KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It has taken more than two decades to turn Joy to the World into the Christmas ornament empire it has become.
"I had an idea literally in the middle of the night to make Christmas ornaments endorsed by celebrities," founder Lisa Kelechava remembered. "And then they would benefit the celebrities' favorite charity."
Kelechava explained they are trying to keep an "old artistry alive" through the Joy to the World collectibles. That artistry, however, mostly takes place in Europe—specifically in Poland.
"Everything we do, starting with sculpting a new mold, we start with a ball of clay and we have sculptors who actually create the 3D mold," she explained. "From there, we have glass blowers. Some of those glass blowers take 15 years to hone their craft. They are doing everything completely by hand."
Then it goes to the decorators, where the painting process takes about seven days from start to finish. The creation process ends with the final touches of glitter.
"It is truly a business, but it is a very fun business," Kelechava confessed.
The business then moves overseas back to Knox County. From a small home in West Knoxville, the ornaments are shipped to homes across the country.
"They (people) think we are only busy in December," she said. "We are busy 365 days a year making Christmas ornaments for everybody to enjoy."
The Joy to the World collection features more than 750 ornaments for pet lovers, cocktails for drink aficionados, and festive finds for food lovers, travel enthusiasts, sports lovers and outdoorsmen. It also has some Tennessee-inspired ornaments, including some of the Sunsphere and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Kelechava said they have an ornament for everyone, but she added providing so many options can feel overwhelming at times.
"It is part of their holiday tradition to add Joy to the World collectibles to their family collection," she mentioned. "And keep in mind, ornaments typically stay in a family, so parents will buy them and then they will pass them down to their children and grandchildren."
But despite the long days of work, Kelechava said it is an honor that her ornaments get a special place in the Christmas trees and hearts of thousands of families nationwide.
"This is not just selling a product, this is selling emotion," she confessed. "This is selling something that people have an attachment to."
Joy to the World released 60 new ornaments for the holiday season.