Blown Glass and Hand Painted White House Christmas Ornaments

The practice of glass blowing, has been handed down for centuries from skilled master to apprentice. Though generations of craftsmen and artisans have developed new techniques, invented new implements and introduced artistic innovations, the centuries-old practice remains at the heart of the process by which blown glass ornaments are created.

Friends of the White House ornaments combine centuries-old tradition with dramatic innovations. Our artisans have created a delicate yet intricate design in blown glass that is silvered, hand-painted and decorated. The inspiration for these uniquely handcrafted ornaments is the White House and its Presidents.


Glass

Since the dawn of the Bronze Age, artisans have been fascinated by this smooth, hard and perfectly transparent substance. Under intense heat, glass takes on a consistency somewhere between liquid and toffee. It can be stretched and formed into an infinite variety of shapes. Removed from the source of heat, it hardens permanently leaving no reminders of its earlier fluid shape.


The Raindrop Technique

The earliest techniques adopted by Polish artisans in the creation of blown glass dates back to Roman and Byzantine times. Between the 10th and 13th centuries, advanced methods of glass making came into use. These include the rolling, stretching and shaping of glass as well as a method of blowing known as the “Raindrops” technique.


The Silvering Technique

As the centuries passed, glass blowing techniques continued to evolve. By the 19th century, glass artisans began to use the silvering technique in the creation of shaped, glass objects. Silver-plating, a technique that applies a thin layer of silver, was applied to a variety of ornamental objects, including, most fittingly, blown glass Christmas decorations.

Silvering of the ornament adds brightness to the colors, strengthens the ornament and increases the overall value.

Hand Painting and Decorating

Centuries have shaped current hand-painting and decorative techniques. Employing old-world artistic skills and styles, artisans have mastered the secrets of traditional color blending recipes and are developing the most advanced know-how in hand-painting and decorative techniques.

The hand-painting and decorative techniques employed in the making of this ornament has been somewhat upgraded but remains essentially the same as in past times. The decorating style employed requires subtle and fine brushwork in execution, and employs complex color schemes enriched with a combination of unusual tints and bright, intense colors.

Each ornament requires 10 days to completely hand paint and decorate and the artisans have been widely recognized with numerous awards bestowed on them.

Employing old-world artistic skills and styles, each ornament requires 10 days to completely hand-paint and decorate