When tested with an XRF instrument these plastic clear ball ornament with golden sparkles (which were tested in 2017) had the following readings:
- Ball: Lead-free
- Golden Top: 209 +/- 30 ppm Lead.
- Non-Detect for Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd) & Mercury (Hg.)
Here’s a likely lead-free Christmas decoration option on Amazon.*
In general – here are my tips for non-toxic Christmas / holiday decorating:
- Don’t buy plastic, metal or painted wood decorations (holiday decorations are not regulated in the same way as items intended for use by children YET kiddos are often attracted to them and they usually want to play with them / interact with them around the holidays!)
- Whenever possible – go with handmade. Crafts made at home out of dough (remember those salt-dough ornaments we used to make in the 1970s?), ceramics, paper, cardboard, wood – get your creative on! They make such better memories than the store-bought ornaments too! Knit, crochet, sew, quilt – all the things! [Again – avoid plastics like glitter and sequins in your crafting too!]
- Decorate with FOOD and plants! Shift the focus of your holiday decorations to beautiful edible healthy treats (oranges, pomegranates, pumpkins!) Popcorn strands and cranberry strands are also fun for the kids to make and put up around the house. If you are decorating with food (and leaves!) please consider using Lead-free trays to display your holiday bounty.
- Resin ornaments are usually Lead-free. About 99% of the resin ornaments that I have tested have been Lead-free. This includes the little village houses you can buy to set out as table decorations and other similar items. These are fun because they are highly detailed and also make good play things for kids (usually there are no small or moving parts in addition to being free of heavy metals.) Note: the one resin piece I tested that was very high Lead was a Buddha figurine painted with super high-Lead gold colored paint.
For #SaferChoices for your family, click here.
To see more ornaments I have tested, click here.
To see all the Christmas-related items I have tested, click here.
If you would like to support my advocacy work (and this website) please consider making a contribution via GoFundMe or PayPal. Thank you!
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If you click on something and make a purchase I may receive a small percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.
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