Add a private story page to any ornament tree, carved sign or Keeper this season
Last week a grandmother left a review for two of my wall-mount ornament trees. One for each grandchild, she wrote, with the ornaments picked out just for that child. I read it twice. She had described, almost word for word, the thing I had just finished building.
Here is what it is, what each level includes, and how to add it to anything in the shop this Christmas.
What the Christmas page is
A chip about the size of a quarter sits inside the wood. On an ornament tree it hides in the Corian star at the top. On a sign it sits behind the lettering, invisible from the front. On a Keeper, a small carved block made for exactly this, it is the whole point of the piece. If the person you are giving to has an older phone, a small QR code sticker does the same job at no extra charge.
Hold a phone against that spot and a private web page opens. No app to download, nothing to type, no account for the person holding the phone. You fill the page in yourself through a simple setup link, and it comes in four Christmas looks (Evergreen, Cranberry, Snowfall and Nordic) so it matches the gift instead of looking like a screen.
See a finished one here: A Christmas to Remember.
Three levels, and you can move up any time
Every page is hosted for at least ten years, is editable by you whenever you like, and can be downloaded as an offline copy for free. The levels differ in how much they hold and who can add to them.
Snapshot, $9. One photo, a short message (about a page of text), and a ten-step checklist. Room enough for a greeting, the story behind the gift, and a list of the ornaments on the tree. Also the right pick if you just want the tag to open a link of your own, such as a shared photo album.
Story, $36. About 80 photos and twenty pages of text, plus a timeline of up to 20 moments (the year each ornament arrived and who it came from), a guest book where family can leave written notes, and a second QR code so the page can be opened away from the gift. This is the level most Christmas trees and signs want.
Together, $99. More than 500 photos and as much text as you can write. Other people can help build the page, and guests can leave photos, voice messages and short videos in the guest book, each one waiting for your approval before it shows. This is the level the example above is built on, and the one to pick when you want the grandchildren adding to it every year.
Not sure which to choose? Start small. Any page can be upgraded later, and you pay only the difference. A Snapshot that turns out to need room for everyone's photos becomes a Together page for $90 more, with nothing lost.
Every Christmas page also carries a new card to read each day through the season: a verse, a carol or a short reading at the tree.
Who it is for
The grandparent who does not do technology. This is the one I built it for. They never have to find an app or remember a password. They hold the phone to the star and the grandchildren appear. That is the whole instruction.
The kids' ornament tree. Each child's tree gets its own page. Years from now the ornaments will still be on the wall and the story of every one of them will still be inside the star.
The family-name or first-home sign. A sign over the mantel already says who lives there. The page behind it holds the move-in photos, the first Christmas in the house, and a guest book every visitor can sign.
The memory you want to keep close. A Keeper is a small carved block of wood or Corian, 2, 3 or 4 inches square, that sits on a shelf or under the tree. It is the simplest way to give a page on its own, or to add one to something you already own.
Built to last past this Christmas
I know what happens to things that live on the internet. So the page is yours, not mine. I have committed in writing to hosting it for at least ten years from the day the tag is activated, with no further fees. You can download an offline copy any time, the database is backed up daily, and if the chip itself ever fails in that time I will send you a new one.
How to add it to an order
Every piece ships with a small card that explains where the chip is and how to open the page, so the person unwrapping it knows exactly what to do.
The page is an add-on, so it rides along with whatever you are buying. Put your tree, sign or tray in the cart, then add the CraftedLink page at the level you want. In the note at checkout, ask for the Christmas page and I will have it preselected and waiting when you open your setup link, so all that is left is adding the photos. I embed the chip before the piece is finished.
Already own one of my pieces, or giving a page on its own? The Keeper ships with the chip built in and pairs with any level above.
Made-to-order means each piece is carved after you order, so for a page to be ready to read on Christmas morning, order by early December and sooner for custom lettering or a custom size. Not sure which fits your person? Message me with who it is for and what you want them to see when they tap, and I will tell you where to start.
Browse the ornament trees, signs and Keepers at craftedcarvings.com.