I Bought Six Christmas Ornaments and Gave Away Five. The One I Kept Lives in My Kitchen Window.

Six Designs, Six People

I found what I was looking for while browsing for Christmas ornaments for my own window: a set of crystal-style suncatcher ornaments, each one about 5.9 inches across, in a jewel-like design with a gold-tone frame.

What caught me was the choice of designs. There are six: a hummingbird, a highland cow, a cardinal, a butterfly, a flamingo and a little Christmas dwarf. And you can buy a set with one of each.

I looked at the list on my refrigerator, then at the six designs, and it practically sorted itself.
The flamingo went to my sister, who moved to Sarasota twelve years ago and has decorated with flamingos ever since.

The highland cow went to Deb, who grew up on a farm in Iowa and still has cow-print everything.

The cardinal went to Joan, who keeps a feeder by her porch and texts me photos of every cardinal that visits.

The butterfly went to Linda, my son's mother-in-law, who plants a butterfly garden every spring.

The dwarf, a cheerful little Christmas character, went to the party hostess, who has a sense of humor about Christmas.

And the hummingbird stayed with me.

What They Look Like Up Close

These are not flat, painted ornaments. Each one has layered, faceted detailing set like jewels, with a clear center, red and green accents, and pink and other bright colors catching the light from different angles. The gold-tone edging frames the whole piece, and the central picture is detailed. On mine, a hummingbird hovers among poinsettias and pinecones over a snowy scene.

Each comes with a hanging ribbon, so it goes straight onto a window hook, a tree branch or a wall hook.

The Afternoon Sun

I hung mine in the kitchen window above the sink, which faces southwest.

I did not think much about it until about three o'clock one afternoon in mid-December. In Boise in winter, the sun sits low and comes straight through that window in the afternoon. I was rinsing a mug when the light hit the ornament, and the faceted surfaces lit up. Little flecks of colored light scattered across the counter, the cabinets and the back of my hand.

I stood there with the water running for longer than I would like to admit.

That is the thing about these. In ordinary indoor light, they look lovely and bright. But when real sunlight reaches them, they sparkle and throw color around the room. Winter afternoons are short and gray here. For half an hour every sunny day, my kitchen was full of sparkles.

And at Night, on the Tree

On Christmas Eve, I moved it from the window to the tree for the evening, just to see.

Among the tree lights, the gold edging and the jewel details caught the light the same way, smaller and warmer. It looked like the best ornament on the tree.

The next morning, it went back to the window.

How It Works and Where It Fits

Sunlight brings it to life. The faceted, jewel-like surfaces reflect and scatter light. Hang it in a sunny window and you will see sparkles and color throughout the day.

It looks good without the sun, too. In softer indoor light, the crystal-style detail and gold edging still look bright and dimensional.

Two ways to use it. As a window suncatcher by day, or among the lights on a Christmas tree at night.

The right size. At about 15 cm (5.9 in) across, it is large enough to notice from across a room but not so large it overwhelms a tree or a window.

Easy to hang. A hanging ribbon is included. Use a suction-cup hook on a window, a tree branch or a small wall hook.

It comes back every year. Store it flat, and it is ready for next Christmas.

Choosing Designs for the People on Your List

If you are thinking of doing what I did, here is how I matched them.

Hummingbird for the backyard bird-watcher or the gardener with a feeder by the porch.

Cardinal for the person who loves winter birds and classic red-and-green Christmas.

Highland cow for the friend with a farmhouse kitchen or a soft spot for the countryside.

Butterfly for the gardener who plants for pollinators every spring.

Flamingo for the beach lover, the Florida relative or anyone with a sense of fun.

Dwarf for the person who loves whimsical, storybook Christmas decor.

The set of six makes it easy to cover a whole list at once: neighbors, a hostess, coworkers, a teacher. Each one feels chosen for that person.

What Everyone Said

My sister sent a photo of her flamingo in her lanai window in January with a single word: "OBSESSED."

Joan hung her cardinal facing the feeder. Deb said hers was the only gift she had kept out after Christmas. Linda put her butterfly in the window above her potting bench, so it would be the first thing she saw when spring planting started.

None of them would have remembered a candle.

What Customers Are Saying