Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Decor Vintage Christmas Decorations From Mama's House That Deserve A Comeback By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on October 17, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. West Elm No matter how many new holiday decorations grace the aisles of HomeGoods each year, we're always just wishing for an old-fashioned Christmas. Some things, like Nana's homemade quilted tree skirt, can't be replaced. Luckily, the cheer doesn't stop there, though. There is plenty more nostalgic holiday decorations that can—and should—be brought back faster than you can say "jingle bells." From ceramic countertop trees to vintage holiday villages, these Christmas decorations bring us right back to Mama's house. Norman Rockwell himself would get misty-eyed. Read on for the vintage Christmas décor items that we'll never let go out of style. Plus, where to find them if you need to stock up. Putz-Style Christmas Villages Get The Look Pottery Barn One of our favorite vintage items, Putz villages are just the eclectic Christmas touch that deserves a spot on the mantle. Originally, the villages were humble, made with either cardboard or thin wood. Once glitter got involved, these things really soared. Ceramic Light-Up Trees Get The Look Amazon/BrylaneHome These ceramic trees are coming back with a cheery vengeance. Perfectly sized for a tabletop, these light-up trees give a festive touch to any room. Shiny Brite Ornaments Get The Look West Elm These vintage Christmas ornaments are made of brightly colored glass, and they were right at home on the Christmas tree alongside bubble lights and glass icicles. You can still find these in many shops alongside more modern ornaments. Snowbabies Get The Look Etsy Few people know that these snow-white porcelain figurines were originally intended to be reusable Christmas cake toppers, originating in the late 1800s in Germany. Snowbabies depicted traditional Christmas scenes or activities and were covered in crushed porcelain to look like fallen snowflakes. Bottle Brush Trees Get The Look West Elm Let's be honest. We never really stopped loving these adorably mini trees that come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They make quite the addition to any Christmas village display. Bubble Lights Get The Look Target Back in the day, kids couldn't get enough of these bubbling lights that adorned the Christmas tree. Believe it or not, the space age-esque bulbs were patented in the 1930s. Mainly popular from the 1940s through the 1970s, bubble lights eventually took a backseat to miniature "fairy" lights. Knee-Hugger Elves Get The Look Etsy Before kids were begging for a similar, but modernized, Elf on the Shelf, these little knee-huggers were sitting quite cozily on mantles everywhere. Traditional Christmas Pyramids Get The Look Etsy Rooted in German tradition, a Christmas pyramid is made up of an outer frame lined with candle holders, a central carousel section, and a rotor at the top. When the candles are lit, the warm air propels the rotor around and starts the carousel, which typically features traditional nativity scenes. Aluminum Trees Get The Look J. Shimon and J. Lindemann In the 1950s, aluminum trees became the first non-green faux Christmas trees that found a place in many holiday homes, and it was very popular to illuminate them using a rotating color wheel. Though it may resemble a festive tinsel tree you can now find everywhere, a real aluminum tree is actually quite rare to find. Egg Ornaments Get The Look Walmart To no surprise, people wished to replicate the stunning Fabergé eggs created in Russia back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The colorful ornaments were customarily made of light paper-mache and decorated with pretty designs. Byers Caroling Dolls Get The Look Etsy Beginning in the 1960s, designer Joyce Byers hand-crafted these caroling dolls first for her mantle, then as gifts for friends and family—until they became a national phenomenon for every shopper during the holiday season. Just looking at those bellowing faces makes us want to sing "Silent Night." Flocked Christmas Trees Get The Look Courtesy @alancreason In the South, the only way you'd typically get a white Christmas was by spraying down your Christmas tree with a delightful mix of adhesive and cellulose fibers. Popular at the same time as aluminum trees, one could get the not-so-natural snowy look by using Sno-Flok home kits. Today, it's much easier to just purchase a lookalike. Gurley Candles Get The Look Etsy These were always too cute to actually light up on a dark winter's night. Seeing Santa's hat or Rudolph's antler ablaze might have scarred our young selves anyway. Holly Jolly Rock Santa Get The Look Ebay Singing along to Alan Jackson's rendition of "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas," this vintage Santa blew up in the 90s, especially in the South. Be careful: The tune can get stuck in your head. Christmas Nesting Dolls Get The Look Amazon The cheery Christmas version of Russian nesting dolls works simultaneously as a home decoration and fun toy for the kids. Tree Icicles Get The Look Etsy/RedstarOnlineGifts These classic tree accessories will never melt away. Akin to the flocked tree trend, glass icicle ornaments helped create a winter wonderland, right in your home. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit