Barbie Christmas Tree

Since the 1994 Hallmark Holiday Barbie ornament, I have been slowly amassing enough decorations to make a full Barbie Christmas Tree. While I was able to amply cover this mid sized faux tree. While there were ample Barbie specific ornaments to cover it, I did also include Shiny Brite vintage bulbs and other bits n bobs. You may spot a few 1980s Barbie clothing hangers here and there too. Here’s a brief post about everything I know about Barbie Christmas decorations, how to make a Barbie Christmas Tree, and where to find the best ornaments.

The History of Barbie Christmas Ornaments

The first Barbie ornament launched in 1993 at Hallmark. The featured doll was a mini version of the 1993 Holiday Barbie. (For those who may not know, every year Mattel would create a special Holiday Barbie just for Christmas.) Following the success of the Barbie ornament that season, in 1994 two ornaments were made. First, another version of Holiday Barbie (1994 Edition) and then the classic debut Barbie in her striped bathing suit. The launching of classic Barbie doll ornaments leaning on the allure of nostalgia is, in my opinion, how this line flourished over the years.

There was a brief two year hiatus in 2013-2014 when Mattel and Hallmark didn’t renew their licensing agreement. For those years, Barbie holiday ornaments moved to Carlton Cards / American Greetings though the craftsmanship was lacking. Sadly the quality of the ornaments in general have significantly decreased over the years.

My Hallmark Barbie Ornament Collection 

My Barbie ornament collection began the second year of launching. From 1994 to 2009 I received many beautiful ornaments as gifts from my mom. I’m not really sure why I stopped, I assume my brief hiatus living in England broke the chain and it never started up again. Though I do have my eye on a few that I missed; I’m not too proud to admit that the nostalgia works on me!

How to Make a Barbie Christmas Tree

Making a Barbie Christmas Tree is quite easy regardless of having special Hallmark ornaments or not. The first place to look for ornaments is your old toys. Barbie came with MANY accessories. A few I love to use are her old hangers, stereos, shoes, and the classic shell brushes. If sadly your old toys are no longer with you, thrifting these things is very easy or poking around FB marketplace too. A tree can give off the essence of Barbie just by being shades of pink.

Lastly, the Hallmark Barbie ornaments are abundantly resold all over and at much more reasonable prices then their original cost in some cases. There are the few rare ones that command absurd prices but aside from that, many ornaments are being sold for $5-$10 on local marketplaces.

What to Look For While Thrifting Barbie Christmas Decor

– Old barbie accessories in the toy section: shoes, brushes, hangers, stereos, purses etc
– Different kinds of ribbon in the crafting area to use as garland, preferably pink but baby blue or gold would work too
– Old christmas bulbs in shades of pink
– Pink hair bows – next time I’d like to add in bows all over the tree

Other Barbie Christmas Decorations

In addition to Barbie line of Hallmark ornaments, there were also other one off items launched over the years. The year was 1997 when I received the most gloriously garish tree topper that dares you to defy gravity by using it. The Barbie Carousel Tree Topper by Mr Christmas is a rotating hazard that I adore but sadly can only seem to use on very sturdy trees. My suggestion is finding a doll with a large poofy dress to use as a tree topper instead.

Another dreamy item (that I sadly had stolen from me) was the 1997 Barbie Holiday Dance Musical by Mr. Christmas. I loved pretending to play Titanic with the ballroom dancers, but that’s a story for another time. There have also been a number of pink official Barbie trees over the years however, they are all small tabletop sized. Do I still want one anyhow? The answer is yes.

A Small Barbie Christmas Tree

If a giant tree isn’t in the cards, there’s still fun ways to incorporate Barbie decor into Christmas. A small tabletop tree decorated with little accessories is a good starting point. The old rubber one I got from my Baba has been put to good use. This year I placed it in a gold IKEA plant pot and topped with fish tank rocks to secure it. 

Hanging ornaments from chandeliers / light fixtures is another way to add cheer to a smaller space. The vintage looking Barbie ornaments are so delightful that every year I debate putting them on shelves and leaving them up year round!

Where to Find Barbie Christmas Decorations

The best time to buy holiday decorations is RIGHT after Christmas or in the middle of summer when the holiday feels sooooo far away. Once September rolls around, prices will rise in anticipation of the looming holiday season. Places I like to look for ornaments of all kinds is at non chain thrift stores, online marketplaces, and garage sales. 

For FB marketplace and kijiji, I don’t limit myself to my area either. Sometimes deals across the country are too good to pass up even with shipping accounted for. There are countless as well though you really need to keep an eye out and price check. In this case, keeping a spreadsheet is recommended.

A Barbie Christmas

I’m a fan of both fully themed trees as well as the complete opposite I Spy version of holiday decor – a little bit of everything everywhere. At the end of the day, it’s supposed to bring joy so choose decorations that do that for you. This year, I leaned into a Barbie Christmas Tree, next year who knows where the mood will take me! Perhaps I will decide to handcraft dried orange garlands and go full pioneer Christmas. I’ll report back in 2024.

photographs - sandy joe karpetz