Here is Day two of the 25 Days of Christmas Activities. Decorating the Christmas Tree is a staple in most families’ Christmas traditions. A few years ago, we went for the first time to blow glass ornaments for our tree. It was so much fun that we decided to make it a family tradition. And, it has the added bonus that our kids will each have epic ornament collections for their own trees someday.
Plan an Outing to Blow Glass Ornaments
We are lucky enough to live about an hour from The Corning Museum of Glass. Corning is the home of Corning dishes and Pyrex. There is an amazing museum and they offer classes. Three years ago, the day after Thanksgiving, the whole McLaughlin clan–all 14 of us–headed on a day trip to Corning to blow glass ornaments. Each person gets to pick his or her own ornament style (round, teardrop or snowman) and colors. Then the student works with a profession glass worker to create the ornament. It’s super easy. And, it is super fun. Even our two-year-old niece made her own ornament.
Last year, it was not the McLaughlin year for Thanksgiving, so the four of us went by ourselves. It was still fun. And, Corning is a great little town with shops and restaurants and a little town square where the big guy is waiting to find our what you want for Christmas.
Unveiling Day
The only drawback for the little ones is that you will not go home with your ornaments and there is an additional charge for shipping. Once the ornaments are blown, they have to cool slowly, so they are not ready until the next day. Corning is just far enough for us that we are not going back. However, that gives us the added fun of having the UPS truck show up and deliver the box that says fragile on it. Then we each get to unwrap our ornaments to reveal the final product.
The Details
Make your own ornaments at Corning Museum of Glass is $30, plus shipping. Reservations are required and can be made on line through their website. Corning is about and hour and a half south of Rochester. Three hours from Buffalo, an hour and a half from Binghamton and 4.5 hours west of New York City (according to their website).
A quick Google search shows that there are a number of other places around the country where you can blow your own glass ornaments, so if you don’t live in New York or the surrounding states, do a little investigating and let me know in the comments below about your experiences.
25 Days of Christmas Activities
Be sure to check out the other 24 Days of Christmas Activities this month with 25 Days of Christmas Activities to do with Your Family.
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