Old-Fashioned Christmas Decor Ideas For A Vintage Inspired Holiday Home

Today I am sharing what holiday decor I look for when I shop antique, thrift, and secondhand!

Hey friends, I recently went antique shopping with my husband and it’s just the best to go in December! I actually did some antique shopping with my mom and sisters a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say there is nothing I love more than antique shopping at Christmas time. I don’t know why. I don’t know if it’s the window displays or the storefronts all decorated with greens. However, it definitely inspired me to share some old fashioned Christmas decor ideas with you today!

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As I was antique shopping, I decided to take some footage for you guys and show you some of the things that I like to look for in order to create an old-fashioned feeling and sort of an old-world Christmas feel. You can follow along in the video below!

1. Old Fashioned Christmas Decor Ideas: Look for Vintage Winter Gear

The very first thing that I like to look for is something that you can find not just at antique shops (even though I see a lot of these items in antique stores) but also in thrift shops: vintage sleds, vintage skis, things like old antique snow shovels and ice skates. Using all of these items in your Christmas décor will instantly give it an old-fashioned feel and touch of nostalgia.

Recently I purchased an old antique sled that’s pretty beat up, but I loved the coloring of it. It’s just brown with black, so it fits in really well. I have it sitting in my entryway along with some ice skates. I also have an antique snow shovel that my husband purchased for me a couple years ago. And recently our friends out in Wisconsin blessed us with some antique snow skis! They look so cool on our porch.

While I was antique shopping, I saw so many neat old sleds, and they look so pretty with greenery or a wreath hanging on them. Snowshoes are another one if you can find them. They tend to be very expensive in antique stores, but I love leaning them up against my fireplace at Christmas time.

Another tip: don’t be afraid to negotiate the price on vintage decor! My sister found a pair of snowshoes in an antique mall that were damaged and I was able to haggle the price down for her. Never hurts to ask! The worst they can say is no haha

2. Old Fashioned Christmas Decor Ideas: Collect Old Bells

The next thing that I like to look for whenever I’m shopping at thrift shops, or antique stores especially, is old bells. Any kind of bell. They can be cowbells; they can be sleigh bells. I love using old vintage bells in my Christmas decor. Whenever I come across one in a store, it instantly goes in my cart haha

I tuck them into wreaths. Sometimes I just have them sitting on a tabletop. I love hanging sleigh bells on a door handle or inside of a wreath. They also look pretty hanging on a Christmas tree! So keep an eye out for vintage bells at Christmas time.

3. Incorporate Real Greenery (or Lifelike Faux)

If you’re really wanting to give your home that old-fashioned Christmas feel, I would really try to incorporate real greenery somehow. I have access to a bunch of fresh cedar, but not everyone has access to that. So of course, you can look for more lifelike faux greens.

Here’s a tip if you don’t have easy access to fresh greenery: I found some beautiful bundles of dried eucalyptus at Hobby Lobby! I knew it would look so pretty tucked into all of my faux greenery. It was absolutely stunning, and 40% off! Collect lifelike faux greens over time (one or two garlands per year) and your collection will grow without breaking the bank.

4. Old Fashioned Christmas Decor Ideas: Use Stocking Stretcher

Some other things that I would try to incorporate into your decor if you’re looking for that old-world feel at Christmas: I absolutely love using stocking stretchers. They look so pretty at Christmas time with some ribbon or greenery attached to them. I always see them at antique shops for a reasonable price.

5. Display Vintage Christmas Prints

Another thing would be Christmas prints! All of mine were my grandmother’s, and I have really been so lucky to have gotten those from her. But keep an eye out at thrift shops, estate sales and antique stores. You could even check some Etsy shops. Simply switch out the artwork you have hanging throughout your home with something more Christmas inspired.

6. Decorate with Vintage Cookie Cutters and Molds

Another thing that I inherited from my grandma was all of her vintage Christmas cookie cutters and molds. I love using those for decor at Christmas time. I have her little Santa molds on the shelves in my dining room, and I love putting cookie cutters out in my kitchen. I see these at antique stores and thrift shops all the time.

7. Old Fashioned Christmas Decor Ideas: Use Bottle Brush Trees and Cardboard Houses

There are some vintage items that you can also purchase new and no one will really know the difference haha Bottle brush mini trees and cardboard houses are items you can buy new, but they have a retro, 50s feel to them.

I love sprinkling bottle brush trees throughout my decor. They give an old-fashioned feel. The cardboard houses also look very vintage, and I love the look of them tucked into the tree.

8. Hunt for Vintage Ornaments

Most of the vintage Christmas ornaments on my tree are thrifted. Antique stores often have beautiful ornaments that are unique and full of character. They can cost more, but they add such an old-fashioned, charming look.

Thrift stores, though, are the best place to build a collection of retro ornaments inexpensively.

9. Old Fashioned Christmas Decor Ideas: Consider Vintage Santas

I recently found some Santas while antique shopping. They are so cool and primitive, and I love old Santas at Christmas time. My sister Jessica collects them and they look amazing in her home.

I even thrifted some little needlepoint Santas for 50 cents each, and they’re going to look so cute on the boys’ Christmas trees.

10. Add Natural Elements to Your Decor

Another thing that I really like to incorporate into my Christmas decor to give it an old-fashioned feel is using natural elements. I dried orange slices and used them in my bedroom.

You could also use:

• cranberry garlands
• popcorn garlands
• pine cones
• fruit ornaments

I recently thrifted some glass pears for 50% off and they look so beautiful in my tree.

11. Old Fashioned Christmas Decor Ideas: Use Ribbon Everywhere

The very last thing that I wanted to share with you is ribbon. Incorporate ribbon throughout your decor to give it that old-fashioned feel. I put ribbon on everything: woven throughout my tree, on garlands, wreaths, artwork, sconces, and little bows on trees.

Ribbon is so affordable, especially at craft stores or thrifted. You can even score some beautiful, affordable ribbon on Amazon with free shipping!

Well, I hope these ideas inspired you today. If I forgot something or if you thought of an idea while reading this post, will you please leave it in the comments below so that we can all be inspired from each other? I love hearing from you guys and the things that you have done in your home to give it that old-fashioned Christmas feeling.

I love doing handmade crafts at Christmas time, and I have a video coming up soon with some handmade Christmas decor that I think can also really add to that old-fashioned feel, so be on the lookout for that!

Thank you so much for reading today, and don’t forget to sign up for my free mini homemaking course below for more holiday home decor and thrifting tips!

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