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Nostalgic Retro Christmas Home Decor
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items Depending on how old you are, these retro Christmas decorations might make you feel nostalgic for your childhood! I'm in my mid-40's, and this list of 'vintage' Christmas home decor are things I remember seeing in my parent's and grandparent's house during the holidays. I have collected some of these things throughout the years, and I bring them out to use with my family at Christmas. Call me a softie, but the traditions I had as a child are important to me, and I love to carry some of this old school Christmas aesthetic into the celebrations with my new family. It's all about love, spending cozy time together and eating! I want to surround myself with my family and the things that make me feel good :) All these suggestions are linked new products, but I love the idea of getting these as hand-me-downs or finding them in the thrift shops. New decor that looks retro or vintage is quite stylish at the moment, and is usually fairly expensive. You can find true vintage Christmas items by searching on Etsy or eBay as well.
Do you remember the old blow mold Christmas decorations your parents and grandparents had? The candles on the front porch were my favorite, and I thrifted a pair many years ago for the front of my house. I love the yellow tinge of the glow, and they make me really feel the warm and cozy spirit of the season. If you can't find these in a garage/yard sale or second-hand shop, Wayfair has a whole bunch of new blow mold decorations to browse!
Blow Mold Candles for the Front Porch
Everyone's grandma had a Christmas village set up somewhere in the house right? You know, resting on the cotton batting that looks like snow… that hid all the cords? In my family it was my aunt, and I remember moving around the little people and houses every time I went to her house around the holidays. It's always best to thrift these kind of decorations, but I found this set-up on Wayfair if you want to grab a starter set of cool village components for your next holiday tradition!
Cute Christmas Village
This pillow reminds me of the weird little Christmas crafts I made as a kid. I love the pinecone with a Santa hat and googly eyes, it is so kitschy! Your guests would get a chuckle over this cute little pillow!
Kitschy Christmas Craft Pillow
Did your mom quilt? My mom did, and everything that could be quilted…. was. Including the Christmas tree skirt. This poinsettia pattern, the color palette and the pattern on the individual fabrics totally remind me of Christmas 40 years ago. There are so many talented artists on Etsy who make beautifully quilted items! The lady who makes this particular skirt lives in Ottawa, Illinois.
Quilted Poinsettia Tree Skirt
I'm not religious, but my parents were, and I really liked the Nativity Scene that they set out at Christmas. Ours had a little manger, and my mom saved some hay to lay under the figurines. I like this particular set from Wayfair because of the camels. I remember ours had camels :) There are so many different sets to choose from!
Nativity Scene
I love a good train set that choo-choos around the Christmas Tree! Even better when they make sounds and this particular one has a headlight at the front! A train set screams old-school family Christmas to me!
Train Set For The Christmas Tree
The artwork on these ornaments tug at my heartstrings! The simplicity, childlike joy and wonder are oozing from these adorable Christmas tree decorations.
Vintage Style Drawings Christmas Tree Ornaments
My mom loved Nutcrackers, and I was always a little suspicious of them when I was little. I didn't really understand what they were supposed to be, as no one actually used them to open nuts. They just kinda stood there guarding something. Now I have a pair as part of my Christmas home decor, and I love them! These remind me of Christmas 100%
Christmas Nutcracker
Remember how the sparkles would fall off these ornaments? I would have sparkles all over my fingers and the floor as we decorated. I still have a few from my childhood and I double wrap them when I pack them away because they were so fragile! These particular ones are new, so I'm sure they make them more du...
Glass Ball Ornaments for the Tree
We didn't have much money when I was young, but I don't remember feeling like I was missing out. At Christmas, we would string popcorn to decorate the tree! I don't know if many other people did this, but more popcorn ended up in my mouth (and the floor) than on the string. And it was really fun!
Strings of Popcorn for the Tree
I love vintage Christmas nesting dolls. I played with our nesting dolls all the time at Christmas! This links to a shop on Etsy (in Orange County, California) where these are made and painted by hand. Or you can search on Etsy for ‘Vintage Christmas Nesting Dolls’ on Etsy to find some cool older vintage ones.
Matryoshka Wooden Nested Dolls
I have an advent calendar wall hanging that my mom quilted with a little stuffed bear that moves to a different room of the ‘dollhouse’ every day looking for Christmas. This one reminds me of that, and it looks really fun for the kids to get a new ornament every day to decorate the tree. So cute! And it isn't full of chocolate and candy. We get enough of that during the holidays right?
Fabric Advent Wall Hanging
I love vintage style wrapping paper, especially when it comes in a complementing set. The color palette of this particular set is so rich and old-fashioned, I love it! This isn't exactly ‘home decor,’ but I think these gifts would look awesome under the tree, so wrap them early and leave them there to add warmth to your living room!
Vintage Style Wrapping Paper
How kitschy is a Christmas snow globe? And the screaming when little Johnny picks it up to shake it and everyone else thinks he'll drop and break it? A couple snow globes have a starring role in my collection of Christmas decorations. I like the ones with round glass because they look more vintage to me. There are so many cool newer ones to find on Etsy, Amazon and in the stores.
Snow Globe
My grandpa had a walnut tree in the backyard and there were usually walnuts with nutcrackers on the living room table. At Christmas, family and friends would use the old-fashioned nutcrackers to try and open them, sending the nuts and pieces of shell flying all over the room! It was messy, but a fun memory from Christmas visits at Grandpa's house. I think a lot of grandparents put out nuts over the holidays.
Bowl of Walnuts with a Nut Cracker
Remember as a kid folding up a square of white paper and making cuts to see what kind of snowflake would appear? I LOVED this little craft, and it's something I did with my son when he was little too. You can string together your creations to make fun decor for the holidays. Or if you want to just buy the paper cutouts or some window clings instead, there are loads on Etsy!
Snowflake Cutout Paper Decorations
Nothing says ‘cozy Christmas’ like relaxing on the sofa under a soft throw blanket with a hot chocolate and a corny Christmas movie on the TV! Bonus points if it is snowing outside! I love the rich color palette of this blanket and the old-school pat...
Vintage Christmas Patchwork Quilt Family Name Throw Blanket
Who didn't build a gingerbread house at Christmas when they were a kid? Put one (or two) together a little early and set it out as a decoration during the holidays! By Christmas, most of the goodies will eventually go ‘missing’ and the house will look like it experienced an earthquake. At least that's how they always looked when I was little. This is a great family activity and awesome tradition that the generations can continue.
Gingerbread House kit
In Lieu of a traditional Christmas wreath on the front door, you can opt for mixed media piece of art. I would call this ‘door decor,’ and it is a fun way to decorate for Christmas retro style! This snowman really takes me back to my childhood :)
Cute 'Wreath'