Free Christmas ornament SVG files

Christmas ornament SVG files to hang, layer and engrave

Ornaments are a classic project for cutting machines and lasers, and one of the most rewarding: an ornament made in December gets unpacked and admired every year after. The designs in this collection were built for exactly that kind of keepsake.

Every ornament has a cap and a round hanging loop, so it is ready to hang as soon as it comes off the mat. Most are a single connected piece; a few patterned designs, such as the striped bauble and twisted icicle, are made of separate bands on purpose, and their pages say so. Every design passed our automated checks for closed paths, tiny fragments, unweedable cut-outs and hairline details, and each page shows the smallest width at which every part stays at least a millimeter wide.

As with every design on the site, you get three styles: a solid silhouette for cutting and engraving, an outline for a lighter look or for decals on glass, and a layered color version with the body, cap and pattern on separate layers.

Shapes in this collection

Round baubles

The classic ball ornament in several finishes: plain with a highlight, striped, zigzag, polka-dot, harlequin and snowflake-window. These are the most versatile shapes for personalized ornaments and decals.

See the Classic Round Christmas Bauble, the Striped Band Bauble, the Zigzag Band Bauble, the Polka Dot Bauble, the Harlequin Diamond Bauble, the Snowflake Window Bauble and the Bow-Topped Bauble.

Vintage shapes

Ornament shapes inspired by old glass decorations: a teardrop finial, an onion dome, a ribbed melon and a vintage light bulb. They bring a nostalgic, heirloom feel.

See the Teardrop Finial Ornament, the Onion Dome Ornament, the Ribbed Melon Ornament and the Vintage Light Bulb Ornament.

Keepsakes and sets

Shapes for personal projects and displays: a heart ornament for first Christmases and memorials, a disc with a tree cut-out, a slender icicle and a trio of baubles on a bar.

See the Heart Christmas Ornament, the Tree Cut-Out Disc Ornament, the Twisted Icicle Ornament and the Hanging Ornament Trio.

Project ideas

• Personalized wood ornaments. Laser-cut or engrave a bauble and add a name and year.
• Layered cardstock ornaments. Cut the body, cap and pattern layers in three colors and glue them together, with a second body on the back.
• Clear ball decals. Small outline or solid designs on clear plastic or glass ornaments.
• Shirt designs. A single bold ornament or a row of three on a sweatshirt.
• Gift tags. Ornament-shaped tags with the recipient’s name.
• Garlands. A row of baubles cut from glitter cardstock and strung on ribbon.
• Kids’ crafts. Plain baubles for children to color and decorate.

Choosing materials

Sizes that work

Colors for ornaments

The color files default to classic ornament palettes: red with a gold cap, green with gold, navy with silver, ice blue with silver. A few other ideas to try in the customizer:

• Jewel tones: emerald, sapphire and ruby bodies with gold caps
• Pastels: blush, mint and lavender with silver caps for a soft, modern tree
• Monochrome: all white or all gold in different finishes
• Retro: teal, pink and orange with silver, like vintage glass baubles

Tips for ornaments

• Make the loop work for your ribbon. If you use thick ribbon, size the ornament up so the loop opening grows too.
• Back cardstock ornaments. A second body glued to the back hides the reverse and adds strength.
• Seal wood ornaments. A clear coat protects painted or stained ornaments for years of use.
• Weed patterns first. On patterned baubles, weed the small cut-outs before lifting the outer waste.
• Mind the curve. Decals on round ornaments should stay small so they do not wrinkle.

A little ornament history

Decorated trees were hung with fruit, nuts, paper and candles long before glass baubles arrived. Hand-blown glass ornaments became popular in the nineteenth century, and the glassmaking town of Lauscha in Germany is often credited as an early center of that craft. Many of the shapes in this collection, such as the finial, the onion dome and the ribbed melon, echo the forms of those early glass ornaments, translated into flat designs you can cut from paper, vinyl, wood or acrylic.

Making an ornament set

A themed set of ornaments looks more deliberate than a random mix. A few ideas:

• Vintage set: finial, onion dome, ribbed melon and vintage bulb in jewel tones with gold caps.
• Pattern set: striped, zigzag, polka-dot and harlequin baubles in two colors, such as red and white.
• Keepsake set: heart, disc and round bauble, each personalized with a name or year.
• Frosty set: icicle, snowflake window bauble and a silver round bauble.

Cut the set in the same material and finish so the different shapes look like a family.

Personalizing ornaments

Names, initials and years turn an ornament into a keepsake. Keep text at least a quarter inch tall when cutting vinyl, choose a simple font for small sizes, and place the text on the widest part of the ornament. On wood, engraving is often cleaner than vinyl for very small text, and a clear sealant protects painted names for years of use.

Caring for handmade ornaments

Handmade ornaments are meant to last for years, so a little care at the start pays off:

• Seal wood and paint. A clear matte or gloss coat protects painted ornaments from moisture and fingerprints.
• Store flat or hung. Paper and cardstock ornaments keep their shape best stored flat in a box with tissue between them; wood and acrylic ornaments can be stored hanging.
• Avoid heat. Keep vinyl decals and glued layers away from radiators and hot bulbs.
• Repair quickly. If a layer lifts, a dot of craft glue applied with a toothpick fixes it before the next season.
• Label the back. A small date and name on the back turns any ornament into a family record.

Free to use

Every Christmas ornament SVG here is original and free for personal projects and for small businesses selling up to 500 finished items per design. Please do not resell or share the files themselves. See the license for details, and the FAQ for Cricut, Silhouette and format help.