Montana Gift Corral is known for all things Christmas, this being said, we love to employ staff that adore the magic of the holiday season! One of our favorite traditions each and every years is choosing the perfect new ornament to hang on our Christmas trees. Here's what our Creative Content Team picked out this year:

Haven Windsor • Photographer

I have always had a strong connection to Bison. In University, I loved taking classes on Native American history and it was there I learned how important Bison have been for Indigenous America. Bison not only provided food, they were critical for building shelter and tools. They also had a deep, spiritual meaning for Native Americans, representing freedom and harmony with nature. Sadly, through history, Bison have been mistreated and murdered. Luckily, I live in a time in history where we are regenerating the American bison population. I chose the Buffalo Metal Christmas Ornament by Art Studio Company as my favorite ornament at Montana Gift Corral because of the symbolism of the bison and because of Art Studio Company’s conscious company values. 

Art Studio Company is a socially conscious company, focused on supplying high-quality, earth-friendly products that support ethical workmanship. All of Art Studio Company products are hand-crafted in small villages around the world. A portion of profit made from their products goes back to the communities. Additionally, each year, Art Studio Company donates a portion of all of its profits to the Global Dental Relief, an organization that brings free dental care to children in Nepal, India, Guatemala, Mexico, Kenya, and Cambodia. Shopping consciously is a big passion of mine and I love supporting companies who are conscious of their global impact and, in turn, give back to the community they impact. 

Averi Thompson • Graphic Designer

I’m not a huge fan of the overly-Christmassy ornament. I love it when a Christmas ornament looks like it shouldn’t belong on a tree, but looks like a novelty figurine instead. I fell in love with the Garden Gnome Ornament by Old World Christmas as soon as I saw it! I think ceramic garden gnomes that you see in someone’s front lawn are so funny and adorable, so why wouldn’t I want one on my tree? Not to mention this little guy is sitting on a mushroom! I HAD TO HAVE IT!

When it comes to looking for an ornament with the classic Christmas ornament look that I want for my tree, I think of Old World Christmas. All of their ornaments have this handmade look to them, and it’s not just because they are hand painted, but something about their whimsical vibe sends me back to when I was young and decorating the Christmas tree with my sisters. Since Old World Christmas blows their own glass into each perfectly crafted mold, it allows them to have more freedom to make fun and silly designs that you just can’t get anywhere else.

Cassi Miller • Creative Content Coordinator

It is my mission to have the most unique collection of Christmas ornaments in Big Sky Country! Enough of these run-of-the-mill ornaments, this year it’s about unique and special ornaments. That’s why I was drawn to the Tree Explore Series Ornament by Roseworks MT. These ornaments are hand-cut copper by the artist John Rose. He then meticulously hammers and shapes every piece individually until they are perfectly unique in everyway. To finish the process, he then heat treats the copper, which gives the material hints of color. This process will never result in two of the same designs, making each ornament unique to itself. I love the beautiful colors that appear through the heat treatment process. The one I chose as my favorite features a strong blue color, but it's also normal to see yellow, purple, and green!

Another reason why I chose Roseworks MT as my favorite ornament this Christmas is because they are made locally, in Bigfork, Montana. Montana is my home and I love the beauty that surrounds me. I draw most of my inspiration from nature, so I appreciate when artists do the same.  John Rose lives in one of the most beautiful parts of Big Sky Country and is always drawing inspiration from the nature that surrounds him.  He also uses fabricating and welding techniques that have been around for centuries. It’s fun to see ancient techniques used by modern artisans. So if you are like me and love to have special ornaments full of personality, I highly recommend going with Roseworks MT this year. 

Alexa Jorgenson • Content Creator

If there is one thing you should know about me, its that I am a proud and dedicated cat mom! I have two kitties that I love with my entire heart, Mac and Nova. When it comes to decorating my home, its not unusual for me to choose cat-inspired accents, since they bring me so much joy! This being said, it was love at first sight when I saw this adorable Christmas Kitten Ornament from Inner Beauty.

This unique ornament has been intricately hand-painted on the inside of mouth-blown glass using the ancient technique of reverse hand-painting. Using thousands of delicate paint strokes on the inside surface of the glass, the Inner Beauty artist designing this piece is able to create a design that is both beautiful and meaningful. To add to the magic of this ornament, they've included an adjustable antique gold-colored cord with a tassel, keeping it safely secured on the branches of my Christmas tree - which is very important as it is nearly impossible to keep my fur babies out of the tree!

Luke Clark • Photographer

The Wagoneer Ornament from Noteworthy Paper & Press reminds me of my family's Christmas tradition when my wife and I would go into the woods in search of our favorite Christmas tree. When I look at this ornament, it reminds me of the whole process of buying the permit, going out to find our saw, our sled, finding the straps to tie the tree to the roof of our car and going to our favorite trail to spend the day outside. 

After we find our tree, no matter how crooked it is, I follow an old family tradition of shooting the tree (because it's a tree hunt), then we cut the tree down, lash it to our sled, and we usually cross-country ski back to our car where we throw the tree on the roof of the car, strap it down, and make the drive home, only to struggle getting the tree into the stand that is often to big for the trunk. We grab various towels and objects until we get the screws to set the tree standing safely for the next month. It's great that Noteworthy can make an ornament that will always remind me some of my favorite moments of every holiday season!

Written by: MGC Creative Content Team

Photography by: Haven Windsor, MGC Photographer

Blog Cover by: Averi Thompson, MGC Graphic Designer