In most things, I’m a pretty low-key gal and it generally takes a lot to rile me. All that to say, my approach to Christmas decorating mirrors this low-key approach. I don’t buy a lot of new Christmas decorations like some do, you’ll NEVER find a giant, inflatable Santa Claus snow globe in my yard, and even though I have younger kids, I always use glass ornaments. Yes, we have casualties, a lot of them, in fact. However, I’m nothing if not diehard! Last year, I opted to decorate the Christmas tree solely with vintage ornaments, relying primarily on pinks, oranges, and aquamarines in the loose color scheme.
As you may recall, old books sparked my love affair with vintage items. Though I loved the books themselves and the textures, smells, and generic history associated with the them, the discovery of lines scrawled in various books solidified my love for books and by extension, old things. Because I love paper items, old and new, last year I also added vintage Christmas postcards to the scheme. At a local antique story I found a wide selection of vintage Christmas postcards, purchased quite the stack, and made ornaments and garlands from them.
A Christmas Story, of sorts
The other night, as I sat enjoying an espresso, the ambiance of a Christmas tree, and the quiet of evening I noticed this postcard. As you’ll note, there’s nothing particularly interesting about the image. Three little kids in front of a Christmas mantel, ostensibly waiting for Santa to come down the chimney.
For some reason, though, I turned the postcard over and managed to make out the date and text in the scrawl below:
December 10th, 1919 // Foley, MN
Dear Uncle Theodore,
I will write a line or two but I cant write much on a card but will try to write something on it. I hope you have a happy Christmas. Goodby. Wilber Bolduc
Theodore Bolduc // Co. C 30th Infantry 2nd Brigade // American Forces in Germany
Just so you know, the grammar errors are original to the original! The slight errors and the childish text–filling space by writing that you’re going to write a line or two–make me chuckle and suspect that the author was on the younger side, writing to his uncle, who I ‘m guessing was stationed in Germany during WWI. That’s all I can posit, but these voices from the past make me pause as I celebrate Christmas with Thad and my two kids. And in a way, the postcard represents past Christmases, this present Christmas, and future Christmases. I love old items, not just because they often exhibit superior craftsmanship, but for the stories they tell, as so poignantly done here.
How To Make a Vintage Christmas Postcard Ornament or Garland:
(FYI:I feel slightly ridiculous even writing a “tutorial” on this)
- Select paper item(s) you love. For me: vintage Christmas postcards.
- With a small hole punch, punch two holes in the top of the card (centered, in my case)
- String ribbon or another type of string in the holes and tie a knot at the top. Slide the knot down to the backside of the postcard.
If you opt to do a garland, you’ll (obviously!) need to do some measuring–I prefer the “eye it up” method which leaves my dear Thad, a carpenter by trade, shaking his blonde locks. What can I say? It works for me!
- Measure, using a method that works for you, the space you want to span. Remember that longer is better; in carpenter speak, “Measure twice, cut once.”More length equals more room for mistakes.
- Select the paper items that you want to use and using a hole punch, punch two holes in the top. I centered my holes, eyeing it up, of course.
- Develop a spacing and layout that you like and slide the cards onto the ribbon or string, adjusting the layout if needed.
- Hang, adjust as needed, and cut off any unnecessary ribbon or string.
Merry Christmas, to each of you, from the Queen and her loyal subjects!
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