Baby's First Christmas Ornament Ideas and DIY Keepsakes

By Jan Bay

DIY baby Christmas ornaments are the little keepsakes that can make a first holiday feel personal long after the wrapping paper is gone. This collection brings together ornament ideas made with baby handprints, footprints, photos, names and simple handmade details, so you can choose something meaningful enough to hang on the tree every Christmas and eventually tuck away with the family keepsakes.

If you're choosing one first Christmas ornament to make, start with what you want to preserve: a tiny hand, a footprint, a photograph or the surprise of a baby on the way. I've separated those into dedicated project guides below so the detailed ideas do not get lost in one long list.

Baby Handprint Christmas Ornament Ideas

A baby handprint ornament preserves the size and shape of that tiny hand at one particular Christmas. The print can be pressed into clay or dough, used on a painted ornament or paired with the baby's name and date for a simple first Christmas keepsake.

The handprint should stay easy to recognize. A clear print with a name, date or short first Christmas message usually needs very little decoration around it, and an imperfect print can still make a meaningful keepsake.

For the dedicated projects and design ideas, see my baby handprint Christmas ornament ideas. For handprints and footprints that are not limited to Christmas, browse my baby hand and footprint keepsake ideas.

Baby Footprint Christmas Ornament Ideas

Baby footprints work especially well on Christmas ornaments because the shape fits naturally on an oval, rectangle or small hanging plaque. One clear footprint can be paired with the baby's name and Christmas date, or the print can become part of a simple holiday design.

Footprints are also often easier to capture from a young baby than an open handprint. The impression does not have to be perfect. A slightly uneven heel or missing toe still records how small that foot was at baby's first Christmas.

See my baby footprint Christmas ornament ideas for the dedicated Christmas projects, including painted, clay, dough and holiday-themed footprint designs. For other baby footprint keepsakes, visit my baby footprint ideas.

Baby Announcement Christmas Ornament Ideas

A Christmas ornament can also mark the holiday before the baby arrives. An expecting-baby ornament can be used to reveal a pregnancy to grandparents, announce a baby on the way or add an ultrasound photo, due date or short message to the Christmas tree.

That is a different kind of keepsake from a handprint or footprint ornament because the ornament is part of the pregnancy announcement itself. See my baby announcement ornament ideas for Christmas pregnancy reveals, expecting-baby ornaments and baby-on-the-way designs.

Salt Dough Baby Christmas Ornaments

Salt dough ornaments have remained popular for a good reason: they turn a simple homemade material into a keepsake that can hold a handprint, footprint, name, date or small Christmas design. They are also easy to shape before baking, so you are not limited to the standard round ornament.

For a baby keepsake, I would choose the shape after deciding what needs to fit on it. A footprint needs a longer piece of dough than a small name ornament. A handprint needs enough space around the fingers so the edges do not feel cramped. If you want both the print and lettering on the front, make the ornament a little larger rather than squeezing everything together.

The best salt dough ornament is not necessarily the one with the most decoration. A clean impression with a neat hanging hole and a simple finish can look more intentional than a surface covered with several competing Christmas motifs.

Before making the impression, roll the dough to an even thickness so one side does not dry much faster than the other. Press the hand or foot firmly enough to leave a readable impression, but avoid pushing all the way through the dough. Make the hanging hole before baking or drying so you do not have to drill through the finished keepsake.

After the ornament is completely dry and cool, it can be left natural or decorated with paint. Names, dates and small details are often easier to add after the impression has hardened. A protective craft sealer can help protect the finished surface from ordinary handling and storage.

Salt dough is a craft material, not food for a baby. Keep the dough, finished ornaments, ribbons and other small craft supplies out of a baby's mouth and reach while you work and while the ornament is displayed. Poison Control explains why homemade dough made with raw flour should not be eaten, which is another good reason to treat this as an adult craft project when working around babies and young children.

Good salt dough designs for a baby Christmas ornament include:

• A single handprint with the baby's name underneath
• A footprint with the Christmas date on the back
• A baby's first Christmas ornament with a small print in the center
• A heart-shaped ornament made for grandparents
• A simple round ornament with the baby's name and birth year
• A print ornament finished in colors that match the family's Christmas decorations

If you plan to give one away, make your own copy at the same time. Handmade baby keepsakes have a way of becoming much more important after the baby stage has passed.

Baby's First Christmas Photo Ornaments

A photo ornament records a different kind of first Christmas memory. Instead of preserving the size of a hand or foot, it preserves the baby's face, expression and stage of life at that moment.

You do not need a formal Christmas portrait. A clear photograph with the baby's face easy to see will often make the better keepsake because the picture still feels like your child rather than a holiday prop. Christmas clothing or a seasonal background can add context, but the photograph should remain the focal point.

Choose the ornament shape after you choose the photograph. A vertical portrait fits a tall oval or rectangle. A close-up works well in a round frame. A wider photograph may need to be cropped carefully so the baby's face is not pushed too close to the edge.

Before printing, check the crop at the actual size you plan to use. A photograph that looks spacious on a phone screen can feel very different when reduced to a three-inch ornament.

The back of a photo ornament is valuable space. Add the baby's full name, the Christmas date and, if you want it, the baby's age. That keeps the front simple while preserving information that may be hard to remember decades later.

Photo ornament ideas include:

• Baby's first Christmas portrait ornaments
• Round photo ornaments with the baby's name on the back
• Photo and handprint combination ornaments
• Photo and footprint combination ornaments
• Grandparent ornaments made with the same baby photograph
• Small framed ornaments that can later be displayed outside the Christmas season

A photograph can also solve the problem of making keepsakes for several relatives. Use the same image, then change the ribbon, frame shape or message for each recipient. The important part stays consistent while each ornament still feels personal.

If the ornament is intended as a Christmas gift rather than only a tree decoration, you may also want to browse my personalized baby Christmas gift ideas for ways to build the keepsake into a larger family gift.

Personalized Baby Christmas Ornaments You Can Make

A personalized ornament does not have to mean an ornament ordered with a name printed across the front. A handmade ornament becomes personal as soon as it records something that belongs to this baby and this Christmas.

That might be the baby's name, a photograph, a handprint, a footprint or simply a date written discreetly on the back. You can also add the baby's age if you think that detail will matter later. For a newborn, even a note such as “6 weeks old” can tell more of the story than another decorative snowflake.

I would keep the permanent information separate from the decoration whenever possible. Names and dates need to stay readable. Ribbon can be replaced. Paint can be touched up. The identifying details are the part you do not want to lose.

A handmade personalized ornament also gives you more freedom than a preprinted design. You are not limited to a standard message or a particular color scheme. If the family's Christmas decorations are deep red and green, use those colors. If the keepsake will hang on a silver-and-white tree, the same print can be finished more simply.

The front does not have to carry every detail. A clean handprint or photograph can fill the front while the baby's full name, date and age go on the back. That keeps the ornament from looking crowded and gives you information that will still make sense when the ornament comes out of its box many Christmases from now.

If you are also putting together a larger holiday present, my personalized baby gifts for Christmas page has additional ideas beyond ornaments.

Baby Christmas Keepsake Ornament Ideas Worth Saving

The difference between an ordinary Christmas ornament and a baby keepsake is the information it preserves. A pretty ornament may remind you of a holiday. A keepsake can tell you exactly which baby, which Christmas and which tiny stage of life it represents.

Before you finish an ornament, turn it over and look at the back. If the front already holds a handprint, footprint or photograph, the back is often the best place for the baby's full name and the date. You can also add an age, birth date or a very short note if it helps identify the memory.

The memory comes first. The decoration comes second.

That simple rule helps with almost every choice on this page. If a wide ribbon hides part of the footprint, use a narrower ribbon. If decorative lettering makes the name difficult to read, simplify it. If five embellishments compete with a tiny handprint, take a few away.

Think about storage before choosing fragile extras. A flat ornament is easier to wrap and protect than one covered with pieces that project from the surface. Photo ornaments should protect the photograph from rubbing against other decorations. Salt dough pieces should be stored where they remain dry and are not crushed beneath heavier ornaments.

If you make ornaments for grandparents, consider making one extra for yourself during the same craft session. You already have the print, photograph or materials ready, and there is no reason the family tree should lose the original while everyone else receives a copy.

Baby handprints and footprints can also be preserved in ways that never go on the Christmas tree. My baby hand and footprint keepsake ideas page shows more ways to use those tiny prints.

How to Choose a Baby Christmas Ornament Craft

Start by deciding what you actually want the ornament to preserve. That choice makes the rest much easier.

If you want to remember the baby's size, choose a handprint or footprint ornament. If you want to remember the baby's face at that first Christmas, choose a photo ornament. If you want something several relatives can receive, a photograph or repeated print design is practical because the same source can be used for several ornaments.

A salt dough or clay-style impression makes sense when the print itself is the centerpiece. A framed photo ornament works when you already have a photograph you love. A simple personalized ornament may be the right choice when you want the baby's name and first-Christmas date without trying to capture a hand or foot at all.

Also consider how much help the baby has to provide. Photographing a baby requires very little cooperation. A footprint requires a little more. An open handprint can require patience because tiny fingers have their own opinions about remaining flat.

Babies are not rubber stamps. An imperfect print is not automatically a failed keepsake.

Look at the ornament from a few feet away before declaring it finished. You should be able to tell what matters. The photograph should still look like the focal point. The footprint should still look like a footprint. A name should not disappear beneath decoration.

If you prefer a yarn keepsake, my free crochet star pattern can be finished with a hanging loop for the tree. For more handmade holiday crochet projects, browse my free Christmas crochet patterns collection. If crochet is not the project you want to make this Christmas, continue with my baby Christmas crafts collection for other handmade holiday keepsake ideas.

Baby Christmas Ornament FAQ

Which is easier for a young baby, a handprint or footprint ornament?

A footprint is often easier because babies naturally curl their fingers. A handprint can still make a beautiful ornament, but do not expect five perfectly spread fingers every time.

What should I put on a baby's first Christmas ornament?

The baby's name and the Christmas date are the most useful identifying details. You can also include the baby's age, a photograph, a handprint or a footprint. If the front becomes crowded, put the name and date on the back.

Do baby Christmas ornaments have to say “Baby's First Christmas”?

No. A photograph, handprint or footprint with the baby's name and date can identify the first Christmas without putting that exact phrase across the ornament.

What is the easiest DIY baby Christmas ornament?

A simple photo ornament is one of the easiest choices because you can work from an existing photograph without making an impression of a baby's hand or foot. A name-and-date ornament is another simple option.

How should handmade baby ornaments be stored?

Wrap keepsake ornaments individually and keep them dry. Do not place heavy decorations on top of fragile salt dough, clay or photo ornaments. Keeping the baby's name and date on the ornament also helps identify it if boxes or labels are separated later.