2018 Dream Book

Every year, the Dream Book is one of the most anticipated, most exciting happenings in the world of ornaments. Not only is it fun for collectors to dream about upcoming ornaments, it’s also a great way to catalog ornaments from Christmases past. This year, Hallmark Art Director Ron Arens gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what went in to the making of the Dream Book for 2018.

Ron Arens: We kick off the Dream Book in July of the previous year so it takes about nine to ten months to get it into the hands of collectors. The majority of the creative work is in late fall and runs through the December, so it can be hard to get in the Christmas spirit because it’s still warm outside when we start.

Ron Arens: I have been the Art Director for the Dream Book for the last three years, but there is a larger team of about 15 to 20 people at least that help put it together. From graphic and production designers to writers and editors to photographers and photo stylists…every bit of the Dream Book (except for the printing) is done in house at Hallmark. It takes a village!

2018 Dream Book
Keepsake Ornament Club Edition

Ron Arens: The biggest change this year is the size. The in-store Dream Book is now 7 ¾” wide x 10 ½” tall, which is 40% larger than in previous years, and also the size of a standard catalog. I know they say size doesn’t matter, but in this case, I disagree. The larger book really highlights the ornaments, the artists and their families. And the Keepsake Ornament Club Edition is specifically tailored to the club member, with unique photography and stories throughout. Collectors will love it!

Ron Arens: I think it’s the shear size of it. Because there are two different Dream Books (the in-store edition and the KOC edition), we work on almost 200 pages of design, writing and photography. That’s a lot!

Ron Arens: I love seeing the finished product. After so much work and coordinating so many people—seeing it all come together is incredibly rewarding.

Ron Arens: I think both our in-store shoppers and the Keepsake Ornament Club members will be blown away by both of the Dream Book editions. There is so much more content, photography and highlighted ornaments than ever before. They are the biggest and best Dream Books we’ve ever made!