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Best Places To Buy Christmas Ornaments In Chicago

Retailers Hope For A Busy Christmas As The UK Stays In Recession
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Christmas ornaments not only add dazzle to a tree, they've become 3-D memories of a baby's entry to earth, an exotic trip, a sports obsession or a family's culture. If you want to add original and inventive color and meaning to your holiday decor, consider a visit to any or all of these independent Chicago shops offering an array of sparkling orbs.

Homesoul
4526 N Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 654-1583
homesoulshop.com

Among the hand-picked home accessories, vintage treasures and original art at the Lincoln Square shop, you'll find lovely ornaments resembling child-like snowflakes, delicate porcelain shapes like doves and hearts etched with kind words, metal pieces for eye appeal and fabric birds perfect for the nature lovers in the family. Owner Dana Weed says, "We love when something in our store evokes a special memory or inspires conversation. We also often get compliments on the shop's calm and relaxing atmosphere." Pretty perfect for the holidays, we'd say.

Greenheart Shop
1714 N Wells St.
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 264-1625
greenheartshop.org

Greenheart is Chicago's premiere non-profit, fair trade shop where you'll find all products that are fair trade, eco-friendly or carry a social mission. The shop also sources beautifully handcrafted ornaments from various countries and vendors. Peruse glass baubles with a vintage flair from a line called Nkuku from India; whimsical wool animals from the company Silk Road of Kyrgyzstan; and embroidered, beaded fabric likenesses of animals and international landmarks, such as the Eiffel tower and Big Ben, from World Finds, also out of India. Other Fair Trade organizations that provide ornaments include: Matr Boomie, Tibet Collection, Kinderware, SERRV and Ten Thousand Villages. The baubles are made by skilled artisans from as far away as Tunisia and as close to home as North Lawndale, and each product carries a story — so ask about it when you're there.

Enjoy, An Urban General Store
4723 N Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 334-8626
www.urbangeneralstore.com

Among the plethora of welcoming and fragrant Frasier Fir items (candles, soaps, diffusers, home mist), Enjoy, An Urban General Store's shop floor is brimming with ornaments from the sublime to the ridiculous. So there is truly something for everyone, from your wacky aunt who lives and breathes Christmas, to the grumpy curmudgeon in your crew. Teenagers might like the creepy horse head ornament, Santa rubber chicken or a sparkling rasher of bacon bauble, while those with a finer sense of artistic appreciation might go for a diorama ornament of cardinals or a set of four ice skaters.

Paperish Mess
1955 W Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 265-1497
paperishmess.com

Displaying the wares of over 100 independent artists, you're sure to get something distinctive here. The storefront and art gallery located in Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood offers a selection of ornaments made in-house by Sean Murty and Lisa Muscato — book-page themed, handcrafted wood ornaments and ornaments made with repurposed, vintage chandelier crystals. Lisa says, "We also carry a selection of ornaments from independent artists based in Chicago and around the U.S. including glass ball terrarium ornaments, Illinois shaped wooden ornaments and more that will make their debut in November and December."

Hardscrabble Gifts, LLC
3335 S Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60608
(773) 696-9574
www.hardscrabblegifts.com

Bridgeport's Hardscrabble Gifts offers locally handmade ornaments from several artisans. Owner Leanne Scanlon curates Chicago-themed and general holiday ornaments that are made from all kinds of distinctive materials including fused glass, vintage landmark photographs, aluminum, recycled phone books, stained glass, recycled license plates and other found objects. "One of our most unique is a limited-edition run created in-store to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Union Stock Yards," she says. You won't find that at a chain store dangling next to the Disney stuff!

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Jacky Runice has been a columnist with the Daily Herald Chicago since grunge music and flannel was the new black. Her fingers and gray matter have been busy as travel editor of Reunions Magazine; penning a column that was syndicated around the nation via Tribune Media Services. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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