Use these tips and materials to repair your damaged Christmas ornaments along with a little patience!
Christmas ornaments represent so many memories in life, and losing one can feel like losing some of those memories. As you might guess, we get a lot of requests for information about how to repair a “broken memory,” and we wanted to share the best fixes we know of from our many years of selling ornaments. Luckily, most broken ornaments can be fixed with a few tricks, and when they can’t be fixed, I have some advice on that too!
We use a process to ensure all our ornaments are delivered safely to our customers, but if you experienced a problem with your order, please visit our customer support page where we guarantee satisfaction.
1. Glass Ornaments
Broken glass ornaments should be dealt with very carefully. If the ornament is a glass ball, it may have shattered beyond repair due to many splintered pieces. If you’re determined to fix a glass ornament, be sure you picked up all of the pieces by shining a flashlight horizontal to the floor. This will cast a shadow on each piece. Once you have all of your pieces gathered, focus on the biggest pieces first.
Most super glues will work and a fast-drying adhesive glue will work best. You might find jewelry glue to work well since it also dries fast and is meant for fastening tiny details. If you need to bond clear glass, try to find a glue that dries clear instead of cloudy.
Using a toothpick, apply a tiny drop to each side being glued, then hold it in place for a few minutes. The bond will still be weak for a few days, so don’t hang your ornament until you’ve let it sit.
2. Resin Ornaments
Resin ornaments are best fixed with an epoxy-based adhesive. Find epoxy that dries fast and is suitable for in-door use. Be sure your broken pieces are somewhat clean so that debris won’t get in the way.
If you find extra glue has dried around the edges, use sand paper to gently sand away the rough features.
3. Plastic Ornaments
If your damaged ornament is made of plastic, your issue might be a chip or dent. A hot glue gun can be used to fill in these dents, and then paint can be used to touch up the spots.
Consider gluing new pieces to the ornament to help hide your dents, because it can be difficult to shape the hot glue to perfectly fit the empty space as it dries. Adding a small feature to the ornament, such as a piece of garland, can help cover up the spot naturally.
Your Last Options
In the end, the damage might be too extensive for you to completely repair the ornament. Don’t be too upset, though, because I have two other options to recommend.
If you’re unwilling to throw away your ornament, consider transforming it into a new ornament. Re-use the pieces to start a project that will represent both your old memories and new ones! Today’s moments are tomorrow’s memories, and next year when you see the recycled broken ornament you’ll remember overcoming your grief to make something beautiful in its own way.
If you’re still not satisfied, shop around with us and we’ll personalize the new ornament for free to try and capture the same memory for you as best as we can.
Do you have your own tips and tricks for repairing ornaments? Share with us in the comments!
How do you tell the difference between ornaments made of plastic and resin?
Hans: It can certainly be tricky to tell the difference! When it comes to ornaments, resin ones ten to be hard, non-porous and will break into pieces if dropped on a stone floor or concrete. Plastic ornaments, because they are made of synthetic material, tend to be a bit more resilient and pliable when they fall.
Do you repair glass Christmas ornaments? And what is your fee? Please let me know. Dr.Muktarian.
Dr. Muktarian: I’m sorry, but we don’t actually repair glass Christmas ornaments. If you have been unsuccessful in your efforts, maybe there is a similar ornament on our website that you can get. We can replicate almost any personalization that may have been on the ornament.
Do you have any suggestion to replace the the metal top of glass ornaments so you can hang them Ornament is fine just need a way to replace the hanger.
Diane: Great question! In the past we have been able to help many customers with this sort of dilemma. Please send a note to brokenornament@OrnamentShop.com and our customer service team will see what they can do for you.
I have an old glass ornament that my dad handpainted with my name in a script writing. He passed away and I want to preserve it so it does not break. Can I coat it on the outside with something or on the inside perhaps? It means so much to me and I want it on my tree.
Dawn:
I can understand how you would want to preserve your meaningful ornament forever. However, I am not aware of any coating or other method to preserve glass ornaments. Unfortunately, if it falls, there is always the possibility of breakage. Take care to make sure that the ornament is securely hung on the branch, by pinching the hook closed so it hugs the branch. When removing, gently pry the hook open. The only idea might be to get a clear plastic ornament that opens, like the one we used for our DIY baby ornament and secure your glass ornament inside.
Dianne