Vintage Christmas ideas to turn up the charm this holiday season

To vintage or not to vintage

If you’re on the fence about leaning into the old-fashioned aesthetic, here are a few reasons to try it this year.

1. It’s a guaranteed way to feel like a kid on Christmas. The traditional icons and colours most popular in vintage holiday décor always feel super nostalgic. I’m all for a pink Christmas or swapping snowy decorations for beachy holiday vibes, but nothing screams “you just woke up in footie pyjamas with your two front teeth missing” more than a vintage look.
2. You can have fun exploring and getting inspiration from the past. For my friends who love a little research, consider stopping by the library for old books featuring holiday design trends or head to a local magazine shop to find vintage print mags with holiday spreads.
3. It’s the perfect reason to connect with older loved ones. My grandparents still have Christmas ornaments and figurines from decades ago that were passed down to them from their parents or other family/friends. Consider calling your own parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., to see if they have any cool vintage pieces they’re ready to pass down. Or ask them what kinds of holiday icons and decor they remember seeing when they were kids in toy catalogues, department stores or their own homes and let that serve as your shopping inspiration.

With these tips, you’ll feel like you just stepped into a magical Christmas snow globe. What a dreeeam!

Choose a traditional icon to spotlight. Think:

• Bows, bows and more bows!
• Holiday plaid.
• Snowmen. On ornaments, on drinking glasses…there’s just something nostalgic about them.
• The kind you cut out of paper!
• Old-fashioned Santas. Go old World like our Father Christmas, or old school like the mid-century Santa.
• Cutesy reindeer. It doesn’t get more adorable than our adorable, tiny ornament.

Go thrifting or antique store shopping and see what goodies you can find. Some great examples:

• Silver or carved wood serving platters or candlesticks.
• Jadeite or milk glass pieces for that pastel vibe.
• Tablecloths in plaid or vintage poinsettia patterns, or doilies.
• Ornate picture frames to put your fave holiday cards in.
• Christmas decorations like wreaths, Christmas lights, bottle brush trees, porcelain figurines, nativity sets, tree skirts and toppers, ornaments and Christmas stockings.
• General décor items like ribbon and green glass jars.

Add fun pieces in every room. There are no rules to holiday decorating. Why not make every inch of the house full of festive fun?

• To add a little holiday cheer to the kitchen, all you need is a tea towel covered in vintage Christmas icons and our salt-and-pepper shaker set featuring Santa and a sweet reindeer.
• These extravagant, interactive “The Night Before Christmas” figurines are showstoppers, so put them on display where guests (and you) can ooh and aah.
• Add a little Christmas magic to the bedroom with the Hallmark toile comforter set.
• While you’re at it, put the countdown reindeer nutcracker on your nightstand to add a little anticipation to the days leading up to Christmas!
• Kids will love this vintage-inspired table figurine featuring Santa and a few furry and feathery friends dancing around the tree to a merry tune.
• A soft, fleece blanket covered in cute, vintage-inspired illustrations of Santa and his friends will make Christmas movie marathons extra cozy.
• If needed after a feast, guests can get a little help from the skiing Santa toothpick holder.

Use antique picture frames to add to the look. Make black-and-white prints of the pics you want to use to plus-up the vintage look.

Incorporate timeless pieces. Part of the fun in adopting the vintage look is knowing you can pass your favourite items on to someone else. Whether it’s a cherished Keepsake Ornament or sweet treasure like the Hallmark Toymaker Santa nutcracker figurine, there’s something special about saving things for loved ones to hold close one day.

• Before you grab your cards, put a little love into the envelopes with these gorgeous ideas! You can also decorate your envelopes with pretty things like bows, buttons and ribbons.
• Set the mood. Write your card by candlelight with the fanciest pen you own. Turn on some Christmas instrumental music. If it’s not snowing, play a background video featuring a fireplace and snowstorm scene. During the holidays, there’s no such thing as being “too much”!
• Pick your perfect cards. We have so many vintage-inspired Christmas cards to choose from, with every colour and design you can imagine!

If you’re part of a classic fandom...

…we’ve probably got gifts you’ll love! Find favourites from:

• Peanuts
• Disney
• Star Wars
• And more!

• Every Christmas party needs a good playlist, so get your guests in on the fun! Have everyone send you one (or a few) of their favourite childhood carols. A Santa’s Flight Christmas snow globe can get the tunes going, too.
• Serve vintage beverages. Flip through vintage cookbooks in the library—or better yet, at Nana’s house!—and find some old-school punch or warm cocktail recipes. Then serve them in mugs with a vintage vibe, like a Santa mug. Serving drinks in Hallmark Santa mugs in red, mint green, pink and white would be pretty, too.
• Not serving hot beverages? Cool! These drinking glasses are covered in vintage Christmas characters and are perfect for punch, soda, or any other iced beverage.
• Make it a Christmas costume party. Encourage guests to dress up as their favourite holiday characters (bonus points if they make it more creative than Santa).
• Have a black-and-white photo shoot. Don’t forget a few fun props, like Santa hats and elf ears!
• Host a throwback Christmas movie watch party. If you need recs to get started, some of my favourites include:
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
  • Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
  • The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
  • Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
• Try some classic holiday recipes. If it’s not too cold to stop by the library, check out a cookbook or two featuring older holiday treats. They’d look great on these Hallmark vintage-inspired serving plates!
• Swap vintage pieces! If your guests are open to it, you can trade figurines, ornaments and other trinkets to add to your collections

• Decide on a colour scheme. Are you staying neutral with white and beige, or making it more colourful with reds and greens? Gold plaid or a range of pastels? You have options!
• Add a garland. They add an easy pop of colour and make your tree look infinitely more interesting.
• Have fun with your tree base. We don’t talk enough about how this can transform your overall Christmas tree look. My grandmother has had a tiny holiday train for years that’s designed to wrap around your tree base. It’s such a unique way to elevate your tree!
• Incorporate old photos. My grandmother also has several photo ornaments filled with childhood pictures of family members. Some are black and white, others are really grainy and a little tattered, but they all have the same sentimental value.
• Check out some vintage-themed ornaments, and get excited to start or carry on the tradition of passing them on to someone you love.