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ms_thrifty

vintage christmas decor

ms-thrifty
9 years ago

new here-since the HGTV board closed thought I would try sharing some of my vintage Christmas d�cor that I am fortunate to have inheried. the houses are from the 1950"s, and the stair garland has a little tree garland that is from the 50's also. Then I added the "icicles' those shiny aluminum things that were popular on Christmas trees from like the 1940's to about 1970. Added them so I can have fun picking them up off the steps and floor as they are blowing off when the dogs or us run down the steps. But I tend to get nostalgic this time of the year, so I enjoy decorating with my "treasures".

Comments (34)

  • nhb22
    9 years ago

    How charming. Thank you for sharing. :)

    I have some of my grandmothers handmade ornaments.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    9 years ago

    Welcome to the forum. I love the little paper villages--thanks for the memories.

    Did your mother save the icicles from year to year? Mine did, wrapping them on the cardboard blanks that she also saved. One year I spied a neighbor's tree at the curb on trash day, icicles still attached, waving forlornly from every branch. I was scandalized.

  • outsideplaying_gw
    9 years ago

    That's really cute! Thanks for sharing with us. I love the Santa and sleigh on the rooftop! Reminds me of one my Dad used to put on our house in the 50's!

  • dedtired
    9 years ago

    How sweet they are. I love things that are so full of memories. I Have a Santa tree topper that belonged to my MIL. I also have two of these spinning Christmas trees that belonged to my great aunt. They are at least 75 years old. My aunt had them on a table next to a mirror surrounded by cotton snow, so it resembled a frozen pond. There are pictures of skaters on the trees. It looks like they are skating as the trees spin. They are made of heavy paper. A light bulb on the inside makes them spin with the rising heat. They are barely holding together, as you can see from the way I have patched the top of them. I always have to stop and watch them spin around and remember how it felt to watch them when I was little.

  • alex9179
    9 years ago

    Oh my, cute a all get out! They look so delicate!

  • Imhappy&Iknowit IOWA zone 4b
    9 years ago

    My mother's tree purchased 1942. We had those icicles, too. I used them myself all the years I had a big tree. Stored them on the card board!

  • Fun2BHere
    9 years ago

    Your houses are so sweet. I especially love the one with Santa flying over it. Your sets looks to be in amazingly perfect condition which is even rarer to find.

  • teeda
    9 years ago

    I was hoping someone would start a vintage christmas thread! ms. thrifty, dedtired and lovmkitchen--I love your Christmas heirlooms. You are so lucky to have them! Here are a few favorites from my childhood (early 60s era):

    This bubble light santa is actually a vintage replacement of one that we had growing up. Ours lost the bulb and the back broke off, but my mother still displayed it every year and I loved it. One day a few years ago I was in a thrift store and they had just pulled this out of a box. Perfect condition. I asked how much and they guy looked at it and said "I don't know, how about 89 cents?". Sold!
    {{gwi:2141604}}
    Part of my santa mug collection. I started with four that my mother had, and have added over the years.
    {{gwi:2141605}}
    This plastic nativity was the ornament I got to hang on the tree every year. Every year I take it out I am flooded with memories.
    {{gwi:2141606}}
    My first Christmas stocking (name removed for posting).
    {{gwi:2141607}}
    Two of my grandmother's tree ornaments, I have several others:
    {{gwi:2141608}}

    I would love to see more vintage christmas photos!

  • Imhappy&Iknowit IOWA zone 4b
    9 years ago

    I bet we all remember when those icicles were made out of something like aluminum foil. Later they were plastic that charged with static electricity so you found them stuck to you after you walked past the tree.

  • pdg777
    9 years ago

    Loved these! The bubble lights are actually one of my favs! Wish I had thought to ask for them from various relatives who have passed on. Vintage Christmas stuff is one of my favorite things about Christmas.

    thanks so much for posting! If anyone has more, would love to see them.

  • Mmmbeeer
    9 years ago

    These are all so great. We had the bubble lights, which was kind of a big deal when I was a kid because no one we knew had anything like them or had really seen lights like them. Now they're probably all over Pinterest--times have changed.

    My husband had a very similar stocking and we had a tiny nativity scene like the one above that I've used in my dollhouse at Christmas time.

    I love the Christmas village--my Mom had one with similar homes and there was also a church in her set. Over the years, and probably when their basement flooded, she lost some and only has a couple left. I thought this idea was a kind of cute way to display those village homes. I think they said the snow was Epsom salts.

  • busybee3
    9 years ago

    what a cute way to display items!!
    here are a few of my vintage decorations- I mostly have ornaments... from the 50's and earlier I think... the santa is from either the late 20's or early 30's... there used to be reindeer that went with it but their legs broke when we were kids- I used to always play that the were flying through the air! the corn cob used to crack me up when I was a kid! my parents used to save tinsel from year to year too... I remember putting it on the tree and some of the pieces were really heavy--- those were made of lead! over my growing up years all of the lead tinsel must have finally gotten thrown away,even as careful as we were undecorating the tree- don't think I saw any of that when we went through my parent's things!
    {{gwi:2141609}}

  • Kippy
    9 years ago

    I have that same set as the op!

  • Imhappy&Iknowit IOWA zone 4b
    9 years ago

    That old tinsel was lead?!! And I nearly had a hissy fit when I couldn't get it any more!

  • nhb22
    9 years ago

    A few of my grandmothers handmade ornaments
    {{gwi:2141610}}

    {{gwi:2141611}}

    Vintage Merry-Go-Round purchased off Ebay for grandson
    {{gwi:2141612}}

    Santa's
    {{gwi:2141613}}

    Paper Mache of Mother's
    {{gwi:2141614}}

    Paper Angel from Japan - musical
    {{gwi:2141615}}

    I do not know much about this. Maybe someone can help. My late BIL sent this to our children for Christmas. It was already old when we received it. It is like a Jack N The Box and plays "My Favorite Things"
    {{gwi:2141616}}
    {{gwi:2141617}}

    Books from my childhood
    {{gwi:2141618}}

    Mother's musical angels
    {{gwi:2141619}}

    {{gwi:2141620}}

  • Kiwigem
    9 years ago

    Fun thread! This was my great uncle's. I lurv it. :-)

  • terezosa / terriks
    9 years ago

    These posts bring back such memories. Growing up we had little houses and trees similar to the OP's. We always put tinsel on the tree (the lead kind that you could form into a little ball), and my mother put it on one strand at a time. We kids liked to throw it on. And newhomebuilder's ornaments remind me of the ones that my dad and I made with styrofoam balls, velvet and satin ribbon and long hatpins.

    And we always drank our eggnog from Santa mugs. I tried to find some when my kids were little, but couldn't find any small ones like we had when I was a kid. They had all morphed into giant mugs - much too big for eggnog.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    9 years ago

    The icicles I remember must have been the metalized plastic. If you stretched them until they broke, they made little curlicues.

    My sister has one of the lighted ceramic Christmas trees, given to her by an acquaintance ap 35 years ago. I can't wait to tell her that it's vintage. ;)

  • porkandham
    9 years ago

    Newhomebuilder - We had ornaments very similar to those that my mother made! I wonder where they are now?

  • busybee3
    9 years ago

    yes, eggnog from the santa cups!!
    I wonder what happened to the ceramic trees my mom/grandmoms had- they became popular in the early 70's I think-- maybe they were there in the house and one/none of us took them-- there was sooo much stuff to sort through and decide about...

  • mduncan0614
    9 years ago

    This thread makes me a little bit sad because my family had a lot of these things growing up, but I do not know where they are now. We had a set of those Santa mugs, I found one small one at Goodwill earlier this month. My plastic Santa looks a bit rough compared to WMA's!

    {{gwi:2141621}}
    {{gwi:2141622}}
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  • nhb22
    9 years ago

    peg08 - Love the red truck and your Cola vignette.

    Egg Nog brings back memories of my grandmothers homemade, heavily spiked eggnog. She served it from a silver punch bowl (which I inherited) and we sipped from silver tea cups, which I also have. We had tiny little silver spoons to eat it with, as the mixture was thick. I have the recipe, but had never made it.

    My grandmothers ornaments mean a lot to me. Some would think them garish, but I love them! It's a shame to those of you that do not know what happened to them. :( My brother/SIL and sister/BIL divided ours up. My sister recently passed away at the age of 57. I would love to have hers, but it would be too tacky to ask my BIL. He had a collection of glass ornaments when my sister married him, so he may not be using them. I'll have to take a look at a tree photo that I took at his house last Christmas (the first without my sister.) I didn't pay much attention to it at the time.

    We had the Santa cups. When my parents died, I believe we found one or two still intact. Either my brother or sister took them.

  • maddielee
    9 years ago

    We have the Nativity that belonged to my parents. It has to be close to 80 years old. My paternal grandfather made the manger, and little well. The chalk figurines are well worn and often glued, 7 children playing with them will do that.

    {{gwi:2141628}}
    I also have a ceramic tree. It belonged to the parents of a good friend, she gave it to me a few years ago, fits perfectly on the kitchen counter. (It had a star as a topper last year, wonder where it went?)

  • gsciencechick
    9 years ago

    If you want the Santa mugs, I've seen a lot of those at the antique mall and shows.

    I did get some photos of our vintage stuff, and I'll work to get those posted.

  • arcy_gw
    9 years ago

    The Tallest angel in the back is circa 1960's..purchased by my MIL. I inherited it. We had those santa mugs..and yes they can be found at thrift stores in abundance this time of year!!

  • meek95
    9 years ago

    My son got these vintage 50's/60's ornaments (a spaceman and a Martian) from a family friend. Unfortunately the glass helmet broke on the larger one when I tried to pack it away a few years ago. Must have been when the arm broke off too. Still makes me upset to think I broke it!

  • gsciencechick
    9 years ago

    Elf hurricane lamp from MIL

    {{gwi:2141629}}

    Vintage Santa and elves from MIL:
    {{gwi:2141630}}

    Bettie Page Playboy pose:
    {{gwi:2141631}}

    Vintage Elf Ladder. The story behind this is DH had this when he was little and it was his favorite. However, it disintegrated, and he was heartbroken. A couple of years ago MIL found an identical copy on eBay. You can also see a lot of my Rudolph and "Island of Misfit Toys" ornaments. DH bought me the full set when we were dating. Part of how I knew he was a keeper. :)

    {{gwi:2141632}}

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    9 years ago

    After seeing all the Santa pics, I had to add this flocked fellow. I found him at the bottom of a box of old ornaments, and although I don't put him on display, I keep him just because he's cute.

    The light still works, and is inserted through an opening in the bottom. There is a hole for hanging on the back. I don't know if there ever were legs--if so, they might have been attached to the same clip that holds the 'candle.'

    **Edited to add link. I should have googled before posting--he is also a tree topper, so, no legs.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Lots of flocked Santas

    This post was edited by mama_goose on Sat, Dec 20, 14 at 16:28

  • gsciencechick
    9 years ago

    Thought I'd post these cute napkin rings I found at the vintage holiday market. They look like kittens but I think they're little reindeer.

    {{gwi:2141633}}

  • dedtired
    9 years ago

    Oh my gosh, Mama a Goose, look who is on the top of my tree! I got him from my zmIL about 47 years ago and he has been my tree topper ever since.

    I am enjoying all the treasures on this thread.

  • dedtired
    9 years ago

    dupe

    This post was edited by dedtired on Thu, Dec 25, 14 at 22:36

  • gsciencechick
    9 years ago

    I don't think I've ever seen those Santa tree-toppers, and now I've seen two of them!

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    9 years ago

    I always wondered if it was missing the legs. dedtired, thanks for posting the picture of your Santa in action--I'll have to find a special place to display mine next year.

    I do appreciate all you folks who love vintage decor!

    **Edited to correct spelling, but I wanted to add that my sister brought me a gift for hosting family Christmas dinner. It is a Shiny Brite ornament box. No ornaments--just the box, which one of her co-workers was going to toss. Now, that girl is someone who understands my love for vintage. :)

    This post was edited by mama_goose on Fri, Dec 26, 14 at 16:43

  • J M
    9 years ago

    When I was cleaning out my mother's house, I found that she had saved the metal tinsel we used when I was a child living in Germany, but there wasn't much of it. With my mad google skillz, I found a place to buy more so that I now have enough for a whole tree. I just wish I could find the gold-colored kind -- I have maybe half a package from my mom. I'd love to do a whole tree with that!

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