Shatterproof Christmas Ball Ornaments, 3.9 in Set of 12 in Silver

Description

Twelve ball ornaments at 3.9 inches each, in silver, built as a lightweight core with a plastic and fabric outer rather than as glass. Each ball weighs about 0.1 lb, so twelve of them together come in under a pound and a half packed.

A feature size that will not break

Most shatterproof ornament sets are small, because the cheap way to make an unbreakable bauble is to make a little one. A 3.9 inch shatterproof ball is a more useful thing to own: it is large enough to act as a statement ornament near the front of the tree, where it would normally have to be glass, without any of the consequences of glass being at eye level in a house with children or a dog.

That is the whole case for this set. It buys you the placement freedom of a plastic ornament at a size that usually forces you into glass.

Silver under different lights

Silver is the most forgiving metallic on a Christmas tree because it does not carry a colour temperature of its own. Gold looks warm and slightly yellow under cool white lights and can clash on a flocked tree. Silver reflects whatever you put behind it, so it works under warm white, cool white and multicolour equally, and it works on a green tree and a flocked one.

Twelve of them is a sensible number at this size. On a seven foot tree, twelve large baubles distributed around the front and sides, with smaller fillers between, is close to the standard decorating ratio. On a smaller tree, use six and keep the rest for a garland or a mantel.

Construction and care

The supplier describes the build as roughly half plastic and half lightweight foam core, with a soft outer covering. In practice that means they dent rather than shatter, and a dent in a soft-covered ornament usually pushes back out. They are not, however, scratch-proof: a metallic finish marks if it is stored loose against something abrasive, so keep them separated in their original 630 x 211 x 109 mm box.

Because they are light, they can be hung further out on the branch than their size suggests, which is another advantage over a glass ball of the same diameter.

Shipping

Packed weight is about 1.4 lb. Handling is 1 to 3 business days and transit is 5 to 9 business days from our US warehouse. Monday December 7 is the last order date for Christmas delivery.