Today I’m sharing Part 1 of How to Style and Find Vintage Christmas Decorations.
Part 1 focuses on my favorite vintage Christmas collections, as well as how I use my collections to decorate for the holidays.
Part 2 focuses on where I typically find vintage Christmas decorations to add to my collection and how much I pay for different pieces.
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How is vintage defined?
In the world of vintage and antique items, vintage is typically defined as items that are at least 20 years old. And antique items are generally defined as items that are at least 100 years old.
The Christmas collections that I’m sharing today are made up of mostly vintage items. However, a few of my blue and white vessels are considered antique items, as well as a handful of German Christmas ornaments, I picked up in Chicago.
Vintage Christmas Decorations: Ornaments, Santa Mugs and More
There are so many wonderful vintage Christmas decorations that can be collected.
Over the years, I have narrowed down my Christmas decor to three primary vintage collections: 1. Vintage Christmas Ornaments, 2. Vintage Santa Mugs, and 3. Blue and White Vessels.
I also have a few other vintage Christmas baubles that I use in my Christmas decor, including a much-loved pair of vintage Christmas trees, a Spaghetti Santa and a few Knee Huggers.
I love pulling my collections out of storage each holiday season and using them as the focal point of my Christmas decor.
I truly enjoy my vintage Christmas ornaments, Santa mugs and other Christmas baubles. They are so much fun to collect and display during the holidays.
They also add lots of beautiful color and a bit of whimsy to the holiday season.
1. Vintage Christmas Ornaments
Let’s start with my largest collection, my vintage Christmas ornaments.
In my opinion, the most beautiful vintage Christmas ornaments are made from mercury glass. The ornaments often include hand painted and glittered details in beautiful pastel colors.
Germany is credited with creating the first blown-glass Christmas ornaments in the 1840s and Shiny Brites came along in the United States in the 1930s.
My collection includes 400+ vintage Christmas ornaments. I have grown my collection over the years. Plus, I was gifted my grandmother’s (Memaw) gorgeous collection of ornaments two years ago.
Decorating with Vintage Christmas Ornaments
I currently decorate two 9-foot Christmas trees for the holidays with vintage Christmas ornaments.
The first Christmas tree is decorated with my most colorful vintage ornaments, about 300 in all. I love the pinks, reds, greens and blues all mixed together. I especially love the ornaments that are hand painted and glittered.
My second Christmas tree is decorated with another 100 or so solid-colored vintage silver and gold ornaments mixed in with new silver and gold ornaments.
I love the look and especially love the mix of vintage Shiny Brites, including this copper colored one, with new silver and gold ornaments.
If you’re new to collecting vintage Christmas ornaments, mixing old with new is a great option while you’re building your collection.
Tips on Decorating a Tree with Vintage Christmas Ornaments
There are two primary tips that I find important when decorating a Christmas tree with Vintage ornaments.
First, you need to start with the right tree. Both of my 9-foot Christmas trees are pre-lit and very easy to assemble.
But more importantly, the branches are spread out with ample space in between the layers of branches. This allows for my ornaments to be seen.
I’ve linked my tree here, it comes in lots of different size and pairs perfectly with vintage Christmas ornaments.
Second, decorate the tree from inside-out and top to bottom to help prevent knocking any ornaments off the tree while you’re decorating.
When decorating the tree, I start by placing my solid color Shiny Brites on the inside of the branches. Then I move from the top of the tree to the bottom of the tree placing the remaining ornaments.
This approach helps prevent breakage and allows me to place the most beautiful and unique ornaments in the most visible spots.
2. Vintage Santa Mugs
I remember vintage Santa mugs from my childhood. It seems like both of my grandmas had them in their homes and so did my mom. I think they’re adorable.
The Holt Howard Company began production of Santa mugs in the 1949 and lots of manufacturers followed suit.
I began collecting Santa mugs about 10 years ago. Each year, I typically add at least a few Santa mugs to my collection.
My vintage Santa mug collection currently includes 40+ vintage pieces. They’re so much fun to collect and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
Decorating with Vintage Santa Mugs
As my collection of Santa mugs has grown, I wanted to create a way of displaying all of the mugs together.
The solution was a coffee mug rack hanging near my coffee bar. It’s the perfect spot to not only be seen every morning, but to also be used.
We rarely use my vintage Santa mugs, but I have combined my vintage pieces with a new 8-piece set of Santa mugs. Everyone knows to grab one of the larger (new) mugs for coffee time and hot chocolate.
In addition to displaying my collection as a group, I sprinkle a few mugs around the kitchen for holiday cheer. I also like to pop a few of the miniature mugs on top of the moss in my pots of winter bulbs.
Tips on Selecting Santa Mugs to Add to (or Start) a Collection
As my collection grows, I have become more selective when adding Santa mugs to my collection. My criteria for buying Santa mugs includes the following:
- If the ceramic is chipped, I won’t buy the Santa mug regardless of price.
- However, I don’t mind if some of the paint has chipped away. Several of my favorite pieces have almost no red paint left on them.
- I prefer Santa mugs that have cute faces. Of course, what makes a Santa face cute is a personal preference. Howard Holt pieces are really cute and tend to be the most expensive.
- Finally, I collect both full-size and miniature Santa mugs.
3. Blue & White Vintage Vessels
Vintage blue and white vessels are not typically considered a Christmas collection, but I love using my pieces during the holidays.
I collect lots of different vintage blue and white pieces specifically vessels like pitchers, jars, and bowls.
Some of my pieces are vintage and some of my pieces are antiques.
All of them pair perfectly with my Christmas decor.
Decorating for Christmas with Vintage Blue & White Vessels
I primarily use my vintage blue and white vessels during the holidays to house my Christmas bulbs: paperwhites and amaryllis.
I also love to pop a vintage knee hugger on top of the moss. The cute little elves keep watch over my bulbs as they are growing and add interest to the pot of soon to be Christmas flowers.
In addition to holiday bulbs, I love to pair the larger bowls and vases with either a Christmas poinsettia or vintage Christmas tree. I then add a simple piece of ribbon to the top of the tree that coordinates with the rest of my Christmas decor.
And, if you’re not a fan of blue and white, consider using vintage vessels in a color that you do like, one that compliments your Christmas decor.
Vintage Christmas Decorations: Closing Thoughts
I mentioned earlier that I have narrowed down my vintage Christmas decorations to three primary categories.
Let me explain why.
When I first started collecting, I was so excited to come across any vintage Christmas decorations that I scooped up lots of different pieces not knowing how I would use them in my decor.
But as my collection grew, I realized that not everything looked good together in my home. I found myself leaving some things in storage year after year.
Eventually I sold the items that weren’t being used and focused on collecting the items that I found myself displaying annually.
When reflecting on the pieces that I tend to use year after year, I noticed that the majority of the vintage items that I enjoy collecting are useful.
For example, my vintage blue and white pieces are used to pot bulbs and my vintage Christmas ornaments are used to decorate the tree. Plus, my vintage Santa mugs are displayed with the new Santa mugs that we use throughout the holidays.
This also applies to the vintage items I enjoy collecting as a whole. For example, I love vintage watering cans and McCoy planters and vases. Plus collecting copper cooking pans. The common thread is I use all of these pieces.
So, now I love some vintage collections from afar but focus on only buying what works in my home.
Finding and Buying Vintage Christmas Decorations
There is more to come.
In Part 2 of How I Style and Find Vintage Christmas Decor I will focus on finding and buying vintage Christmas decorations including:
- The 10 different places I most often find vintage Christmas decorations; and,
- How much I typically pay for vintage Christmas decorations.
Stay tuned!
Cheers to retired life, and happy holidays!
x Penny Pennington Weeks
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