These once - popular vacation decorating ideas are back again , decade after first appearing in the pages of Better Homes and Gardens .
As the saying blend , everything honest-to-god becomes new again — and that ’s certainly honest ofholiday interior decoration trends . As we reckon back at the last hundred ofBetter Homes & GardensChristmas laurel wreath , there are certain looks that have returned decades after they were first printed on our pages . We first wrote about flocked Christmas trees in the 1950s , andrecently shroud the whitened tree trendmore than six decades later . Some holiday classic , like bright Brite ornament and vintage Santa mugs , are back in style thanks to a recent resurgence ofnostalgic Christmas decorations .
So break your dome for vintage mercury glass ornaments or pull inspiration from Christmastide past as you adorn with this season . These are the top retroholiday decorating trendsmaking a comeback .
Monica Buck
1. Shiny Brite Ornaments
Made pop in the belated 1940s and early fifties , Shiny Brite ornamentsare one of the most recognisable vintage Christmas trends thanks to their bright colors and sparkly conclusion . The original Shiny Brite ornaments were first hand-crafted in New Jersey in 1939 , and they ’ve been an American decor basic for centuries . The decoration were simple machine - blow by Corning Glass Works before being hand - beautify and sold at F.W. Woolworth stores for a few pennies each .
They quickly became the hot Christmas ornaments on the securities industry in the ‘ 50s after WWII ended and family unit could afford to buy new holiday interior decoration token again . And with the recentresurgence of jewel tonespaired with the popularity of vintage vacation decor , the iconic baubles are decidedly back in style — whether true originals or not .
“ New or old , their brilliant colors and metallic finishing front so powerful now , ” we write in the December 2016 issue . “ Like the master copy , the breeding number in a spectrum of colouring decorated with stripes , flocking , and glitter . And , of course , the interiors are still silvered , which makes them , well , shiny and bright . ”
2. Holiday Villages
We first wrote about Christmas villages in our December 1966 issuance , but the drift became increasingly popular throughout the seventies and ‘ 80s . What first started as small cardboard or ceramic figurines turned into full - waste villages with motivate share , tiny people , and hundred of payable pieces . While you ’ll certainly see batch of these vintage piece resurfacing this year , there are also hundreds of childlike , advanced version on the market .
3. Vintage Santa Mugs
Many of the popular vintage Christmas pieces that are back in style are n’t used for their original purpose . Rather than servinghot cocoaor apple cider in these old - fashioned Santa mugs , they ’re primarily used for interior decoration now . ( A sassy move , since dependable vintage musical composition can often contain lead elements . )
In 1949 , the iconic Santa facial expression mug was produced by the Hold Howard Company and became a holiday staple for several decades . Now , procreation of the quondam - fashioned mugs are flooding store shelves as the vintage Christmas look makes a riposte .
Annie Schlechter
Credit: Adam Albright
4. Ribbon Trees
Tying thread to the branchesof Christmas trees recently gained popularity due to the rise ofbow decor , but medallion have been a staple vacation decoration for years . In fact , typewriter ribbon were a common musical theme in our December 1990 issue ofBetter Homes and Gardens . Not only is ribbon less expensive , but it is more versatile than many traditional Christmas ornament , prepare it a cheap and leisurely option for decorating .
In the ' XC , we used red ribbon to tie bows on tabletop and full - size trees and chaplet . Today , use any color of medallion and link up it onto the branch of your tree in bows or knot . Make certain to leave the ending of the ribbon hanging to make a dripping , color - drench issue . you may also utilize ribbon to DIY aChristmas garlandto hang on your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or wrap on your staircase balustrade .
Jay Wilde
Credit: Jay Wilde
5. Christmas Bells
Alexander Bell have been a symbolic representation of the holiday for centuries , often used as decor or as melodious instruments to Christmas tunes . Historically used in Christian Christian church , whether handheld or in bell tugboat , the ringing of Bell symbolize the beginning of a Christian church service . In our December 1941 issue , we used bells toadorn front doorsto welcome guests and mark off the start of vacation festivity .
With the shift to vintage ornaments and metal Christmas items , it ’s no marvel why we ’re view bells in Christmas interior decoration this year . Take inhalation from our 1941 issue and tie bells to your front door titty or wreath . For indoors , consider making your own bell chaplet to drapeon your mantleor banister .
Better Homes & Gardens
Credit:Annie Schlechter
6. Flocked Christmas Trees
We first write about flocked Christmas trees in the 1950s , and over the past five years , we ’ve seen their popularity skyrocket again . As we save in the December 2017 issue , “ Flocked is back ! Everything vintage is new again . ” And while these white Christmas trees certainly lend themselves well to the mod colors currently in way , the false - coke - covered outgrowth also immix seamlessly with thefarmhouse Christmas looksthat are everywhere these day .
White Christmas trees were ourtop Christmas ornament trend of 2023 , no matter how youdecorate your flocked fir .
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Credit:Jay Wilde
7. Ceramic Christmas Trees
If you grow up before the 2000s , you likely remember experience a porcelain or ceramic Christmas tree in your home , or mayhap you affiliate them with Grandma ’s annual vacation decor . The tabletop trees with built - in lights and a sensation on top were a Christmas interior decoration staple for decades , and now the delicate bod are back . The iconic tree diagram gained popularity in the seventies , and now , more than 40 years later , they ’re defecate a major rejoinder . Since there was a several - decennary - long lapse in the production of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , original creations can betray for century of dollars now . But plentitude of society have jumped on the trend and come out producing fresh interpretation of the ceramic figures for a fraction of the Leontyne Price .
Carson Downing
Becky Stayner
8. Pink Christmas Decor
Midcentury color outline are a major influence on the nontraditional Christmas decor trends present today . The bright people of colour that were first made popular in the fifties are back , and one shade in finical has taken over holiday decorating . Pink Christmas decorhas been on the rise for several years , but with the late popularity ofthe Barbiecore trend , you could expect to see much more of it this twelvemonth .
Kim Cornelison
9. Tinsel Trees
You might associate tinsel with the 1950s , but it actually date back much further . It was first used in Germany in the early 1600s when the silver material was draped over tree branches to catch the flitter lights of the real wax light used toadorn Christmas trees . Tinsel was originally made of real atomic number 47 , so using it in your Christmas decor was a sign of successfulness . The trend come back around in the ‘ 50s and ‘ sixty , but this time the sparkly material was made of much more affordable PVC plastic , which made the vogue more accessible . After a abbreviated revivification in the ' 80 , the tinsel trend is back again in full force . Whether you prefer for a full tinsel tree or just tote up silver strands to your live tree , use it to add extra glitter to your decor this year .
10. Mercury Glass Decor
Mercury glass ornament were first produced before we ever published a magazine . Also call silvered glass , this stylus of ornament dates as far back as the mid 1800s . Originally produced in Europe , the speckled glass look was popularized in the United States in the late 1880s and stay on into the 20th century .
While you ’ll likely only find true mercury glass ornaments in your grandparent ' ( or great - grandparent ' ) holiday loge , the look is consistently reanimate with advanced cloth . The shiny , vintage - style look is a popular choice for modern ornaments , but the material is n’t trammel to tree diagram decorations : Glass Christmas tree , standard candle votives , and other seasonal interior decoration elements are also popular selection for holiday decor .
11. Nontraditional Trees
The spirit of individualism in the 1970s led to many handmade , nontraditional trees , admit those featured on our December pages of that X . We showcased trees made from drawing string and hung from the ceiling as well as a macrame evergreen that could be displayed on the rampart to save infinite . Thesesmall - space Christmas tree ideasexperienced a major comeback in 2020 , not because of space concerns , but rather tolerate out of creative thinking . As many spent more time at home during the pandemic , people searched for fresh fashion to make their vacation interior decoration feel fresh and fun .
Marty Baldwin
12. Handmade Paper Ornaments
Over the preceding century , paper strand and tree ornaments have consistently been a popular interior decoration ingredient in the pages ofBetter Homes and Gardens . First featured in the wintertime of 1926 , theme chains were highlighted as afestive kid ' wiliness . Two decades after , we wrote about how paper Christmas ornaments were an approachable and low-priced option in the thick of World War II . Then again , in the sixties , we encouraged reader to repurpose paper doilies into fragile tree diagram trimmings .
of late , the renewed involvement in hand-crafted crafts and homemade decor has given new life to these vintage ornamentation that were in the beginning put up out of necessity . Our selection ofDIY Christmas ornamentswill add color and character to your tree and give you the opportunity to showcase your own personal style .
James Schroder
13. Decorating With Fruit
The pattern of decorating with fruit for Christmas date stamp back to the 1600s when Germans would hang up apples onevergreen treesto symbolize the hope of the come spring season . As Christmas custom changed over time , so did the fruit multitude chose to decorate with : In 1956,Better Homes and Gardensrecommended adding oranges and persimmons to vacation decorations . " An espaliered Christmas tree diagram constellate with oranges and glitter balls creates a striking effect in the Contemporary elbow room , " BHG publish in the 1956 December issue . " Apples , pears , or any fluent , clean - draw fruit may be substitute to fit another colour system . "
Now , this Christmas style is back and better than ever . From homemadedried orange garlandsto stunningfruit - filled centerpieces , yield interior decoration is set to be one of the season ’s large vacation trends .
14. Christmas Mobiles
Homemade holiday decor pieces like ornamentation , coronal , and wreaths , have been a consistent theme forBetter Homes and Gardensfor geezerhood . In 1953 , BHG advocate a more impulsive vacation craft — Christmas Mobile . " These moving , colorful decorations are new , absorbing to put together , [ and ] intriguing to view when they ’re hanging from your ceiling , a rampart bracket , or a swooning fixture , " we write in the 1953 December exit .
In 1953 , we recommend using poster dining table , wire , and draw to produce your own suspension display . For a novel take on this vintage Christmas trend , consider craft a variety ofpaper snowflakesand hang them from your ceiling with sportfishing tune to give the snowflakes a floating effect . Or , crosstie sportfishing parentage to ornamentation and string up them at various heights from your ceiling or pendant .
Credit:Getty Images
Credit:Kim Cornelison
Credit:Becky Stayner
Credit:Marty Baldwin
Credit:James Schroder
Credit:Carson Downing
