Personal DecorPersonal Decor

When decking the halls (and roofs, lawns, porches, windows, and trees) this Christmas, don't forget that it's the little things that could leave the most-lasting impression. What little things?

Ornaments.

The Web offers many unique, handcrafted pieces. Here's a glimpse:

The first stop for those who want to dive into the decked-out market should be dmoz.org. Click on "shopping" and "antiques and collectibles." From miniature clay pigs to handblown glass to Waterford and Baccarat crystal, this directory has links to nearly every kind of ornament imaginable.

Animal lovers, rejoice: Very cool, hand-painted cat ornaments are available at catsofchristmas.com. Two-dimensional canine ornaments--in more than 150 breeds--can be found at k9 gifts.com; and llama, alpaca, and camel enthusiasts will want to grab one of the ornaments from Llama Specialties, whose 4-1/2-inch creations are "accented with 100% llama wool." Go to http://www.shagbarkridge.com and click on "gifts."

Sci-fi fans might like such out-of-this-world ornaments as a Reindeer Alien, Roswell Santa, or Reptilian Santa. They can be purchased at flyingsaucers .com, which sells not only space oddities but also, it claims, "the best coffee in the known universe."

Outdoor enthusiasts can show off their sport of choice with a climbing shoe, a bike helmet, a kayak, and other hand-painted resin ornaments available at shegear.com. The site is aimed at women, but the cool ornaments will appeal to all.

For double the fun, try a musical CD ornament from http://www.halcyon.com/donace/CDORNA.HTM or store.yahoo.com/make-me-smile/muscdchristr.html.

Make Me Smile offers 30 CDs; each plays a Christmas song (customers can listen to samples on the Web site) that complements the ornament's silk-screened designs. Interestingly, the CDs aren't round, yet they play in PCs, CD and DVD players, and boom boxes. You also can buy sets, such as the Nutcracker Favorite or the Children's Classic.

One type of ornament that definitely will catch someone's eye--and the sun--are the glass ornaments from sunshine

glassworks.com. The colorful hand-painted "sun catchers" will spread light throughout a room. Designs include a poinsettia, a gingerbread man, and bells.

If none of these strikes the right chord, personalize an ornament at portraitstoporcelain.com, which makes hand-painted porcelain ornaments from photos, or go to http://www.laser-etch.com/gifts.html to get a special image etched into one of the company's dozen glass ornament shapes. Unlike some companies, this one doesn't require you to order in bulk.

Finally, if all these creations are starting to make you feel a bit crafty, check out makestuff.com for tips about making ornaments and other holiday projects. And go to KittyHawk Software at http://www.khs.com/aboutcow.htm for the Christmas Ornament Workshop, software for Windows and Mac that shows you how to create 12 full-color ornaments out of paper.