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50 Photos Of Christmas Home Decor In The 1950s And 1960s Show How Much Things Have Changed
Style is always changing - whether you are throwing away your last year's sweater because it is hideous now or finding the home decor horrendous. On the other hand, something from twenty or so years ago is now comfortably back in fashion. And while in some instances trends change faster than seasons do, other times a vintage style might stay forever. Though you might've never thought about it, even Christmas trees aren't impervious to the trends around us.
The Christmas tree surely becomes the center of attention during the festive season, but there are a lot more things that can illuminate the Christmas spirit for the joyous occasion. And this is true for both contemporary Christmas decoration ideas and the ones used in the past. And while you're probably somewhat familiar with the first, you most likely don't know as much about the vintage Christmas decorations. Compiled by Bored Panda, these unique vintage photos of Christmas home decorations from the 1950s-60s will definitely change that!
(h/t vintageeveriday)
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The idea of the Christmas gifts fitting on a small table seems way more sustainable than the mountains of gifts we see nowadays.
This was the tree we had growing up in the 60s. You could not put electric lights on them (you could get a powerful shock), but you had a lighted "color wheel" on the floor projecting colored light onto the silver branches.
And hanging it one or two freaking strings at a time!
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I love the old lead tinsel! I was lucky enough to find a couple of boxes last year and treat them gold because they were pricey and I doubt I'll get lucky enough to find any more.
So this is the proper use of tinsel! As a kid, I'd just strew it about all w***y-nilly on the tree.
I remember that carpet ... and the horrible plastic covered couches
Dammit, you beat me to it!! Curse you, Opa Hoppenstedt!
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Not bad. I quite like this one. They've made a nice effort with the presents
I hated tinsel. It stuck to everything! Also it must have been tasty for my dog because he ate a lot of it. You could have a look out into the backyard where he went to do his business and see it there, glimmering in the moonlight. It came out alright in the end I guess.
I hated tinsel. Used it once on a tree and that was enough. But It was fun to decorate a REAL tree because they all had flaws.
Our tree was so covered with crinkly tinsel, you couldn't see the tree...
I love the old aluminum tinsel. It made beautiful icicles on our trees
Ahh this brings me back. I may be an 80s kid but our tree always looked like this. Just missing the glass bubble lights that would burn your hand if you grabbed it. I'm still surprised those lights never burnt down the house.
Tinsel! The first year you finally were trusted with the task you took your time, hanging it perfectly. Second year? Just toss it up on there and let land where it wanted. I had one of those ‘recycling’ grandmas though. “Now Toni Christine you get them all off the tree and put em back in the boxes for next year”. 😬😬😬
I wish we could still buy that kind of foil tinsel...... With careful handling we'd reuse ours year after year.
I remember those lead tinsel. They hung so beautifully on the tree.
Looks like the man of the house received a naugahide recliner & 4 bar stools for the basement rec-room & the lady of the house received a floor scrubber/polisher/buffer!! 🙄🤣
Haha tinsel the absolute bane of any parent's existence especially when trying to vacuum it up....
Wow! I would have KILLED for that kitchen set when I was a kid. What can I say? I was always into cooking.
Christmas was so simple back then and people actually sent christmas cards too.
We had a white tree with color-coordinated ornaments like that. It was pretty, but not as much fun as a mixture of ornaments collected over the years.
My Grandma had those singing kids/angels in the red and green. She put them out every year for decades!
Many of our neighbors had those metal trees. I wasn't crazy about them.
Notice how most of these photos feature the television set, prominently displayed.
They used to sell thin cardboard sheets with a brick pattern printed on them as a fake fireplace.
I think this is really cool, because the Christmas decorations themselves aren't all that different. A bit, but not really. What's different is everything around them: the old-timey televisions, the curtains and lamps and tricycles, and especially the couches & clothing. Neat to see.
Christmas in the 60's: 1. Put tree next to the T.V. 2. LOAD it with tinsel 3. Color everywhere!
Yup! but the problem with the pictures of tinseled trees here is that you could still see the tree! Once my brothers and I were done there was so much tinsel the tree itself was nearly invisible!
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Most of them probably don't have cats, or is it just my cat that kept climbing the Christmas Tree?
My cousin's had a cat that didn't worry about the Christmas tree but loved the cat-sized crib (lined with straw). He used to knock baby Jesus out of the manger, scatter the Holy family and make himself comfy. If it fits, I sit.
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All of the aluminum trees, yet no one had the light projector shining on it. The red, green and yellow rotating plastic disc made the tree sparkle!
Does this mean that if my tree looks a lot like a few of these, I need to upgrade? 😬
Televisions were sturdy then. I have a TV from 1951, solid wood cabinet and 75lbs of electronics. The Christmas tree would bounce right off.
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Fifty years from now, people will find photos from this era just as amusing & fascinating. And we can only begin to guess what the world will be like then.
Alright BP--This is bull s**t!! Many of these photos were taken from Shorpy.com and you are giving no attribution to them for using. I think a few are even family photos. So much for being the website that makes sure we all know what's going on.
I am curious why none of the photos showed the snow in a can that we sprayed on our windows every year in the ‘70’s. That was such a big thing back then.
I am so glad that those "white silver/shiny" trees went out of fashion! So ugly! (not the snowy ones)
Not that old but when I was a kid in the 80s one of my grandmas decorations was this cool "snow" around the bottom of the tree. My dad was a machinist and they worked with plastics too. He brought gram some plastic shavings and it looked JUST LIKE SNOW under the tree. It was so damn cool for us kids.
These pictures look really nostalgic.... I don't know why but I somehow feel that Christmas before was much more exciting and heartfelt. You can see a lot of gifts under the trees. I mean it's not about the gifts but the feelings that come with it.... even the furniture here added to that "feeling"... so simple but meaningful... now, many people are more concerned on the size and the appearance of the Christmas tree and that's it.. well, I don't know what I'm feeling right now...lol
I loved this so much. My grandmother is 102 and this was still her style by the time I came around in the early 70's. I spent a lot of time with her when I was small and these all brought me right back.
The decor has changed but the emphasis on crass commercialism remains the same.
I think this is really cool, because the Christmas decorations themselves aren't all that different. A bit, but not really. What's different is everything around them: the old-timey televisions, the curtains and lamps and tricycles, and especially the couches & clothing. Neat to see.
Christmas in the 60's: 1. Put tree next to the T.V. 2. LOAD it with tinsel 3. Color everywhere!
Yup! but the problem with the pictures of tinseled trees here is that you could still see the tree! Once my brothers and I were done there was so much tinsel the tree itself was nearly invisible!
Load More Replies... Most of them probably don't have cats, or is it just my cat that kept climbing the Christmas Tree?
My cousin's had a cat that didn't worry about the Christmas tree but loved the cat-sized crib (lined with straw). He used to knock baby Jesus out of the manger, scatter the Holy family and make himself comfy. If it fits, I sit.
Load More Replies... All of the aluminum trees, yet no one had the light projector shining on it. The red, green and yellow rotating plastic disc made the tree sparkle!
Does this mean that if my tree looks a lot like a few of these, I need to upgrade? 😬
Televisions were sturdy then. I have a TV from 1951, solid wood cabinet and 75lbs of electronics. The Christmas tree would bounce right off.
Load More Replies... Fifty years from now, people will find photos from this era just as amusing & fascinating. And we can only begin to guess what the world will be like then.
Alright BP--This is bull s**t!! Many of these photos were taken from Shorpy.com and you are giving no attribution to them for using. I think a few are even family photos. So much for being the website that makes sure we all know what's going on.
I am curious why none of the photos showed the snow in a can that we sprayed on our windows every year in the ‘70’s. That was such a big thing back then.
I am so glad that those "white silver/shiny" trees went out of fashion! So ugly! (not the snowy ones)
Not that old but when I was a kid in the 80s one of my grandmas decorations was this cool "snow" around the bottom of the tree. My dad was a machinist and they worked with plastics too. He brought gram some plastic shavings and it looked JUST LIKE SNOW under the tree. It was so damn cool for us kids.
These pictures look really nostalgic.... I don't know why but I somehow feel that Christmas before was much more exciting and heartfelt. You can see a lot of gifts under the trees. I mean it's not about the gifts but the feelings that come with it.... even the furniture here added to that "feeling"... so simple but meaningful... now, many people are more concerned on the size and the appearance of the Christmas tree and that's it.. well, I don't know what I'm feeling right now...lol
I loved this so much. My grandmother is 102 and this was still her style by the time I came around in the early 70's. I spent a lot of time with her when I was small and these all brought me right back.
The decor has changed but the emphasis on crass commercialism remains the same.
