Skull Christmas Ornaments That Look Good, Not Cheap

Skull Christmas ornaments look good, not cheap, when they are blown glass with careful hand-painted or glittered detail, a solid weight and a maker’s tag. Kurt S. Adler makes glass skeleton heads and sugar skulls, and Old World Christmas makes a glittery top-hatted skeleton. Skip thin, shiny plastic and gory pieces, and hang a few skulls among plain glass.

What makes a skull Christmas ornament look good, not cheap

A skull Christmas ornament looks good when the detail and finish hold up at close range. Most cheap skulls give themselves away in the same few places.

Scale matters too. A skull smaller than the ornaments around it disappears; one that is a little larger than a standard glass ball becomes a focal point.

Glass skull Christmas ornaments from known makers

Glass skull Christmas ornaments are the easiest way to get the good-not-cheap look, because glass takes paint, glitter and shine better than plastic.

Kurt S. Adler sells glass skeleton head ornaments in its Noble Gems line, about 4.25 inches tall, with detailed faces and shimmering accents that the maker calls spooky and whimsical. Old World Christmas, which has hand-crafted blown glass ornaments since 1979, makes a Top Hat Skeleton ornament: a glittery skull with green eyes, a toothy grin, a black top hat with a purple band and an orange bow tie.

Both lean whimsical rather than grim, which suits a spooky-cute tree. Check each maker’s page for the size before buying, since skull heads vary more than round balls.

Where to look for skull Christmas ornaments

Skull Christmas ornaments are easiest to find in two places: makers’ Halloween ranges and their Day of the Dead pieces. Christmas collections carry fewer skulls, so check the Halloween pages first, and buy before those ranges sell through after October.

Resale is the other route. Older glass skulls from known makers turn up after the season, but ask the seller for photos of the cap, the hanger loop and any glitter loss, since worn glitter is hard to repair. A boxed piece with the maker’s tag is easier to judge than a loose one. When a listing gives no maker at all, compare its size and paint against the maker’s own product page before buying.

Silver and mercury glass skull ornaments

Silver and mercury glass skull ornaments give a skull a Victorian, candlelit look. The Corning Museum of Glass defines silvered glass as glass with an allover silver appearance, made with a silver nitrate solution, and notes that it is sometimes known, mistakenly, as “mercury glass.”

Silvered skulls work on a black tree with warm white lights, where they catch light from inside the branches. Pair them with plain silver balls, so the skulls read as a set rather than a novelty.

Sugar skull Christmas ornaments and Dia de los Muertos

Sugar skull Christmas ornaments borrow their look from Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. The Smithsonian describes the sugar skull not as a morbid symbol but as a whimsical reminder of the cycle of life, which is why it is brightly decorated. Smithsonian Magazine adds that sugar skulls are molded from a sugar mixture, and that on an altar they represent loved ones who have died, with the sugar standing for the sweetness of life.

Kurt S. Adler sells glass sugar skulls in its Noble Gems and Bellissimo lines, and Old World Christmas makes a Day of the Dead ornament. Britannica traces the elegant skeleton figure La Calavera Catrina to Mexican printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada in the early 20th century.

How to style skull ornaments on a goth Christmas tree

Skull ornaments on a goth Christmas tree work best in small numbers. Five to seven skulls spread evenly at eye level give the theme; dozens make the tree look like a costume shop.

Match the skulls to the color scheme. Silvered and black glitter skulls suit black and silver trees. Gold-trimmed skulls suit black and gold. Pastel or pink-detailed skulls suit cute goth. Fill around them with plain glass in the same colors, and add bats, ravens or crescent moons for variety.

The black Christmas ornaments guide covers plain glass and velvet balls to fill around skulls, and the goth tree decorating guide explains the layer order. For licensed horror film pieces, see horror movie Christmas ornaments, and for a skull or bat at the top of the tree, see black Christmas tree toppers.

Hanging heavy and glass skull ornaments safely

Hanging heavy and glass skull ornaments safely starts with the branch. Glass and resin skulls weigh more than round balls, so hang them on thick branches near the trunk with a sturdy hook or ribbon.

Keep glass skulls on upper branches in homes with pets or small children, and use shatterproof pieces low down. Many skull ornaments also suit a Halloween tree, so the same set can stay up from October; see Halloween Christmas trees and the goth Christmas decor hub.