A story of light, lineage, and the simplest materials
Every winter, as we gather around our tables to cut, fold, stitch, or shape, there’s a deep ancestral memory humming beneath our hands. The crafts we love today didn’t appear all at once—they were carried, generation by generation, through humble materials and simple tools.
One of my favorite examples of this lineage is the old-world art of embossed metal ornaments.
A Craft Born From Everyday Life
Long before glitter paper existed and long before machines could stamp out perfect shapes, people used what they had: thin pieces of tin or brass, tools no fancier than a stylus or nail, and a quiet moment by the fire.
In medieval Europe, tinsmiths wandered from village to village repairing pots, lanterns, and kettles. And in the gentle pockets of time between jobs, they began to press leftover metal scraps into tiny works of art—flowers, saints, stars, and curling vines. These small embossed pieces shimmered in the candlelight like nothing else. They were inexpensive, durable, and infused with meaning, so families tucked them into windowsills, hung them above doorways, or later, tied them to evergreen branches at Christmastime.
How the Tradition Spread
By the 1700s and 1800s, embossed metal ornaments had taken root across many cultures, each adding its own beauty and symbolism.
In Germany, artisans crafted Zinnfiguren, delicate tin scenes and stars.
In Mexico, the bright, folk-art tradition of hojalata emerged—painted tin angels, hearts, and milagros that filled the markets.
In Scandinavia, brass and pewter were shaped into suns and protective symbols to bring warmth and blessing during the long winter nights.
Different places, different motifs, but the same impulse everywhere: take something simple, shape it with your hands, and invite a bit of light into the dark months.
Made Around the Hearth
Embossing wasn’t only an artisan’s craft. It became a household pastime, especially in winter. Children would trace patterns with wooden sticks; adults used styluses or awls; everyone gathered around a table lit by fire or lamplight. The metal remembered every touch. Every dot, every curve, every press became permanent.
These ornaments weren’t just decorations—they were heirlooms, tucked into boxes and brought out each year with a sense of ceremony.
A Nearly Forgotten Craft… Now Returning
As the 20th century brought mass-produced ornaments, hand-embossed metal quieted into the background. But it never disappeared.
Today, in a world hungry for slowness, texture, and meaning, this old craft is finding its way back to our homes and classrooms. There’s something deeply satisfying in the process: the soft tap-tap of the stylus, the moment the design rises up beneath your fingers, the gleam of the finished piece catching light for the first time.
It is simple. It is meditative. And it is truly magical to children.
Why It Matters Now
When we emboss a piece of metal today, we add our own moment to a lineage of makers stretching back hundreds of years.
A tinsmith in medieval Europe.
A grandmother in Scandinavia.
An artisan in a Mexican mercado.
All connected by a piece of metal, a pattern, and a desire to make beauty from the simplest materials.
This winter, if you’re looking for a craft that feels meaningful, old-world, and surprisingly accessible, embossed metal ornaments are a lovely place to begin.
They bring light.
They slow us down.
And they remind us that our hands are part of a much older story.
You can find some simple templates HERE.
Brass sheets come in a variety of thicknesses - we've found that .001mm works the best. And a ball point pen comes in handy if you don't have a proper stylus!
Happy crafting!