ornament questions

[Minnesota scroller]

If I find that if people don't really care for my portraits I have labored so long and hard at, I may try my hand at Christmas ornaments. I would like feedback, from you who sell ornaments at fairs and shows, what type and thickness wood do you use, what is an average size and do you paint or stain them? I prefer not messing around with a paint brush and 5 different colors for each little trinket. Unless they don't sell very well just stained.

Thanks in advance for your knowledge.

[minowevie]

Gosh Mike. did I mess somthing again. I am sure I would love your potraits,,ornament, or trinckits. gosh my friend. where are they again so I can go look. now I am wondering if its so hot. that i messed something good. or am i just getting old. NOT. your frined Evie

[Minnesota scroller]

Dear, dear Evie.

I looked at your profile but didn't see your DOB.

You have commented on quite a few of my portraits but I have never made an ornament, thus the questions. I'm hoping you or somebody that has made and sold Christmas ornaments can enlighten me with some expertise.

[minowevie]

Dear, dear Evie.

I looked at your profile but didn't see your DOB.

You have commented on quite a few of my portraits but I have never made an ornament, thus the questions. I'm hoping you or somebody that has made and sold Christmas ornaments can enlighten me with some expertise.

Ok Mike. I have to appollowgise. TO day is my birthday , and i am having alittle buzz. LOL I; have made a couple ornements, and i will show some at the bottom. hopefully. but the one you need to talk to is BJ. she is the Xmas ornemant expert. Ps ,, whats a DOB? ok must be someting I don't know about. Its ok. your friend Evie

[minowevie]

well that didn't work

[minowevie]

also , these are some more.

[Minnesota scroller]

Evie,

DOB = date of birth. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. How many have you had? By the way, your ornaments didn't show up. Is this BJHolm you are referring to? I would like input from as many scrollers as I can.

[minowevie]

Hi Mike. LOOK DOWN. and age has nothing to do with scrolling. but I do love your work. sorry if I am waylaid again. but thats just the way it goes. love ya little brother.
Evie

[Jim8Mad]

For the past couple years I have thought about making a bunch of ornaments and trying to sell them at a craft fair held in my area every year as a part of our annual Christmas parade. Evie has just given me even more inspiration to do this after posting those pics. I especially like the 3D ornaments.

I have made a few ornaments over the years, but I always give them away to family and friends. Some I have stained and some I have painted. I even took a Santa in the shape of a star blew it up to twice the size, cut it on 1/2" ply, and painted it for my youngest son. Last year I didn't make any ornaments and I could tell some of my family was a bit disappointed. This year I won't let them down.

Ornaments are pretty simple to make and it seems everybody wants something different than the usual balls and stuff to hang on their tree. I say go for it.

Jim

[ozarkhillbilly]

Sorry Mike I can't help ya much on the ornaments, I've only got one Christmas under my belt since I started scrolling, but I'm sure your going to find your portraits well recieved. Regardless, just make whatever makes you happy! If you do decide to make some, there is plenty of books filled with those type of patterns.

And Evie, A BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! XXOOXXOO, hope you spent the day doing what you love and with those who love you!

[CanadianScroller]

I have done a few ornaments at craft sales and didn't get much back from the effort. However there is a Christmas Craft sale in this town where they charge $200 per table and 10% of your profits.
I have never gone to this one because I do not do it for money.

There are ornaments there, many cut from just BB ply with NO FINISH. just a red yarn string looping through a hole.
These sell for $5 to $10.
They are simple flat ornaments.
They are stack cut and you can get a large quantity done in short time.

I also know of a Tole painter that will try and sell ornaments in our town and she will be lucky to get $10. If she takes them to the City...(Vancouver) she can get $50 for the same item.

I do have a common pattern of a nativity scene puzzle.
It is cut from pine. The cut is beveled so Joseph, Mary and Jesus slide forward from the background.
This is maybe 5 cuts in a common pine 1x4. I could easily get $10 each.

Like I said before I do not care to sell my work, I get a little frustrated sometimes when people do not have any idea of the hours involved in an intricate piece.

My recommendation is , if you don't like to paint then don't do it. Sell them as natural wood pieces.
Here is a sales tip for wooden Christmas Ornaments.

Make a little card or paper tag with the following message

A Gift from a Carpenter

It has a great deal of meaning! and I mean no disrespect by it.

Good luck with your endeavours.
I hope more experienced people can offer more advice to you.

Carl

[Jediscroller]

Hi Mike,
I find that a mix of products helps tremendously. That includes ornaments, portraits, clocks, intarsia, puzzles, 3D stuff etc. I sell ornaments in my booth year round. I don't bother with the 3D ones as they take too long and I can't get what they're worth around here. I cut all of my ornaments out of hardwoods, typically 1/8 - 1/4 thick and finish them by dunking in Danish Oil and spraying with 3 coats of gloss lacquer. I always sell a few of them. My ornaments are priced from $5 - 12$ (the $12 ornaments are the Volker Arnold designs that were in SSW a couple of years back). I have ornaments in Oak, Purpleheart, Redheart, Brazilian Cherry, Red Mahogany, Ash and a few others that escape me right now. Oak is my best seller by far. I stack cut all of them. A lot of folks buy the crosses and such to hang from their rearview mirrors as well.
Hope this helps.

[Rolf]

Hi Mike,
I only do one fair a year and have been very pleased with my sales. Last year's sales paid for my RBI G4. I think last year was a fluke.
I like fine delicate ornaments, the one Evie posted by BJ Holmes the horse drawn buggy is one of my all time favorites. I stack cut them from 1/16 Finnish birch (6 up) and sell them for $12. I clear coat all my ornaments with a matt finish. The small ones I sell for $5 simple ones for $10.
Even if it takes me an hour to cut one @6 up it is only 10 minutes ea.
Obviously pricing is what your market will support.
I also agree you need a variety of things, something for everyone (hopefully) I like the patterns from Volker Arnold.(church and Moon) Tom Sevy is the US distributor for him.
I apologize for not knowing who designed the tree and Santa (fun to paint)

[minowevie]

Rolf, I just wonted to say. those are relly nice ornements. Evie

[Forester21]

I make and sell a lot of ornaments at my Fall shows. Most of the ornaments I make are solid shapes, then tole painted (a fire truck, a bear, a stocking, etc.) These are made so that I can personalize them at the show with names and years.
Then I also make scroll sawn ornaments. I don't sell as many of these as I do the painted ones, but I have found that the ones I put the year on sell better than the ones I don't. Either type I cut, I will stack cut anywhere from 3 to 5 at a time (depending on thickness of wood). The scrolled ornaments are cedar, and left unfinished so the smell of the wood is still there.