Looking for a new ornament to hang on your tree? Here’s a unique and sentimental idea — especially for someone with a special attachment to their home.
Samantha Bravoco creates custom ornaments that are mini versions of people’s houses. From brownstones to ranch-style homes, Bravoco can create it all.
Bravoco, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, sells the adorable ornaments in her Etsy shop.
Customers just need to send in a few photos of their home’s exterior, as well as a detailed description if necessary, and Bravoco sculpts a replica of the house using polymer clay, finishing it with acrylic paints.
“Everything is custom, handmade and hand-painted so they take time and I can only do so many per day,” she told TODAY Home.
In fact, the demand is so high, especially during the holidays, that her current wait time for each order is about three months. So, you might want to get a head start on your order for next year’s tree!
Bravoco said she began sculpting back in 2015 as a hobby.
“I decided to post some work up on Etsy to see if there was any interest from buyers,” she said. “I was featured on WeddingWire in 2016 for my wedding cake figurines and that got the ball rolling quickly.”
Since she began making the house figurines last year, she’s completed almost 300 of them. She estimates that she’s also made over 2,000 cake figurines as well as a few hundred pet figurines since 2016.
Customers seem to be very happy with the final results.
“The item was perfect, it looked exactly like the house,” one reviewer wrote. “I was so impressed with the attention paid to the details, shutters, shrubs, etc.”
“We LOVED the ornament!” another wrote. “Every year we get an ornament to remind us of that year and this year it was all about home renovations! It was a perfect replica.”
The house ornaments, which cost $75 each, aren't just for the holidays. Many people have given them as housewarming presents, too.
