Every year, I look forward to the 'Christmas shops' opening — not just because its a portent of the festive season to come, but also to see what creative Christmas baubles have been imagined for the year.
If you're culturally-inclined, there's always something fun and interesting to see; some reflection of the zeitgeist in miniature, glittered form, and 2025 is no different. These baubles aren't always universal — and they don't need to be. Sometimes they can be niche in a way that has an 'if you know you know' appeal that brings its own cachet.
These novelty baubles might have started out as a way to grab attention, but they've transcended into a way to hyper-personalize your Christmas decorating and make them say something about you: your interests, your passion, your sense of humor.
Pitching one of these baubles right is tricky, though. How do you balance that mass appeal with specificity? How do you choose which icons will be definitive by the end of the year? I spoke to Simon Thie, founder of Studio THIE and creator of tiny testaments to contemporary culture, to understand how it works.
How Do People Decorate With These Kinds of Baubles?
"The people who love our baubles tend to have an eclectic taste. It’s less about tapping into a specific trend or decorating in a specific way — it’s more about mindset. They’re design-conscious, but don’t take decorating the tree too seriously, and sentimental, but not overly precious. They want their decorations to say something about them, rather than going for a pre-planned scheme.
A lot of them are collectors. They’re not just buying decorations for the sake of it, but instead slowly adding and building up their Christmas collection, one bauble at a time. They want to feel a connection to the pieces they choose.
Heirloom-style decorators, for example, will carefully add one or two pieces each year - something that’s caught their eye for a particular reason — whether it’s a memory, moment, or an inside joke in their household. For them, the tree is about nostalgia and the meaning and connection to each decoration.
Others have a more playful and bold style — maximalists who go all in on color, kitsch, and chaos. They love clashing more traditional elements like vintage glass baubles and velvet bows with something unexpected and playful like our Perelló Olives, puffa jacket, or clogs. It isn’t overly curated or matchy-matchy — it’s a big mish-mash of personal taste and fun."
How Have These Culturally-Significant Ornaments Developed Over the Years?
"The brand has always been very personal, rooted in my everyday life, and the little things that bring me joy or make me smile. Our ‘zeitgeist’ baubles, like tiny glass Heinz bottles, Yorkshire puddings, and stout pints, came from tuning into what people genuinely love, use, wear, and eat — their food rituals, festive traditions, fashion quirks, and pets.
They speak to the zeitgeist, but on a more intimate level, they’re personal souvenirs — mini cultural totems of who they are and what brings them joy.
We have always included culturally tuned elements into our work, but last year things really took off with our homage to Perelló olives. People instantly connected with it, seeing something so specific to their lives, reimagined in glass or embroidery, really struck a chord. That response made it clear we were onto something, so this year we really leaned into it, even collaborating officially with Perelló.
These decorations are design-led, but they also carry that tongue-in-cheek charm and a strong sense of personality. They’re modern and playful but crafted using traditional methods by our brilliant small batch artisans."
How Do You Pitch the Level of Cultural Awareness Perfectly for Your Best-Sellers?
"There’s definitely a fine line between niche and mainstream, and I think we sit right in that sweet spot. It’s a bit of alchemy, really. For something to become a bauble in the way we do them it has to tap into a shared cultural experience. Something instantly recognizable, that also resonates on a personal level.
It might be nostalgic, funny, comforting, or even weirdly specific, but it needs to evoke a response or reaction — like a “that’s so me” moment.
We often say, it has to be niche enough to feel personal but mainstream enough to find an audience. Too broad, and it loses charm and too obscure, and it becomes novelty for novelty’s sake.
We always ask, does this mean something to enough people, and can we make it beautiful, or at least beautifully odd? That’s the balance – getting the right mix of relevance, reverence, and charm."
24 Baubles Capturing the Spirit of 2025
Croissants have been the decor-motif of the year - we've seen them on everything from breakfast plates to candle fragrances. If I were going to buy a croissant ornament, it'd be from London's culturally cool Popham's Bakery store.
During my research, I saw a cool 'ceramic grill' inspired bauble in Selfridges' Christmas hall, which I could never find again online. But, as it turns the BBQ brand Big Green Egg has its own. Iconic.
This aesthetic olive brand has become culturally iconic, enough that it can have maybe the most defining food-inspired bauble of the year. In fact, these olives are so cool, they've ended up in Livingetc's shopping guides.
Another entrant not only in the kitsch bauble list, but also pretty much any trendy delicatessen in 2025, this glass decoration is inspired by Torres crisps, but given a festive Brussel sprout makeover.
Don't call it a Stanley Cup, but this beverage holder-style bauble reflects our ongoing obsession with a certain brand and oversized drinks receptacles.
All my favorite social media influencers are switching from beauty and fashion to living the good life, growing their own vegetables and erecting giant greenhouses in their back gardens. This bauble, therefore, is very on trend for the year.
Once upon a time, bauble versions of the cocktail classics would have been on this list, but now, we're seeing super specific, super trendy cocktails, like the fiery Picante (a beloved cocktail at Soho House) are in the zeitgeist.
Okay, so it's not officially representing a brand, but you can't help but get a whiff of Le Creuset from this black kitchen pot decoration. Another way to hyper-personalize your Christmas tree.
With bakery Jolene's wax bread bags being one of the most iconic hipster accessories of the year, I couldn't leave this charmingly bagged baguette off my picks for 2025's kitsch baubles.
2025 was the year of the Cowboy Carter tour, and a worldwide run on mirrored disco cowboy hats. This decoration has certainly earned its space on the Livingetc Christmas tree this year.
A great one for travel junkies, but it also looks a little bit like the uber-trendy RIMOWA suitcase, so a fun pick for your luxury brand-inspired decorating scheme.
A worldwide matcha shortage might be among some of the unusual things 2025 might be remembered for, but it was certainly the year this drink, and cool matcha bars, exploded into the zeitgeist.
Part of Studio THIE's East London-inspired collection, this trendy puffer jacket is giving 'that North Face jacket everyone has' vibes, so possibly one of the most iconic fashion icons of the year.
Like-wise, it's hard to walk around the streets of London without seeing at least a handful of guys wearing a pair of Birkenstock Boston sandals. Quite a hard one to capture in a bauble, but this felt one does the job.
The front door of Soho House's 40 Greek Street.. Super niche, yes, but that's the whole point, right? If you know you know, if you don't then it's just a super chic door.
It might not necessarily have been the year of the Croc in 2025, but this unexpectedly revered fashion brand continues to be an icon of contemporary culture.
I've spent a couple of days nursing hangovers from these particular cocktail cans from M&S this year, so while not everyone will recognize them, they've definitely got enough cultural cachet for my tree.
At first glance, I thought this listing was in the wrong section of the Fenwicks site, but it's actually a handbag Christmas bauble, inspired by Chanel's Flap Bag. Iconic.
2025 was a 'sardine girl summer', seemingly, and this tinned fish has become a bit of an indie delicacy, with actual design-y food brands like Fishwife setting the tone.
I'll be totally honest, I don't totally understand why this little capybara is on the list, but having been looking for gifts for my nieces recently, every toy out there seems to be a cute version of this little guy.
In my household, the Fortnum and Mason tea box is even more recognizable than the department store's signature bags.
Is it just me, or is everyone buying record players just now? Vinyl fever has us gripped this year, no doubt in some part down to Taylor Swift's merch influence, but it was the star of the John Lewis advert too. Its version is sold out, but I found an alternative from Sass and Belle, too.
I kind of love how luxuriously gauche this 'heritage' bauble set from Harrod's is — a Harrod's bag, a gold bar, and, not pictured, a bottle of champagne are all part of the set.
Baubles inspired by beauty injections and the very-2025 Ozempic have been selling-out since early September. This Ozempic one might not be in stock when you next check, but you could always get this Botox one from Rockett St George instead.
