I recently stumbled across a Reader's Digest article, "14 Vintage Christmas Decorations You Can Buy Today." I was immediately transported to "Christmas past" as I recognized items that I had seen displayed in friends' and family's homes years ago. I'm not sure if you have the same nostalgic feelings, but these vintage items just add joy and a smile when they catch my eye!
The article highlights a few vintage-inspired items that you can buy new today, but I find much more enjoyment in spotting the original vintage items in estate sales, thrift stores, or antique stores. There's just something about the "thrill of the find" that is addicting. The trick is that these vintage Christmas items can pop up at any time throughout the year, so you have to keep your eyes open year-round for these treasures.
I thought it might be fun to share a few of the vintage Christmas items that I have found and now proudly display each year at Christmas. For instance, this vintage Santa whistling kettle just makes me smile. I probably only paid $4 for Santa, and he happily spends the Christmas season on the middle burner of my stove.
I never imagined that I would want a fat Santa kettle, but I just love him. You can often find such items on eBay or in antique stores. If you are not into “thrifting,” that’s the way to go.
Some items may not be antiques and may even be missing parts, but they are just nostalgic and fun. This animated wooden Christmas shop has many moving parts, music, and adorable vintage-looking wooden children. This is another thrift find, and I honestly don’t mind that it likes to play a few notes on its own at random times. We had some kids visiting our home this weekend, and they really enjoyed winding it up and watching the musical shop come to life. They especially enjoyed, though, its random starts and stops after we had moved on to our cookie decorating.
We especially treasure the vintage Christmas books we uncover in thrift stores, especially in the thrift store where we can buy books for 25 cents a pound. (It's extra fun when this store puts their books on half-price sale, and we can buy them for 13 cents a pound!) Even if we find books that are not in the best condition, we have been known to rip pages out of the book and make incredible wall art by framing individual pages.
There's one vintage item that I'm hoping to stumble upon one day during my thrifting adventures. It's a vintage Avon Christmas countdown calendar that we had hanging in our bedroom as children. Can you believe this calendar is going for $200-$300 on online sites? If I run into one of these at a thrift or antique shop for a few dollars, you'll probably hear me scream! 😊
Maybe you were lucky enough to have vintage Christmas toys and books passed down through your family, or maybe you’ve found the perfect picks in estate or garage sales or in antique or thrift stores. We’re just hoping that this vintage Christmas décor will catch your eye during the holidays and will bring some joy, a smile, and a twinkle to your eyes.