I shared a little peek at the first Christmas tree of the season last week- full of vintage baubles and lots of old Christmas storybook charm and nostalgia, it was an instant favorite for me and for so many of you too. I promised to share a closer look at the layers and where to find the charming tree and the vintage inspired ornaments I used along with some tips. If you love vintage and nostalgic touches for Christmas too, this post is for you.
Vintage Christmas Tree
A little merry and bright and full of magic- this vintage Christmas tree is pure nostalgic charm. I started with a little bit of a wonky shaped tree- which are my favorites. This tree has a chubby bottom and tapers up to the top where there are some wild and wooly ‘hairs’ branches that bring so much old fashioned charm.
The Tree base
Forget the traditional tree skirts and collars, some of the magic of this tree is in the unique tree stand base. I used an antique tin lined basket as the tree stand. It is heavier than a simple basket, and it has a couple compartments which made placing a tree inside a little easier. A secret? I stacked a couple hand weights around the stand as well to keep it more stable and add more weight. You can fill a basket with bricks or rocks and you can also secure the the tree to the wall behind it for extra stability- especially important for safety if you have pets that like to tackle Christmas trees or youngsters in the house.
The Ornaments
On that same thought- safety comes first, so if you have young children, you can skip the glass baubles and go for plastic which won’t shatter into tiny pieces if they break. As careful as I am with my vintage collected ornaments, I do break some each year while decorating the trees. They are quite fragile and those tiny bits of glass go everywhere. With reproductions, there are quite a few lovely glass reproduction ornaments available now, and they do make the same look in plastic as well. Go with what works for you and your family.
I layered dozens of vintage ornaments on the tree first. I have boxes and boxes of them and I collect more of them every year so I have many boxes full of different sizes and colors. For this tree, I brought out the hot pinks which are some of my favorites- especially mingled with blues and silvers, it is a magical look.
I also incorporated new reproduction ornaments. I found several boxes at HomeGoods and TJMaxx and also ordered some. I will link the ones I ordered online below. I love to add vintage Santa and Deer ornaments to the tree for a touch of whimsy, and the longer drop finials mixed with the shorter finials adds a nice layering. The key is ornaments in all shapes and sizes- from tiny little baubles to chunky etched baubles to those delightful reflector or starburst ornaments and so on. Just bring out what you love and find a spot on the tree for them.
Garland & Ribbon
I didn’t add as much ribbon as I normally do to this tree- just a sweet bow at the top was enough for me. I did layer some glass bauble garland dangling from the top as well for another little bit of vintage magic. A tree covered in so many ornaments might be too much for some- and that is ok. This tree makes me smile. And the key is to remember that there is no right or wrong way to decorate your tree- go with what you love and what makes you happy and it is absolutely perfect.
Of course, the finishing touches, the lovely pink striped wrapping paper. A tip is to coordinate color or patterns from your tree decor for wrapping gifts underneath. I used vintage newspapers with velvet, satin and crochet ribbons along with the striped pink paper and what a lovely little romantic look they created.
Get the Look
You can shop the Christmas tree and vintage inspired ornaments as well as the vintage reproduction ornaments I found below. Happy decorating!
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Also over on our SUBSTACK, we are talking about Christmas tree decorating – you can come chime in HERE if you would like.
STUNNING!!! My favorite tree