Hi, I’m Beth, owner, artist and self-appointed Chief Flake of Snowflake Ornament Company.
For more than 30 years, I’ve been creating personalized, hand-painted glass ornaments to celebrate the people, milestones and memories that matter most.
Every Snowflake ornament is created individually by hand. I don’t use decals, vinyl or printed designs. Each design is drawn and painted directly onto the ornament, building the artwork through layers of paint and finishing it with hand-lettered personalization.
That means no two ornaments are ever exactly alike—which is exactly how I think something made especially for someone should be.
I’ve Always Been a Maker
Long before there was a Snowflake Ornament Company, I was making things.
As a child, I made felt Christmas ornaments, created little creatures from chicken eggs at Easter and was always looking for something I could paint, decorate or turn into a gift. Creating things with my hands has simply always been part of who I am.
In 8th grade, I was introduced to calligraphy in art class, never imagining that it would eventually become an important part of my creative process.
After I bought my first home, I began painting glass Christmas ornaments for my own tree and as gifts for family and friends. Before long, I began wondering whether other people might enjoy them, too.
In 1993, Snowflake Ornament Company was born.
From One Craft Show to a Business
Like many handmade businesses, Snowflake had very humble beginnings.
One of my earliest adventures was a craft show at a facility that unexpectedly lost power. The event was moved outside, where I carefully arranged my display and got ready for customers.
Then the wind arrived.
Glass ornaments and strong wind are not exactly an ideal combination.
I spent much of the day trying to keep my ornaments—and my patience—from blowing away or breaking! It wasn't exactly the grand debut I had envisioned, but I survived it.
As interest and support grew, it confirmed what I had hoped: there really was a market for personalized ornaments that were different from what people could find in stores.
What began as something I loved doing gradually became something much bigger.
More Than an Ornament
Over the years, I’ve created thousands of ornaments for customers celebrating just about every occasion imaginable.
Weddings. Engagements. New babies. First Christmases. Baptisms. First Communions. Confirmations. Anniversaries. New homes. Beloved pets. Family traditions. I've even created a collection inspired by the ornaments seen on the TV show Days of Our Lives.
And some of the most meaningful ornaments I create are memorial ornaments honoring someone deeply loved and missed.
I've also had the opportunity to create custom ornaments for corporations, nonprofit organizations, museums, gift shops and other organizations, along with countless individuals and families throughout the United States and beyond.
After all these years, one of my favorite parts of this business is still hearing why someone is ordering an ornament.
Sometimes it's joyful. Sometimes it's funny. Sometimes it's incredibly touching.
Those stories remind me that I'm not simply painting Christmas decorations. I'm creating something that may be unpacked every December for many years to come—and may eventually become part of another generation's Christmas tree.
I never take that for granted.
Made by Hand — Really
The words handmade and personalized can mean a lot of different things today.
At Snowflake Ornament Company, they mean exactly what they say.
Your ornament doesn't arrive at my studio already decorated so I can simply add a name. I create the artwork by hand, directly on the glass ornament. Designs are built through progressive layers of paint, with the details and personalization added individually.
No decals. No vinyl. No mass-produced printed artwork.
Just a genuinely hand-painted ornament created especially for you.
Because each ornament is handmade to order, there will naturally be tiny variations from one ornament to another. I consider that part of their charm. You're receiving an original piece created by a real person—not an identical product coming off an assembly line.
A Little HGTV Surprise
One of the most exciting chapters in Snowflake's history came when my ornaments caught the attention of HGTV.
Snowflake Ornament Company was featured on HGTV during the 2004–2005 holiday season—something I certainly never imagined when I was trying to keep glass ornaments from blowing off my table at that first craft show!
It was an exciting experience and remains one of my favorite milestones in the history of Snowflake.
Still Painting After All These Years
More than three decades after I painted those first ornaments, I'm still here in Fort Wayne, Indiana, doing what I love.
The business has changed. The internet has changed how customers find me. Styles have changed. I've created more designs than I ever could have imagined back in 1993.
But the most important part hasn't changed.
I still create each ornament with the belief that the person receiving it matters.
Whether you're celebrating a baby's first Christmas, a 50th wedding anniversary, a sacrament, a new home, a beloved pet, a special friendship or the memory of someone you love, I want your ornament to feel personal.
Because the best Christmas ornaments aren't simply decorations.
They're little pieces of our stories.
Thank you for allowing Snowflake Ornament Company to be part of yours.
— Beth, Chief Flake & Owner/Artist Snowflake Ornament Company
Ready to Create Something Special?
Explore my collection of personalized, hand-painted glass Christmas ornaments and find one that tells your story.
Snowflake Featured on HGTV
A provider of HGTV programming, High Noon Productions, visited the Snowflake Ornament Company studio.
High Noon produced a special TV show featuring people whose daily lives include the Christmas holiday. Beth Machall-Dwyer designs her Christmas ornaments year-round and was selected for this unique feature. High noon also visited a reindeer farm, a home decorated in Christmas all year long and a Christmas tree farm.
HGTV's special "Year Round Christmas" aired during the winter of 2004/2005 and has been replayed over the years during the holiday season. Click here to read Snowflake's original HGTV press release and watch the program.