Convince me a Personalised Christmas Bauble is worth £32?
In November you’ll find me, paintbrush in hand, making personalised Christmas baubles for lovely people all over the UK. With every bauble I paint and write, I remember how much I love the process: the way my brush moves as I create the leaves, the slow swoosh of my nib as I write a name. And I love making little nests of tissue paper for my baubles to snuggle into their gift boxes as they travel to their new homes. I feel so lucky that this is my job, for the autumn at least!
I’ve seen ‘calligraphy baubles’ on handmade marketplaces for much less than the £32 I sell mine for, and I think I can prove my personalised baubles are worth the price.
Photographer credit: Hannah Hall Photography at Ghyll Barn, Cumbria
Other than personalised baubles, what else is worth £32?
People buy gifts they feel are value for money. Some of us look for bargains, some of us look for quality at a fair price. That’s where my Christmas baubles sit. I found some other gift ideas in a similar price range.
Machine-engraved tankard £33 from Menkind | Hand wash & cream £32 from Not On The High St | Set of 4 cheese knives £31.99 from The Coach House | Personalised hand painted garden sign from £34 by Little Wootton on Holly & Co | Oliver Bonas cushion cover £32.50 | Personalised Christmas bauble from By Moon & Tide £32
Gift pricing isn’t rooted in maths or science. There’s no formula to work out what something is worth. Here’s a £1,650 handbag. It’s beautifully made. But I don’t think it’s worth £1,618 more than a personalised Christmas bauble.
English Rose handbag - £1,650 from Aspinal of London
Oh, and this diamond encrusted bauble cost £82.000 and took a year to make.
Where do our Christmas gifts come from, and who makes them for us?
99.9% of Christmas gifts are probably made in huge factories. The workers whose hands shape our gifts (or operate the machines that do) earn less than £3 an hour on average. The big bosses are pocketing more than their fair share. (Looking at you, Bezos.)
I paint my Christmas baubles in my little calligraphy studio at home. The money I make from selling them goes back into the UK economy - I try to buy groceries produced locally, and I also do my best to support UK craftspeople and makers when I’m buying gifts of my own.
My personalised baubles are keepsakes, not throwaway Christmas decorations
A personalised bauble is more than a one-off gift. It’s a keepsake that will reappear on the Christmas tree for years to come. Buy one for a grandchild and they’ll be hanging it on their tree when they have a home of their own years later - even when you’re no longer around. (Every bauble I write has its own little box to protect it between Christmases.)
Lovely packaging and beautiful presentation elevates every bauble I write
And the gift box isn’t just to store your bauble. I make it beautiful, handwriting their name in calligraphy on the box too.
Every Christmas I’m surprised by some Etsy sellers whose packaging is super basic. I expect lovely packaging, with a personal touch - and that’s how I send my baubles. I remember the consumer psychology module of my marketing degree clearly: I try my best to surprise and delight my customers even before they see the product itself!
An honest look at my earnings from making personalised baubles each Christmas
All of this takes time, of course. My hand painted calligraphy baubles take an hour to paint, decorate, write on, varnish, dry, pack and send. I pay a commission to the online shops where I sell them - that’s important because it means people can find them! - and I pay tax (again, throwing a glare in the direction of Bezos).
I’ve been practising calligraphy for more than 20 years, and all of my experience also goes into perfecting each bauble.
So the price tag for my baubles isn’t just the materials they’re made from. It includes my time, and everything from calligraphy ink and paints to ribbons and postage - and I earn just over minimum wage for every one I make.
Calligraphy baubles for Mums and Dads - choose 2 Mums, 2 Dads, or just buy one! Find these in my Christmas baubles shop
£32 for a beautifully personalised bauble is just the right price.
And with all of that, I am proud to value my calligraphy baubles at £32. They’re worth every penny: decorated by hand in a tiny calligraphy studio by the Cumbrian coast. Made and sent with love for my craft, and with gratitude for the wonderful people who choose to support small creative businesses like mine. And most of all, when I cup a bauble in my hand to write a name on it, there’s a spark of excitement for the person who’ll treasure it and keep it safe long after I’ve put my pens and nibs to rest.
“I purchased this item as a Christmas gift for my beloved. The bauble is absolutely beautiful, very well made and I am very happy with it. The bauble also came with a piece of natural string tied around it and placed in a lovely paper box. If others are looking for the perfect personalised Christmas gift then I highly recommend this seller. Thank you for the perfect gift.”
Is there a personalised bauble option for less?
This year I’ve launched some super affordable personalised baubles. They’re simple, elegant and minimal - hand lettered in gold ink with a name, and still gift boxed as a beautiful gift. Because I don’t paint these with leaves or berries, and they’re not written in calligraphy, they’re quicker to make so you can buy a personalised white bauble with calligraphy for just £20 while I still have them in stock!
