three friends had one simple goal: to find a way to send kids in Haiti to school. There mission is to make a real difference by showing love, building hope and restoring lives through education and job opportunities. The shop features one-of-a-kind ornaments that build hope and opportunity with each one they sell. Everything sold in the boutique is originally bought from Haitian Artisan Markets and Co-Ops that create long-term, sustainable employment for the citizens of Haiti. Stop by during your gift shopping and take a look at these extraordinary works of art — made from materials like metal, bottles, leather and macrame.
InsideOut Studio
140 High St, Hamilton, OH 45011
Along the same street in Hamilton is another shop with an incredible mission. InsideOut Studio is supported by a partnership with the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati. This studio provides artists who have disabilities to produce, market and profit from their art...all while gaining confidence in the process! They continue to grow as a non-profit and produce original, beautiful artwork. Check out their collection of unique ornaments in their gallery! The artists actually create each piece in the back of the studio — glass work, paintings, pottery, and even custom work for customers. Their ornaments are all one-of-a-kind, made by different artists and different materials.
