Locally-themed ornaments make perfect hostess gifts or take-home gifts for out-of-state visitors.
Friends of Greenwich Point
Decorate your tree and support Greenwich Point in the process. Friends of Greenwich Point has been selling annual commemorative ornaments to support its mission since 2013.
It is committed to responsible stewardship and public education to preserve and enhance Greenwich Point’s diverse natural environments and beauty. This year you can find the ornaments at Habitat in Cos Cob, the Greenwich Historical Society Museum Shop, Housewarmings in Old Greenwich and online at the Friends of Greenwich Point website for $25. A limited number of past years’ ornaments are also available on the website.
The 2024 ornament features the Seaside Garden at Greenwich Point in the springtime
with flowers in bloom and the water beyond. friendsofgreenwichpoint.org
Shop our town
Splurge
39 Lewis Street; splurgegifts.com
Every holiday season, Splurge features local ornaments and a host of other perfect gifts—from Greenwich to Connecticut to East Coast themes.
Greenwich
Historical Society
47 Strickland Road; greenwichhistory.org
Shop in-person or online. Check out the ornaments featuring local landmarks like the Cos Cob Train Station, Bush Holley House or Toby Tavern. For the navigators and sailors in your life, check out the Greenwich Chart Map ornament.
Housewarmings
264 Sound Beach Avenue; housewarmingsct.net
Pick up one of Greenwich resident Felicity Kostakis’s beautifully hand-crafted oyster shell ornaments (right top and bottom) while they’re in stock. Each shell is harvested from the Greenwich shores and is one-of-a-kind.
Back40 Mercantile
264 Sound Beach Avenue; back40mercantile.com
There is an array of gifts and ornaments available in this Old Greenwich shop. This year’s version is a chic and simple painted ball featuring Tod’s Point (above).
Habitat
234 East Putnam Avenue; habitatgreenwich.com
Tucked in Cos Cob, Habitat is brimming with items to make a house a home
and is one of the local retailers featuring the commemorative Friends of Greenwich Point annual ornament.
Make Your Own Keepsake Ornament
Create a bit of holiday magic by planning a craft session with your family. Make your own custom ornament from the Greenwich shores, courtesy of the expertise of local artist Felicity Kostakis. Felicity’s work has strong ties to the sea with scenes of boats, seascapes and underwater. So it comes as no surprise that when she turns to crafting, she creates art out of the gifts from the sea at her Riverside doorstep—oyster shells. The stunning shell ornaments are available at Housewarmings in Old Greenwich.
Crafting these little works of holiday art is just another expression of creativity for Felicity. A member of the Development Committee for the Bruce Museum and serving on the Board of Directors of the Greenwich Arts Council, she actively supports the local arts community and hosts art and crafting sessions for children and adults. She has taught children at local schools how to make an at-home version of her keepsake ornament. Here, Felicity shares her tips.
The Tools
Glue: Modge Podge is a decoupage lacquer that adheres images to a surface, dries clear and seals the designs. It comes in several styles, from shiny to sparkly to luster. Felicity favors luster.
Shells: The beaches of Greenwich are filled with plenty of empty oyster and clam shells. Take a trip with the kids to pick up a bucket-full.
Images: Holiday napkins and hostess paper hand towels are great decorative tools. (Designs like a Christmas tree can be cut from the napkin or a whole section can be used to fit the inside the shell.) Felicity also notes that you can use photographs or printed images. Or those with good handwriting can paint zip codes, years or family and town names. For those less sure of their calligraphy skills, simply pick a font on your computer and scale the text to the correct size.
Paint: Pick up simple craft paint, such as a basic white, to paint the shell base and a metallic paint for the trim.
Ornament String: A glue gun or a strong home glue can be used to attach a string. A simple thin twine adds a complementary rustic look. Add a pearl for an extra touch (and to cover any glue spot).
The Process
STEP 1: Prepare the shells
The treasures from the sea will be dirty and stinky so give them a good scrub in the sink. Then fill a bucket with water and bleach and leave outside to soak at least overnight. Scrub and repeat until the shells are clean and devoid of any signs of marine life.
STEP 2: Set the table
Cover a table to allow for some mess. Provide shells, scissors, design options like photos or decorative napkins.
STEP 3: Create
- Shell prep involves painting a base coat on the inside of the shells so the surface is clean, white and easy to apply a design onto. Let dry. Basic white paint is fine, but a waterproof base coat like Kilz allows crafters the option to create items like a soap dish.
- Brush a light coat of Modge Podge on the shell’s inner surface and attach the image. If you decide to use holiday napkins, make sure to use only the top ply sheet—some napkins can have up to three layers. Dab a light coat of Modge Podge over the image. Let dry and repeat.
STEP 4: Finishing Touches
- Once the shell is dry to the touch, paint the outer ridge in a metallic color.
- Glue a string to the back of the ornament to attach a loop. Professional designers like Felicity will drill a small hole into the shell to attach a more decorative hanging loop.
- As with any project, think about the age of the participants. Make the project focused on fun by preparing the shells in advance and do the finishing work of attaching hanging loops on your own.
