Ornament Review: Tea Time! #1 - Santa - 2016 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun pot and cup set

Cons: Santa is a bit too squat so a bit off.

The Bottom Line:

This festive tea set

With jolly Santa himself

Makes for fun debut

Tea Time Officially Kicks Off with Santa

In 2015, Hallmark released an ornament that teased a new series debuting in 2016.  Tea Time, a five part series, will feature a festive holiday tea pot and matching tea cup.  Naturally, the official series kicks off with Santa.

Santa actually makes a good tea pot.  Think of that childhood song.  He’s short and stout.  And he has his arms in the classic pose we’d do as children, too.  One arm is forming the handle while the other one is sticking out to form the spout.  This hand seems to be at an odd angle, but that’s so his hand will better form the spout.  The matching cup?  Santa’s toy bag, naturally.  It’s just a bit larger than a mini ornament.  It’s green with a handle on one side and has a candy cane sticking out of the top.  Based on the color of the liquid inside, I’d guess that this is actually peppermint hot chocolate and not tea.  Not that I’m complaining.  Pass a cup, please.

Now, I know Santa is supposed to be short and stocky.  Yet somehow, this seems to go beyond that.  As a result, this looks good, but it doesn’t have the wow factor of most Hallmark ornaments.  Yes, I’m glad I got it, but I waited until half off to get it.

Naturally, being a tea pot and a cup, you can set these ornaments out to display.  Their flat bottoms also hold the 1 in a Christmas tree series marker, and yes, it shows up on both pieces.  You’ll want to find a safe place for them is you set them out since they are made of porcelain, so they are more fragile than your typical Hallmark ornament.

Likewise, you’ll want to find a sturdy branch for hanging them on your tree.  Fortunately, both pieces are perfectly balanced, so they hang straight.

I wish Santa were quite so squat because this looks to be a fun series.  Even so, I’m glad to add the first official Tea Time set to my collection.

You'll definitely want to visit the rest of the Tea Time series.

Original Price: $19.95