When planning your Christmas creations for 2011, channel seasons past. High-quality products and traditional colors (various shades of red, green, gold and silver) characterized the upcoming holiday season, according to experts at the 2011/2012 Christmasworld trade fair in Frankfurt.
Fortunately for glass artists, glass was the material of choice for tree ornaments at this years show. Fused, blown and stained glass ornaments will be more popular than ever! Click here for hand-picked Christmas glass.
In addition to traditional ball-shaped ornaments, make note of these five standout trends:
Nature
The biggest source of inspiration for the 2011 Christmas season is nature. Natural materials like wood, bark, wicker, as well as milled wool and felt were mixed with glass, pearls and precious stones to achieve a beautiful but organic feel.
Hearts
Classic heart-shaped ornaments in delicate shades of rose, red, gold and silver were seen throughout Christmasworld.
Stars
The Christmas star is also huge for Christmas 2011. It symbolizes high hopes and ideals, which is perfectly in line with a renewed sense of optimism.
Flowers/Birds
Flowers and birds are no longer reserved for springtime as a number of trees at Christmasworld featured flowers of all sizes and colors as well as birds nests of twigs and other natural materials. Glass artist Craig Mitchell Smith used the dove as a muse for his 2011 Christmas ornament. Download the pattern for his glass dove ornament here. Moreover, floral motifs look great paired with checks and stripes and add femininity to any project.
Interior Design Influence
Chandeliers, cocktail glasses and perfume bottles were good examples of interior-items making their way onto the Christmas tree.
Click here for holiday project guides and inspiration.
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Christmas 2011 Glass Trend Update: Look to Nature for Inspiration
