Vintage Christmas Trees
I once dreamt of a beautiful white Christmas. It was set on a labyrinthine landscape with ice crystal walls and light falling clouds with perfectly formed snowflakes succeeding them after they dropped, surrounding a gigantic white tree with their soft and fluffy presence.
I have seen trees all covered by snow which made them assume a delicate white appearance but this particular tree from my dream is different. It was magical with stems and branches coated with a glistening white substance and the leaves sparkled like thousands of fireflies. I was just standing there gaping at it like a stunned entity with my eyes glowing. I suppose this image may not be the most original subject for a dream in the entire world but it was very vivid and upon waking up I imagined our natural green Christmas tree in the living room to be a replication of that white one I saw in my slumber.
My Christmas Wish
I am wishing for a white Christmas this year and I know a lot of people may share this wish, after all, a well-known song has been written about it but I find that whimsical image from my dream so very inspiring that I will have to find a perfect vintage Christmas tree. Specifically, the artificial kind with an aluminum frame and silver foil leaves so I can make my fantasy Christmas a reality.
Vintage Christmas Trees for Sale
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US $104.49
| Vintage Christmas |
Vintage Aluminum Christmas Trees
The earliest designs of artificial Christmas trees were mimicked from natural ones and made in the same green color as the fresh cut pine trees that were originally used for Christmas decorations, but the emergence of aluminum Christmas trees during the late 1950s was the first indication of the shift of perspectives from the traditional designs to the more innovative and technology-oriented designs.
These aluminum Christmas trees became popular and widely used during the 70s and they were well-loved because of their fascinating silver color, quite a far-out idea that made lovely white Christmases possible especially for indoor decorations. The rare ones have quirky pink and yellow colors that are too adorable and too youthful for a Victorian Christmas theme. They would be out of place in that kind of formal setting, but in a flashy retro Christmas theme, they would be much at home and they would stand out from all the fancy decorations in a very interesting and attractive way.
Aluminum Christmas trees were made with an aluminum base and main branch. The silver stems and spindle-like leaves were made from aluminum foil. They were not lit by common Christmas lights that are coiled around the perimeter of the tree as is often used today. Instead they were lighted in quite a unique way by using a rotating color wheel situated beside the tree and pointed directly at it from the floor. It seemed like a very practical and almost primitive way of going about it but the results were dramatic since the multi-colored nature of the color wheel provided a very attractive effect to the aluminum Christmas tree, especially with the colorful ornaments that adorned it.
Decorating Your Aluminum Christmas Tree
Decorating a vintage aluminum tree with a purely silver color is quite exciting. It is a versatile focal design subject that can act as the background element or the emphasis that would be highlighted by simple and subtle Christmas ornament designs.
- Picking out a unique theme for the design of the Christmas tree is the first step to take in order to have a consistent look. You can stick with one color or combine two to three colors that will complement the silver color of the tree. They don’t have to be in red and green colors in order to symbolize Christmas. White and silver ornaments can be the perfect decorations for a pristine and sparklingly white Christmas tree. I just found the most exquisite white ornaments online recently. They are handmade beaded bell ornaments with glossy diamond details which would look stunning on an aluminum foil background. I’d rather be consistent with my white Christmas theme, but if you choose to add more elegance to the aluminum tree, then gold crocheted hanging balls with a satiny texture as well as golden cherubs, bells and figural Santa ornaments would complement the classy and regal theme of your lovely vintage Christmas tree.
- Bringing vibrant colors to the theme of a silver Christmas tree is very much welcome. A single dominant color like red can be a striking element for a white tree. You are free to choose from an abundant assortment of red ornaments to adorn your tree. Large shiny apples, beautifully textured strawberries, candy canes, red bells and baubles and even poinsettia leaves with silver ribbons will brighten your plain silver Christmas tree. However, if you want to create more pizzazz for your tree, two complementary tones such as red and green, blue and orange, and violet and yellow will definitely work for you, especially if lit with the rotating color wheel that will generate a chaotic lighting frenzy, bringing spice and excitement to your Christmas tree and to the room where it is placed.
- If you are wondering what to do with your rare purple aluminum Christmas tree, playing safe and subtle can be the right direction to take. The obvious colors to use for the ornaments and décors would be either just silver or just gold. It is just a matter of emphasizing the purple color dominant in the tree with a few silver or gold accents. If however, you are one who loves an adventure and a unique effect, then experimenting with color combinations such as black and silver, pink and yellow, or dark violet and blue are great choices. They will result into very funky and edgy styles for the Christmas tree. Basically, decorating your tree with colors is similar to choosing a wedding motif, you go with what you love then try out new combinations for it.
- How about designing your vintage Christmas tree with a specific image in mind. For example, angels, Santa or Disney themes. You can have Disney princesses such as Cinderella, Snow White, Princess Aurora and Princess Jasmine and the lovely Belle to dance and dangle around your beautiful silver Christmas tree. Fairylike figural angel ornaments with exquisite golden musical instruments are absolutely adorable. Different designs of angels such as paper mache, porcelain, plastic and beaded ornaments will look cohesive as long as they are of one color and preferably complementary sizes. You can complete this angel theme with a vintage golden angel tree topper to wrap up the immaculately elegant look of your Christmas tree.
Category: Vintage Christmas
Would you believe that I still have the Christmas tree I grew up with in the 1950s? It’s true! My friends seem to get a real kick out of its vintage look. It has taken some effort, but it is still holding up quite well. We have handled it with great care since I was very young. Times were tight when we bought that tree, and I think we all learned a bit about caring for the few precious things that we owned. Today we could easily afford a new tree, but I’ll hang on to this one for as long as I’m able. Thank you for your lovely post about vintage Christmas trees dear. It truly made my day.