A first apartment can stay oddly clear in memory: the radiator with a mind of its own, the neighbor you only knew by footsteps, four flights of stairs and the couch that barely made the turn. The first Christmas there may be a small one: a tree that is not quite straight, lights from the discount store, cookies that ran a little long in the oven. An ornament with the year belongs on that tree, whatever it looks like.
What to put on it
- "Our first place" and the year. The wording stays accurate through every move that follows.
- The apartment number. "Apt 4B, est. 2026" fits on everything and reads friendlier than a full street address.
- City and year. A good option if you expect to move, since the city part keeps being accurate.
- Both names, whether the second one belongs to a partner or a roommate.
- A photo, if the place photographs well. The front stoop or the door with the numbers can bring the apartment closer than a photograph of the whole building.
The full street address is the one thing worth skipping here, mostly because leases end. City and year, or just "our first place," will still read right from whatever apartment comes next.
Starting from zero ornaments
A first apartment may come with a first tree and an almost empty ornament box. A dated piece from the moving year gives the collection a place to begin. Parents can add a couple of plain ornaments to the package, and those first pieces may move from the small apartment tree to larger trees later.
Good to know
Questions people ask
Is an apartment really a "first home"?
Yes. Renting does not make the place less yours to come home to. Use the apartment, street, and year that marked the beginning.
Whose name goes on it if we are roommates?
Both names, or the apartment number instead. "Apt 4B, est. 2026" covers everyone without picking favorites.
We are moving again next year. Is it pointless?
Ornaments move well. Date it, take it along, and a few moves from now you will have a small dated record of everywhere you have lived.
What do these cost?
Prices vary by material, size, and maker. The product cards show current examples; photo and two-sided designs may cost more than simple name-and-year pieces.
From the Ornamagic studio
From our studio
Our own dated designs, made to order and previewed before production. Tell us the year and the names and we set the layout.
Seasonal reminders
Three emails a year. That's the whole list.
September (order early), late October (personalization deadlines), late November (last shipping day). Plus 10% off your first ornament.