You don’t have to buy all new decorations to have a beautifully decorated home at Christmas. Scour yard sales, barn sales and antique stores year round to find vintage decor to use at for the holidays.
I love the nostalgia of Christmas, and that shows in all the vintage decor I use when I’m decking the halls.
Recently, my son told me he likes how I make things look “old fashioned” at Christmas.
That’s one of the highest compliments he could have paid me.
Tour Our Home Decorated for Christmas
To see how we have decorated our home for Christmas through the years, visit these posts:
- 2018 Christmas Home Tour
- 2017 Christmas Home Tour
- 2016 Christmas Home Tour
- 2015 Christmas Home Tour
- 2014 Christmas Home Tour
- 2013 Christmas Home Tour
As much as I enjoy browsing stores, magazines, catalogs and even blogs looking at all the gorgeous, brand-new designer Christmas displays, I can’t resist old, previously loved, timeless vintage decor pieces.
I’m joining the third annual Home for the Holidays blog tour sponsored by Sondra Lyn at Home! today. Since I’m still putting the finishing touches on my home tour, I’m sharing some a few sneak peeks and my favorite vintage Christmas looks.
The Home for the Holidays tour features some of the most awesome decor, craft and recipe ideas you’ll find anywhere with 30 blogs sharing over the week. Be sure you come back here every day to get the links for that day’s featured blogs! Here’s a run-down of the topics and featured blogs:
Monday – Holiday Mantels
Country Design Style | Duke Manor Farm | Domestically Speaking
Organize and Decorate Everything | Sondra Lyn at Home | Two Purple Couches
Tuesday – Holiday Recipes
An Alli Event | Not Just Paper and Paint | Nourish and Nestle
StoneGable | Sweet Pea | What Meegan Makes
Wednesday – Holiday Crafts
An Extraordinary Day | Lovely Etc | Lilacs and Longhorns
Lydi Out Loud | Salvage Sister and Mister | Weekend Craft
Thursday – Holiday Decor
Atta Girl Says | Chatfield Court | Create & Babble
Designers Sweet Spot | The Heathered Nest | Worthing Court
Friday – Holiday Tablescapes
Celebrating Everyday Life |Cottage at the Crossroads | Cottage in the Oaks
The Everyday Home | Postcards from the Ridge | 2 Bees in a Pod
Now let’s get back to my vintage decor for Christmas.
I shop yard sales, barn sales, thrift stores, antique shops and my mama’s house looking for vintage items I can use to decorate at Christmas and throughout the year. (I have even been known to grab things left as trash on the side of the road.)
This wooden stove board, decorated with a homemade swag made from Dollar Tree items, was a freebie from a friend.
A lot of these vintage finds show up on my Christmas porches.
Sometimes, the things I find are definitely Christmasy or wintry, like this vintage sports gear.
Or my collection of Shiny Brite ornaments.
I just love a tree all decorated in vintage glass ornaments.
But more often than not, the vintage decor pieces I use at Christmas are just everyday items, like a pile of old books, a plaid Scotch tape tin and a green seltzer bottle.
The colors, and the addition of things like greenery or bottlebrush trees, make them seasonally appropriate.
A milk glass bowl is perfect for setting a holiday scene.
I love old trucks and cars. Add some trees and snowballs, and you’re set. And the quilt? My mom bought it decades ago at a yard sale for 75 cents!
I love filling old vases and bowls at Christmas with florals, ornaments and greenery.
A silver ice bucket makes a nice planter for a poinsettia.
And this old tennis trophy bowl looks really festive filled with greenery, antlers and sleigh bells.
Thrifted blue-and-white chinoiserie vases and pottery are so pretty when paired with evergreens and seasonal ribbons.
Olive buckets are great for snowballs, pinecones or greenery.
Red enamelware vessels are great for holiday propping, for Christmas and the Fourth of July!
Vintage toys help set a festive scene.
Roller skates and ice skates are pretty when adorned with holiday patterns and ribbon.
I go mad for anything plaid, whether it’s a rug, a vintage train case or a Thermos.
If you need a pop of red, think outside of box! This vintage fire alarm box is definitely seasonally appropriate.
And let’s not forget about a little green…
This chippy crock sits on my kitchen island year round, but at Christmas, I’ll add a mini tree and ornaments to it.
A green Allsorts bin looks pretty styled with a tree inside.
An old wooden toolbox, painted a fabulous green, is the perfect Christmas coffee table.
A green demijohn filled with sparkling lights and a green glass decanter definitely give off Christmas vibes.
This vintage dough bowl that was part of my Christmas mantel decor didn’t have to go back into the attic on Dec. 26.
Sometimes, it’s all in how you style things.
This old silver tray isn’t Christmasy, but it sure looks that way with the addition of a boxwood wreath, jingle bell ribbon and other accessories.
Old books, especially green and red ones, make pretty Christmas displays.
A brass deer takes on a festive air in December.
Santa’s naughty and nice list is an old piano roll.
And did you see the Christmas wreath I made from vintage rhinestone jewelry?
These stockings are made from old burlap bags.
A message of joy turns a vintage child’s chalkboard into Christmas decor.
Vintage kitchen utensils and linens in a wire basket are a fun holiday touch on the kitchen table.
Fill thrifted teacups and Christmas mugs with bottlebrush trees and old ornaments to create a pretty vignette.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas for using vintage decor at Christmastime.
How do you plan to use vintage items in your holiday decorating? Do you collect vintage Christmas ornaments or other antique holiday decorations?
Pin This! How to Use Vintage Decor at Christmas
Now, be sure to visit the other bloggers on the Christmas tour. Start with today’s category, Home Decor, then come back and visit all the other participants.
Home for the Holidays 2016
Holiday Mantels
Holiday Recipes
Holiday Crafts
Holiday Decor
Holiday Tablescapes
Hi Amy, I’m thinking we’re somehow related! Not only am I in NC (Wilmington), but I share a fondness for vintage ornaments and decorations, especially at Christmas! In fact, I just took a picture this morning of one of my ornaments that look so similar to the one you have towards the beginning of the post.
All your decorations are just so lovely! Thanks for sharing.
Hugs, Lynn
You never know, Lynn! And I have family in Wilmington, too! My aunt and uncle, Buddy and Belinda Joyner live there, along with their adult sons, Greg and Jarrad. It would be such a small world if you knew them!
Amy, you have blown me away!!! I love everything! Can I come over for Christmas?:) You have shown us how to take everyday items and make them Christmas. Pinning and sharing.
Oh my goodness! Those Shiny Brites!!!! SO GREAT!
I couldn’t agree more. LOVE! Our goodwill’s are full of antique ornaments! I have to be careful not to hoard!
Everything is just beautiful! I love the milk glass bowl with the village scene, so charming! I also think I need to make some burlap bags into stockings, I have a few laying around that I don’t know what to do with. Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE everything about this!! Your shiny bright ornaments boxes sure take me back – these are some great vignettes! Thanks for being on the HFTH tour, Amy!!
I am a fellow vintage lover and I so much enjoyed seeing how you incorporated your vintage things into this year’s Christmas decor. It all looks so nice and I know you will enjoy it all of December. I also peeped at your porch when I took a break at school the other day and loved what you did out there. I’ll bet that your neighbors enjoy walking in front of your house to see the decor on the porch as it changes with the season.
I love your vintage Christmas collection!
What a wonderful collection you have! I love how you’ve displayed non-Christmas’y items in a Christmas’y way! Don’t be surprised if a few things just happen to go missing. Just sayin….
Love, love, love! Your “old-fashioned” Christmas decor is beautiful!
These are so pretty! I love how you’ve used and displaced all your special and vintage Christmas decor.
Your Christmas Decor is so beautiful and brings back such comforting and wonderful memories!
Amy, you created so many charming vignettes with your vintage decor for Christmas I really can’t choose a favorite. Though I am smitten with the milk glass bowl because I inherited my grandmother’s and have always LOVED it. Your idea of filling it with trees is perfect!
I love many of you finds!! Love that scotch tape too! Beautiful decor. Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Pinned & Sharing on FB! Have a great week!
Kim
Amy – I love, love, love all of your vintage goodies. I’m a vintage collector myself and have many of the same things. I love how you’ve used them all. Have a merry Christmas! ~ Angie
Your home is beautiful! I love all of your vintage and retro pieces. It looks like the perfect Christmas!
Love your Shiny Brite ornaments. Makes me want to stop at some thrift stores! Visiting from Craft Frenzy Friday party.
Love all of your charming vintage Christmas decor. Thank you for sharing at the Snickerdoodle Create~Bake~Make link party! I am featuring your post this weekend at Snickerdoodle..
Loooove the red enamel bowl and of course everything else! Thanks for sharing your beautiful home with us at Funtastic Friday!
Hey Amy, Happy holidays I love all your vintage and pretty touches to your Christmas decor. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party! Pinned & shared.