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‘It gives the season more meaning than another set of identical gold baubles’ – photo frame Christmas tree ornaments are popping up everywhere

This personalised ornament is how to make your tree decor more memorable

A Christmas tree next to a fireplace layered with Christmas decorations including photo frame ornaments from Pottery Barn
(Image credit: Pottery Barn)

In the last couple of years, the way we decorate our homes has become increasingly more personal as we aim to inject some character and memories into our interiors. And the same goes for Christmas decor, which is why photo frame Christmas tree ornaments are popping up everywhere this year.

Frame Christmas tree ornaments are part of a larger current Christmas trend known as ‘memory trees’, which is hugely popular at the moment. It’s the ultimate way to make your Christmas tree decor really personalised, and framed ornaments are part of that.

A close-up of a Christmas tree at the Pottery Barn London pop-up store layered with decorations including photo frame ornaments

(Image credit: Future/Sara Hesikova)

‘A memory Christmas tree is essentially a tree curated around personal moments: framed photos, handwritten notes, miniature souvenirs from trips, even tiny pressed flowers from significant days,’ says Sam Sutherland, Flitch interior stylist. ‘It’s less about perfect styling and more about building a little archive of your life right there in the living room.’

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I first spotted frame Christmas decorations at Pottery Barn’s London pop-up store opening last month where the brand’s Christmas range was on display, too. This memory-focused style of Christmas decor is something of Pottery Barn’s speciality in the US, but other brands do have them on offer, too and I've seen more and more of them around this year.

‘There’s a growing appetite for decor that feels handmade and rooted in family history, and frame ornaments tick both boxes. Frame ornaments add a personal touch without turning the tree into a full scrapbook. They create little focal points that draw people in. They also break up all the glitter and baubles with something that actually has emotional weight. It gives the season more meaning than another set of identical gold baubles ever could,’ Sam at Flitch explains.

You can frame anything from portraits of each of the members of the family or pets to kids’ drawings, old family photos of those that might not be with us anymore or baby foot imprints. You can get as creative as you like – after all, this Christmas decor idea is all about making your festive season as personal to you as possible. So make it truly your own.

Sara Hesikova
Content Editor

Sara Hesikova has been a Content Editor at Ideal Home since June 2024, starting at the title as a News Writer in July 2023. She is now also the Ideal Home Certified Expert in Training on Furniture, and so far has tested over 150 different sofas.

Graduating from London College of Fashion with a bachelor’s degree in fashion journalism in 2016, she got her start in niche fashion and lifestyle magazines like Glass and Alvar as a writer and editor before making the leap into interiors, working with the likes of 91 Magazine and copywriting for luxury bed linen brand Yves Delorme among others.

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