We can all agree that there’s nothing quite like an old-fashioned Christmas. The decorating of homes and trees during the festive season is a tradition that has been around for centuries. It seems people have become increasingly eager to source original, vintage trinkets to adorn their homes with. So if you have a box of dusty Christmas ornaments in your attic, they could, in fact, be accumulating a lot of money!
Our festive guide takes you through some all-time classic Christmas ornaments, sheds some light on why they were so popular, and gives you the lowdown on where you can find replicas (and even originals) of these stunning decorations.
Vintage Christmas Ornaments #1: German Kugels
The word Kugel means “round ball” in German, however, many original glass Kugel baubles were produced in the shape of pine cones, grapes, pumpkins, and teardrops. Kugels were manufactured in Germany from as early as 1840 until the early 1900’s. Nowadays, it’s not cheap to find a genuine decoration, especially as originals are normally lined with silver. The exterior colors of these classic ornaments are normally red, green, gold, silver, and blue.
Whether you find an original, such as this large silver grape shaped Kugel ornament, or a slightly newer model, such as these stunning jewel tone Kugel style Christmas ornaments – both will make a dazzling addition to your home this festive season. We’re also swooning over this original pair of 1950’s German teardrop shaped Kugel baubles in gold and silver available on Etsy.
Vintage Christmas Ornaments #2: Ceramic Tabletop Christmas Tree
Take a trip down memory lane to the 1970’s, this is when ceramic tabletop Christmas trees were all the rage. Available in a range of colours, however predominantly green and white, these trees added a pop of color and kitsch style to the family home at Christmas time.
Replicas are incredibly easy to find, such as this ceramic tabletop Christmas tree available on Amazon – decorated with multicolored bulbs and a 7-pointed star topper. If you’re looking for a tabletop tree from the 1960-80’s, Etsy has an impressive array of trees on offer, such as this quirky 14″ ceramic light up Christmas tree from the 1960’s.
Vintage Christmas Ornaments #3: Indented Baubles
Indented baubles were created with the intention to reflect the candlelight on Christmas trees in Victorian times. This means they’re attractive as well as providing a useful purpose. Etsy is brimming with original indented baubles from the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. We especially love this set of glitter stripe indented reflector baubles from the 1960’s and this hand blown indented ornament from Poland, both available on Etsy.
Vintage Christmas Ornaments #4: Paper Honeycomb Decorations
These decorations are simple yet incredibly effective. If you travelled back in time 30 odd years, you’d see that nearly every home was dressed head to toe with these colorful paper ornaments.
Bring this retro style back this festive season and get hold of some honeycomb decorations. These red and white balls from Ginger Ray on Amazon are a great deal! They come flat-packed, so all you need to do is simply open them up and hang them around the home. Find a range of honeycomb ball sizes and an endless possibility of bright colors from Etsy vendor, Forjustoneday.
Vintage Christmas Ornaments #5: Diorama Decorations
This stylish trend started in the 1950’s and made a big impact in Europe and Japan. A diorama style bauble is one that has been hollowed out and then filled with a snowy landscape, nativity scene, or other festive element. We’re obsessed with these beautiful hollowed out goose egg decorations, especially this vintage diorama angel decoration. We also adore this one showcasing an ice skating Santa. This pretty pink angel decoration made in Japan in the 1960’s is another great find. Discover many more quirky vintage ornaments from Etsy vendor, ThisThatAndChristmas.
If you wonder how much are vintage Christmas ornaments worth today, or which are the best spots to find vintage Christmas ornaments, the answer is in our article The Origin of Vintage Christmas Ornaments!
Since no festive celebration is complete without sumptuous appetizers and flowing drinks, how about surprising your guests with some old-fashioned Christmas drinks and snacks from another era? Serve up these 5 retro Christmas food and drinks, all guaranteed to go down a treat with your guests, and offer them a memorable journey in time.
