College Christmas Ornaments: Acrylic vs. Metal Snowflake vs. Santa Magic Key

Pick the acrylic Snowflake or the Flat Round if you want a clear ornament with the school design printed on both sides. Pick the Metal Snowflake if you want zinc alloy with the design on the front only, or the Santa Magic Key if you want metal, a design on both sides and a key shape about 4 inches tall. The Reversible Flat Round is made from transparent and metallic plastic and is printed on both sides. Check your school's collection to see which types it has: University of North Texas and Winthrop University have all five, and Georgia State University has four (no Reversible Flat Round).

The five types at a glance

These specs come from the University of North Texas and Winthrop University listings. The same numbers appear on the Lamar University Santa Magic Key and the Mississippi State University Flat Round listings. Still, check the listing for your own school before you order.

Two numbers in that table matter more than the rest. The first is the printed area. The Flat Round prints 2.8 inches of a 3.1-inch face, so the school artwork covers almost all of it. The acrylic Snowflake is the wider piece at 3.4 inches, but its print is 2.2 inches, because the snowflake points around the edge are clear plastic. The Metal Snowflake has the smallest print, 1.6 inches, set in a metal frame.

The second is print sides. Four of the five types are printed on both sides, so the school design shows whichever way the ornament turns on the branch. The Metal Snowflake is printed on the front only. Its back is a plain metallic finish.

Snowflake (acrylic)

The acrylic Snowflake is clear plastic, 3.4 inches across, with a 2.2-inch printed circle in the middle. The clear snowflake points form a border around the school design. A ribbon comes in the package.

On a tree it reads as clear, not metallic. It suits a buyer who wants a see-through look rather than metal.

Design choice varies a lot on this type. University of North Texas has 2 designs on its acrylic Snowflake. Winthrop University has 21.

Flat Round (acrylic)

The Flat Round is a clear acrylic disc, 3.1 inches across, printed on both sides with a 2.8-inch image. Of the four types with a stated printed area, it prints the most of its face. A ribbon is included.

Pick this one when the artwork is the reason you are buying. If your school has a design with a mascot, a full seal or a long school name, the Flat Round leaves the most room for it.

Design lists on this type run from 12 at University of North Texas to 18 at Mississippi State University and 21 at Winthrop University.

Reversible Flat Round

The Reversible Flat Round is 3.3 inches across with a 2.7-inch design area. It is made from transparent and metallic plastic, printed on both sides. The listing names only the ornament in the package, so check the listing photos for how it hangs.

One practical note from the listing: the insert can rotate during shipping, so the design may arrive at an angle. The listing says this does not mean the ornament is damaged, and it explains how to set it upright:

1. Hold the ornament by the outer metal ring.
2. Move the clear plastic holder up or down just enough for the opposite side to clear the inner pin.
3. Rotate the insert until the design is upright.
4. Press the holder back until it clicks onto the pin inside the ring.

The listing also says not to force the holder if it feels stuck. Email info@greeklife.store for help; the listing offers a short video tutorial on request.

Snowflake Metal

The Metal Snowflake is zinc alloy, about 3.1 inches wide and 2.7 inches tall (78 × 68 mm). The school design is printed on the front in a 1.6-inch circle at the center, and the back is a plain metallic finish. It is the only one of the five with a blank side.

Choose it if you want metal and plan to hang it facing out. Like the Reversible, its listing names only the ornament in the package.

We keep a separate collection for this type: Metal Snowflake Ornaments — Schools.

Santa Magic Key

The Santa Magic Key is metal, about 4 inches tall, printed on both sides, and it comes with a hanging hook. That makes it the tallest of the five by listed size. The listings do not give a printed-area measurement, so look at the listing photos to see how your school's design sits on the key.

Some schools have fewer Magic Key designs than other types. Lamar University has 10 designs on most of its ornament types but 3 on the Santa Magic Key.

Which schools have which types

Here is what the listings showed for five schools on November 8, 2026. Numbers are design counts; a dash means we found no listing for that type.

Listings change, so treat this as a starting point and open your school's collection to confirm.

How to pick by recipient

A parent of a first-year student. You want the school name to be the first thing anyone sees on the tree. The Flat Round prints 2.8 inches of its 3.1-inch face, on both sides. Ask your student which logo or mascot they actually use and match the design number to it. This is the first Christmas their school hangs on the family tree.

A parent with two students at different schools. Buy the same type for both so the pair matches on the tree. Check first that both schools carry that type. A Georgia State and North Texas family, for example, can match on four types but not on the Reversible Flat Round, because Georgia State has no Reversible Flat Round. Each student then finds their own school hanging next to their sibling's.

An alum. If they want something that is not round, the Santa Magic Key is metal and, at about 4 inches tall, the tallest of the five by listed size. If their school has no Magic Key, the Metal Snowflake is the other metal choice. It is the same ornament that comes out each December after graduation, long after the class schedule is gone.

A graduate. The acrylic Snowflake and Flat Round both carry the design on both sides, so it shows from either side of the tree. With 21 designs on each at Winthrop, a Winthrop graduate can pick one they did not already buy as a student. Hung that first December, it marks their first Christmas as a graduate.

A grandparent. The Santa Magic Key comes with its own hanging hook, so there is no ribbon to tie, and it is printed on both sides. Check that the school has one first; design counts for the Magic Key are lower at some schools, such as 3 at Lamar University. It puts the grandchild's school on the grandparent's own tree.

A student decorating a small tree. The Metal Snowflake is about 3.1 by 2.7 inches, smaller than the 3.1-inch and 3.4-inch acrylic types. Remember it is printed on the front only.

Two other places to browse: Holiday Ornaments for the full range, and College Flags & Gift Favorites for gifts beyond ornaments.

For fraternity and sorority ornaments, see our Greek ornament guide.

Questions shoppers ask on the listings

What is it made of? The acrylic Snowflake and Flat Round are transparent acrylic plastic. The Reversible is transparent and metallic plastic. The Metal Snowflake is zinc alloy. The Santa Magic Key is metal.

Is the design on both sides? Yes for the acrylic Snowflake, the Flat Round, the Reversible and the Santa Magic Key. The Metal Snowflake is printed on the front only.

Does it come with a ribbon? The acrylic Snowflake and Flat Round listings include a ribbon. The Santa Magic Key includes a hanging hook. The Reversible and Metal Snowflake listings name only the ornament.

What are the dimensions? See the table above. Each listing states its own measurements.

What makes the Reversible different? Its material, a mix of transparent and metallic plastic, and an insert that turns inside a metal ring.

What if the design arrives tilted? That applies to the Reversible. Follow the four steps in its section above, or email info@greeklife.store.

Find your school

Collections for the schools in this article and others:

• Appalachian State University
• Austin Peay State University
• Cal Poly Humboldt
• Cleveland State University
• Ferris State University
• Fort Hays State University
• Georgia State University
• Lamar University
• Mississippi State University
• University of Hawaii Hilo
• University of Hawaii West Oahu
• University of North Texas
• Winthrop University

Not on the list? Browse Holiday Ornaments or email info@greeklife.store and ask whether your school is available.

Before you order

• Pick a design number. Choose from the Design option on the listing, which shows numbered designs for the school, such as "University of North Texas # 1". Look at the listing photos before you choose.
• Check the listing for your school. Types and design counts differ by school. For example, Georgia State University has no Reversible Flat Round. Confirm the type you want is listed.
• Products offered on GreekLife.Store are licensed.
• Holiday ornaments ship in 2–3 business days. Carrier transit time is additional.
• Questions? Email info@greeklife.store.