You Can Buy A Christmas Tree Ornament That Looks Exactly Like Your Home
Etsy owner handmakes each ornament to be an exact replica of your house
Shopping for Christmas tree ornaments is always a family affair. Whether they are gifted to us by our parents or siblings, handmade from our kids, or bought in remembrance of a favorite family vacation — ornaments are a walk down memory lane every time we put them on the tree. For the truly nostalgic at heart, you can now buy an ornament that looks exactly like your house.
Etsy shop owner Samantha Bravoco, who runs Forever Figurines, hand-makes ornaments that look exactly like our homes — be it childhood, current, new, or any other place that makes us feel sentimental. It doesn’t matter the type either — Bravoco nails two-story, brownstones, ranch houses, and every single kind in between.
All customers need to do is send in a few photos of their home’s exterior and provide any other details that would help Bravoco create an exact replica of the space. She sculpts the ornament out of polymer clay, finishing it with acrylic paints. As you can see by the side-by-side photos, her attention to detail makes these ornaments the perfect Christmas or housewarming gift for the special person in your life.
Bravoco told TODAY that she started sculpting back in 2015 as a hobby. “I decided to post some work up on Etsy to see if there was any interest from buyers,” she said. “I was featured on WeddingWire in 2016 for my wedding cake figurines and that got the ball rolling quickly.” That’s an understatement. She said the demand for her ornaments is so high, the current wait time for each order is about three months. That’s disappointing news for those of us just starting our Christmas shopping but that just means we’ll be way ahead for next year’s list.
Bravoco said she’s made about 300 house ornaments since opening her Etsy shop, but she also makes cake and pet figurines so if you want to have a replica of your wedding cake or favorite pet, she’s got you covered there, too. I’m in the “I don’t bake so I buy my kid’s cake” group but if you are an overachiever and make your kid’s cakes, this would be the perfect reminder of their birthdays.
The house ornaments and cake figurines cost $75 plus shipping. The mini-pet figurines sell for $25 plus shipping. It’s a little more than most people would spend on a Christmas ornament, but the look on someone’s face when they recognize their childhood home or wedding cake would be priceless.