2026 Artist Insights: Dream Box ornaments

Shall we dance?

Read on to hear how the 2026 Dream Box ornaments got ballroom ready.

Santa and Mrs. Claus have been the cutest couple in the North Pole for hundreds of years. So when Keepsake Artist Gregor Benedetti was asked for a fresh take on the iconic characters, he was excited to give it a whirl-pun intended!

May I Have This Dance
Dream Box

“Charles Young, one of our art directors, came to me with drawings from our archives that had beautiful character styling. He said, ‘Take a look at these and think about the story you want to tell in the Dream Box,'” Gregor says. “So I started to brainstorm a bit with Lindsay Evans, our editorial director. I was asking, what’s Santa doing? and then I threw out, what if he were dancing with Mrs. Claus?”

After that initial brainstorm, Gregor started sketching until he landed on the perfect pose. Then he added charming touches like the mistletoe pinned on Santa’s hat and the green ribbon in Mrs. Claus’s hair.

But there’s one missing detail that just might be our favorite: Mrs. Claus isn’t wearing glasses, which gives the classic character an unexpected twist. After sketching, Gregor passed along the design to Keepsake Artist Tammy Haddix, who added her own flair to the pair as she sculpted.

“What we all loved about Gregor’s design was the movement and joy that came through in the sketch. So much storytelling in one little ornament! You can tell they’re mid-twirl, dancing along to their favorite song,” says Lindsay.

Musical Holiday Gramophone
Dream Box

Speaking of their favorite song, the 2026 Dream Box also features a gorgeous, retro-style gramophone ornament. Gregor, Lindsay and Keepsake Engineer Samantha Heryford worked together to add an extra bit of Keepsake magic-a hand crank that spins the record and plays music.

“I imagined what song Santa and Mrs. Claus might be listening to, dancing together after a long day of work, just enjoying each other’s company,” says Lindsay. “We wanted to capture that nostalgia, so we chose a song with a vintage feel, and our sound studio added in soft crackles, scratches and popping like you’d hear with an old gramophone.”

“The best part of working on a piece like this is that we all notice different things,” says Samantha. “Gregor might be looking at color, Lindsay is trying to get the sound just right and I’m trying to figure out where the speaker can go-and then it all comes together beautifully.”

That’s music to our ears! The team’s collaboration and attention to detail definitely shine through in these ornaments, which begin shipping in April in the Dream Box. And-because we can’t resist a theme-we’ve also curated a special Spotify playlist for KOC members. Just scan the code on the note inside your Dream Box to listen.