"Even if I have to buy a book, the first thing I do is go to the cross section," McGlothlin said. "I'm always looking for something different."

Wall crosses are everywhere in McGlothlin's 5,000-square-foot home, covering her 12-foot-high walls. McGlothlin, who with her husband owns Fort Worth, Texas-based Empire Roofing, has more than 200 wall crosses, ranging in size from an inch to 5 feet—"and everything in between," she noted.

Not everyone has such a large collection of wall crosses, but gift suppliers and retailers say that the symbol that is at the heart of the Christian message is more popular than ever.

Bob Siemon Designs Marketing Director Natalie Clark sees two main contributing factors.

"First, research (shows) that younger generations are increasingly interested in spiritual things," she told Inspirational Gift Trends. "Secondly, people are once again retreating to the safety of their home. … The last few years have been filled with a lot of world tumult, and people want to create for themselves a safe haven. Hanging a cross on their wall is often seen as one way to express this."

In light of the growing popularity of cross jewelry, wall crosses have also become trendy in the general market.

Steve Mohler, vice president of marketing for Dicksons, said that "this trend of personal fashion has moved into home décor," with strong growth in sales of decorative crosses.

"We must also keep in mind (that) new home sales have been at all-time highs the last few years," Mohler told Inspirational Gift Trends. "These new homes need wall decorations, and Christians remain a strong majority of our population. Our industry should feel reassured that many people are communicating their faith through this vehicle."

'Quiet Evangelism'

Kay Freeman, owner of K.B. Freeman Enterprises, which runs Home Magnolia, an online store that sells decorative crosses, sees the home décor item as "quiet evangelism."

"Decorative crosses are 'safe' and reasonably priced gifts to give," Freeman said. "By placing crosses on the walls of our homes or in the hands of others, the Holy Spirit can use this moment to call a person (who looks at it) to a relationship with Christ or to a deeper walk.

"Crosses are great conversation openers," she added. "It usually starts with how unique it is, who made it or where they got it. But, it can lead to why the buyer bought it and share the reason why they believe in Jesus as the only one true God."

McGlothlin said she started her cross collection in 2002 because of her faith, but also "as a form of art."

"There's a calmness and peacefulness with the crosses," McGlothlin told Inspirational Gift Trends. "If people don't know me and they came to my house, at first they might wonder if I'm really religious. But, I don't force my faith on anybody."

For David Broussard, it is all about his faith when it comes to making his Dallas-based Jeweled Steel distinct. After taking a 24-hour welding course in May 2000, Broussard said God inspired him to start his business, which features forged metal pieces that he transforms into various objects, including crosses.

"The majority of my crosses have a lot of symbolism incorporated in the design," Broussard told Inspirational Gift Trends. "An example would be the Infinity Cross. It is a cross within a cross within another cross. The illusion you get when looking at it is distance or depth. The design was inspired by a quote from Corrie ten Boom who said: 'There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still.' "

Another design that Broussard created is called the Davidic Code, which he said is "a counter balance to The Da Vinci Code. One is full of lies and the Davidic Code is the Word of God. I take all the spaces out between the words and it gives a code-like effect."

Broussard has created 26 cross designs, with prices ranging between $30 and $130, that he offers to retail stores. He said his most popular cross designs are a Spiral Cross and the Lord's Prayer, which "is a definite conversation-starter."

One of Broussard's "biggest fans," McGlothlin noted that one of the first crosses she bought for her collection was a cross made by the artist. Since then, McGlothlin said she has added several of Broussard's crosses to her home, including a display of his work on her entryway.

"People are wowed by so many of the crosses, including David's, and how different they all are," said McGlothlin, who attends St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Arlington, Texas.

'Greater Breadth'

Bob Siemon Designs has long offered a small collection of wall crosses, but the Santa Ana, Calif.-based company best known for its jewelry products decided to recently expand its line because retailers were "requesting a greater breadth of product," according to Clark.

The company is scheduled to release at least four designs this month, with the initial product rollout including pewter and wooden wall crosses.

The pewter wall crosses include three nature-inspired designs demonstrative of the growing trend to accessorize homes with organic designs that reflect a return to simpler times, Clark said.

The three pewter designs include the Wheat Wall Cross, the Lily Wall Cross and the Olive Branch Wall Cross. Each is tentatively priced at $14.99 and includes symbols of nature taken directly from Scripture. For example, the Wheat Cross features Jesus' observation in Matthew 9:37-39 that " 'the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.' " Made of lead-free pewter, each design was hand-carved in wax and handmade in the U.S.

At Dicksons, Mohler said the gift company offers 150 table and wall crosses in various designs, featuring wood, resin, ceramic, plastic and elaborate combinations of metal, wire and resin. The gift line ranges from $5 to $20.

New designs include the Dimensional Cross plaque, a contemporary piece in metal with current green and brown colors, and a 24-inch wall cross made from pounded and rope metal to project a cross within a cross look. Another new design is the 4-foot wall cross, Mohler said.

Other cross suppliers include Abbey Press and DaySpring, which recently introduced its Majesty Wall Cross Collection.

Sherry Morris, marketing manager for Carpentree, said the wall art company's cross-themed products "continue to be strong sellers." Jon Snell, director of sales and marketing for P. Graham Dunn, another wall art company, agreed.

"P. Graham Dunn does excellent business with the cross-themed products that we market," he said. "That being said, it is a relatively small category for us."

Cindy Sullivan, gift buyer for the last 13 years at Parables in Omaha, Neb., said a Christmas Cross by Dicksons was the store's top selling cross last year. Parables "sold unbelievable numbers" of the wall cross with a nativity scene, including 280 in the gold pattern and 358 in the silver design, Sullivan noted.

"We'll be carrying that this Christmas again," she said. "It's just an incredible item. It's 12 inches tall and retails for $10. It looks quality. It's a nice looking item; it doesn't look chintzy."

'An Heirloom'

Sullivan added that Parables' owner sees decorative crosses as "a never-out item." The store carries 330 different kinds of wall crosses, ranging from $5 to $60.

"We have crosses in three areas, so we dedicate a lot of space for them," she said. " … It's such a symbol of the Christian faith that we want to at least have some form of wall cross."

Sullivan noted that wall crosses "sell well year-round for us." However, Parables experienced a run on the item this spring when a local Presbyterian church dedicated a new wing, and every family in the congregation was asked to purchase a wall cross to donate for the addition.

"We sold 40 to 50 different kinds of crosses in a matter of a few days," said, Sullivan who liked the idea, but added, "It would have been nice to get a heads up from the church since there's only two Christian bookstores in town."

Sullivan said people primarily buy decorative crosses for gifts for graduations or weddings. "They don't have to be put in a drawer like a graduation or wedding present," she noted. "A wall cross can be on your wall forever, and you can pass them down as an heirloom."

Clark of Bob Siemon Designs agreed. "People sometimes buy them for specific religious occasions—Easter, first communion, confirmation or a child dedication—and other times they are simply given as a gift that the recipient would appreciate because of the message it contains," she said.

Clark noted that there are two good selling times of the year for decorative crosses. "During the fall, people tend to focus on their homes because they are getting ready to spend a lot more time inside for the winter months," Clark said.

"Secondarily, the spring tends to offer a lot of specific occasions (such as Easter) for which wall crosses are given as gifts."

As for displaying decorative crosses, "the best way for a retailer to sell any type of home accessory is to show the customer how they can incorporate the design into their home," Clark added.

"Incorporating wall crosses into displays for specific occasions, such as Easter, communion and confirmation, and graduation, rather than only selling them in the home accessory section, can help customers realize their giftabilty," she explained.

Sullivan said Parables groups the crosses in the section for wedding and baby gifts, offering shoppers the "convenience of being able to look at one spot."

McGlothlin, who noted that she bought 75% of her large cross collection and 25% was given or made for her, said she has noticed that some retailers don't present their crosses well.

"I would encourage them to display their crosses where customers can see them versus just placing them anywhere around the store," she said. "Maybe they can put them on a designated cross wall with good lighting, so you can see the whole collection. Sometimes it's easy to lose the crosses when they're laying on a shelf. I know they can sell them better if they were displayed properly."