A Little Christmas Nostalgia, Made by Hand!
Ceramic Christmas Trees with Brian Kendrick from BK Cottage - Registration $65 - Additional Guest $35
The ceramic Christmas trees we remember weren't just decorations. They were projects, afternoons spent together, and little pieces of family history that came out of storage every December.
Paint Your Own Tree!
Enjoy the art of ceramics in an heirloom decoration you paint.
a
Good Food, Great Company
Enjoy delicious desserts and drinks provided by Manzella's Market @ The Italian Cookie Company
Mold Casted, Hand Painted
Memories for a lifetime
Long before holiday decorations filled store shelves, handmade treasures were part of what made Christmas special. Families gathered around the dining room table, sharing stories, making a little mess, and creating decorations that would become part of their holiday traditions for years to come. Remember those ceramic Christmas trees that seemed to glow with a little bit of Christmas magic? Now it's your turn to create one of your own!
Join us for an afternoon of creativity, nostalgia, and a little old-fashioned holiday fun as you paint your very own Ceramic Christmas Tree. Join Brian, from BK Cottage as he shares his joy of ceramics with you. You'll take home more than a beautiful handmade decoration; you'll take home a new Christmas memory and a keepsake you'll proudly bring out and enjoy year after year.
And because no gathering is complete without something sweet, Manzella's Market @ The Italian Cookie Company will be treating everyone to an afternoon dessert spread featuring freshly baked cookies, lemon bars, strawberry bars, and brownies, along with drinks to enjoy while you paint.
Somewhere along the way, a little ceramic tree became more than a Christmas decoration. It became a memory of Mom, Nonna, the kitchen table, and Christmases gone by. Come make a little Christmas magic with us, one brushstroke at a time!
Frequently Asked Questions
For this event you will receive:
- 1 Ceramic Christmas Tree (10" - 16" depending on tree chosen) per Primary Guest Registration
- Paint, paint brushes, and other supplies required to paint your tree
- Instruction for how to make your Ceramic Christmas Tree vision come to life
- 1 Base light kit (including bulb) and needed plastic pegs for your tree
- Desserts and drinks to enjoy during your class: Italian cookies, lemon bars, strawberry bars, brownies, water, tea, lemonade, & coffee plus anything else Chef Al decides to whip up for your enjoyment.
- Trees will be available for pickup approximately 2 weeks from the class date (they will need to go through another firing after painting)
Trees will be available for pickup approximately 2 weeks after the class. You will receive an email informing as soon as we know. Pickup will be at Manzella's Market Tuesday - Saturday from 10am to 6pm unless special arrangements are setup.
The Sicilian Room is our Event Space at Manzella's Market @ The Italian Cookie Company. We are located at 633 11th Ave SW Alabaster, AL 35007. Parking is available around the building as well as at the Alabaster Police Station across the road.
Sharing the experience with someone you love to be with? Add them to your registration as an additional guest! They get to eat lots of yummy desserts with you as you both get to work on a shared tree. But don't worry, your guest won't walk away empty handed as we will have some small ornaments or figurines available for them to take something home as well. Heck, you could turn it into a yearly competition with the winner able to display the tree and the second place winner hanging up the ornament instead. If your Italian, this could get messy but just think of the stories that will be told later.
Due to the hands on nature that is required for constructing your masterpiece, there will be limited availability for 2 people to share a tree. We will not be able to support more than 2 people sharing a single tree (no groups of 3+). To sign up, you will be able to add the additional person as an add on for $35 when you register. This registration includes a small ornament or figurine in place of the tree. Both the primary attendee and the add on guest must be registered together in one order. If you need assistance completing your registration please call us at 205.821.6798.
A Little History of Mold-Made Ceramics
Mold-made ceramics aren't necessarily less handmade than other pottery. The mold helps create the shape, but the finishing, glazing, decorating, and firing are all part of the craft.
The early days of molded pottery
Molded ceramics have been around for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations used molds to reproduce pottery forms, figurines, tiles, and decorative objects. Molds allowed artisans to create consistent shapes without having to form every piece entirely by hand.
The industrial revolution changed everything
During the 18th and 19th centuries, ceramic manufacturing advanced significantly. One particularly important development was slip casting, a process in which liquid clay (called slip) is poured into a porous plaster mold. The plaster absorbs moisture, allowing a layer of clay to build against the mold walls. Once it reaches the desired thickness, the excess slip is poured out.
The result is a ceramic piece that can be reproduced consistently while still requiring considerable skilled work.
Ceramics became part of everyday family life
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, molded ceramics were increasingly accessible to ordinary households. Decorative figurines, seasonal decorations, planters, lamps, and household pieces became popular ways to bring artistry into the home.
Over time, ceramic painting also became a popular creative pastime. People could purchase bisque-fired (unglazed) ceramic pieces and personalize them with their own colors and designs.
The ceramic Christmas tree becomes an American tradition
The familiar ceramic Christmas tree became especially popular during the 1960s and 1970s. One of the earliest well-known designs was created by Atlantic Mold Company, which copyrighted its A-64 Christmas tree design in 1958.
During that era, ceramic studios and craft shops offered classes where families and individuals could purchase bisque-fired ceramic trees, paint them, add colorful plastic light bulbs, and take home their own Christmas decoration.
These trees became fixtures in American homes. They sat on mantels, side tables, and dining room buffets, often returning to the same spot every Christmas.
The popularity eventually faded in the 1980s and 1990s, but vintage ceramic Christmas trees have since experienced a tremendous resurgence in popularity. What was once considered old-fashioned is now a nostalgic reminder of childhood Christmases.
