If you celebrate Christmas and are over the age of two, odds are that you have already amassed enough Christmas ornaments from friends and relatives to not only decorate your tree, but quite possibly the entire North Pole. Our ability to pathologically hoard things is never quite as impressive as it is at Christmastime, so you may be wondering why on earth anyone would consider intentionally buying more ornaments when there aren't nearly enough halls to deck them with. Enter the latest hero of holiday Pinterest boards across the known universe: alcohol-filled Christmas ornaments.
The concept is super simple; essentially, you have a hollowed out spherical ornament that you fill up with the alcohol of your choice (last year's viral trend was gin), twist the cap back shut, and hang it on the tree. The effect is actually super classy, since the Christmas lights hit the translucent liquid inside ~just so~ (and because what you were going for here was, undoubtedly, class). Basically, the idea is that instead of serving drinks at your party the old-fashioned way, you can direct guests to your tree and have them go scavenger hunting if they want to imbibe. Perfect for the opportunity to leave a lasting impression of your party, and also trap your guests as you exhaustively explain the philosophical meaning of the handprint Rudolph ornament you made at a ceramics birthday party in fourth grade.
If you want to hop on this viral trend, there are two routes you can take: first, you can buy them from retailers that make them pre-filled with alcohol, specifically with your #ChristmasRager in mind. But if you'd rather fill them up with your favorite alcohols or personalize them for friends and family, you can easily DIY these ornaments as well.
Pickering's Gin Baubles
Pickering's Gin Baubles, £30.00 (about $40), Pickering's (Available for international shipping)
These went viral last year, by the simple fact alone that they are 1. super cute, and 2. filled with gin. They're already available to order, so basically you just found a foolproof excuse to put up your Christmas tree before the sun even rises on Halloween (to quote the title of my personally curated Josh Groban Christmas playlist on Spotify, "IT IS NEVER TOO SOON").
"The One" Whiskey Bauble
"The One" Whiskey Bauble, $26, Lakes Distillery
Has anything ever demanded this aggressively to be Instagrammed? This version of the bauble is also sold internationally, but they'll ship to the U.S. If you're looking for more than one bauble to go around, you can also order these in a six pack for $46.
DIY
Clear Glass Ball Ornament (Set of 10), $6, Wal-Mart
Of course, if you want to make these with your alcohol of choice, you can always go the more direct route and DIY them. Go to your local craft store and find clear glass baubles like these; just make sure to test out the weights before you put them on the tree. If you're going to DIY it, it's probably also best to set them up just before you're going to drink them instead of letting them linger too long.
As always, if you're going to put these fun baubles up this Christmas, make sure you're settling them at the top of the tree where curious, underage little hands won't be grabbing for them. And if you still want some holiday-themed boozing without the hassle of setting up an entire tree, then maybe try Aldi's wine advent calendar — 24 days of deliciousness without the concern that it's going to drop from the tree and become one with the carpet. Whichever way you choose to celebrate this year, we can all raise a glass (or an ornament) to the inventive, booze-y ways the internet has come up with celebrating Christmas this year.
