Vintage Christmas Tree Inspiration

Christmas trees are such a fun tradition during the holidays. Much of the tree decorations used in the past can be found or even made. Let's start with the 1940's. There were two types of popular Christmas decor for trees which was strung up popcorn garlands and tinsel. The first tinsel was actually made of silver which was very expensive and would easily tarnish. The tinsel made in the 1940s was made from lead, which was shiny and didn't tarnish. Keep in mind that Christmas trees were otherwise decorated simply  especially during war years. 

By the 1950's, the post-war American economy was flourishing and it was reflected throughout all the aspects of everyday life including the holidays. The Christmas trees that were purchased were bigger and wider. Tinsel and garlands were still widely used but they were more colorful and kitschy. The the creation of the artificial and aluminum trees came about in the late 1950's. Many families decided to pass on the real trees and invested in the artificial ones instead. 

Most of the decor used on trees from the 1940's and 1950's were used on Christmas trees in the 1960's. The colors did get bolder and brighter which gave those who were decorating more of an opportunity to showcase their personal taste and style. One aspect of decorated that came about in the 1960's was something called flocking. Flocking Christmas trees is when a white, powdery mixture was applied to the tree branches to make it look like it was covered in natural snow. 

The 1970's brought more of everything to the mix but people started to create themes with the Christmas tree decor. They would style their tree with homemade crocheted ornaments, create them out of paper, or just literally throw everything they had onto the tree. 

I don't remember our trees in the 1970's because I only spent four years in that decade but I do remember the trees my parents and my grandma used to decorate. They all bought real trees and used ornaments that were passed down. My grandma used her ornaments from the 1960's and flocked her tree every year. My parents used Fluorescent Christmas lights on their trees that became super popular in the 1970's. They added ornaments with a little more character like a Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer whose nose really lite up. They also used a silver chirping ball that was connected at the end of the tree that made these annoying bird sounds that used to drive me nuts but now I miss it so much because it reminds me of Christmas with my parents and brother.