Using vintage in Christmas decor

I'm featuring items from Etsy sellers in this posting. There are some really beautiful vintage items offered on Etsy and I love making treasuries which showcase them. It also allows me to pair items and colors that are definitely out-of-the-box for me.

This treasury showcases items that are primarily purple, red and white.

'Purple and red for Christmas' by TouchingThePast

Vintage Doilies Lot of 5 - V... AVintageSerend... $10.00	Stunning Lot of Antique Amet... OldJunkAmbitio... $36.00	Vintage Christmas Ornaments ... lakeuka $32.00	antique lace trim lot 15 des... fabriquefantas... $28.00
Lot of 5 Vintage Salvaged O... SavageAttic $7.50	Antique and Vintage Large an... AnAntiqueAffai... $18.99	Vintage Millinery Fruit Made... 32NorthSupplie... $5.95	48 Vintage Red Colored Mercu... beforehefindso... $6.00
Perky Purple Poppies - Embro... aquamarinedrea... $25.00	Milk Glass Wedding Centerpie... LadyMonette $44.50	Vintage Christmas Mercury Be... pumpkintruck $15.00	100 Vintage Cards - 1930s-50... ManyHappyRetur... $19.95
8 Crocheted Christmas Orname... aesthetikara $15.00	plum candy dish/bowl ThinkOldThinkN... $15.00	Pair of Vintage Needlepoint ... KKPWantiques $250.00	Hand Blown Purple Salad and ... MyAtticFinds $21.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Here is how I would use these items.

For my Christmas tree, I would use the doilies, chandelier prisms, skeleton keys and red umbrellas as ornaments. I would string the buttons together to use as a garland. I would also use the lace trim as garland on the tree. I would make a tree topper out of the purple fruit and red mercury picks. Then, I would put the tablecloth under the tree as a skirt.

For my mantel, I would start with the milk glass vases. I would put red candles in different shapes and sizes in some of the vases and also directly on the mantel. I would use the red mercury glass garland to string the Christmas cards across the mantel. Above the mantel, I would hang the seven purple saucers in a Christmas tree formation.

 

I love using pillows in my holiday decor, so I would put the two needlepoint pillows on my couch or chairs. I would fill the purple bowl with the crocheted red ornaments and sit it on a table.

This is just a beginning. I know there are lots more purple, red and white items I can find on Etsy that I would also be able to incorporate in my holiday decor.

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Simple Christmas mantel

This year, I decided not to put up my Christmas tree.  But, that didn't mean I was canceling Christmas altogether.  I wanted to decorate my mantel but keep it simple.

I have a collection of Koestel wax angels in a variety of sizes and colors and usually use the smaller ones as ornaments on my tree.  Since I wasn't putting up a tree, I thought I would use them all on my mantel.

The Koestel angels were first created by Ami Koestel in Germany in the 1930s for her friends and family.  Eventually, the angels were produced by the Koestel company.  My angels are all vintage and most have Western Germany stickers still on them.

I replaced the picture above my mantel with an antique mirror I had hanging in the hall.  I hung a star from the top and draped vintage red and gold mercury bead garlands around the sides.  After arranging the angels, I added vintage gold ornaments in between.  I have individual tea lights set among the angels to light up the display at night.  Then, I bought "snow" and dropped it on the angels and ornaments.

Even though the display is simple, I love it - mainly because of the beauty of the Koestel angels.

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