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Tips on Collecting and Using Vintage Christmas Ornaments

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Christmas is a great time to surround yourself with bohemian style. Mixing vintage Christmas ornaments into your favorite Holiday decor is a great way to get a beautiful, eclectic look that will wow you and your guests.

Vintage Christmas Ornaments

I love collecting and using vintage Christmas ornaments in our Holiday décor. Vintage ornaments remind me of decorating our Christmas tree as a kid. We always decorated our tree on Christmas Eve and then left it up through the New Year until Little Christmas. Every ornament had a memory and story attached. It was fun to share our favorites.

Here are some tips on how I go about collecting and using Vintage Christmas ornaments in our décor.

To get a boho Christmas décor look, remember it’s all about being eclectic and colorful. I like to mix vintage ornaments and modern ornaments with ornaments I’ve made. I also mix bright, cheerful ornaments with natural elements.

Review What You Have

Start by looking in your own collection of Holiday décor. Do you have any ornaments you absolutely love and can present in a new way? Do you have any vintage Christmas ornaments in your collection? Also, consider asking older relatives and neighbors if they have any vintage ornaments they are ready to part with. Often, people love to downsize their holiday stuff.

Blown glass vintage Christmas ornament
One of my absolute favorite inherited vintage Christmas ornaments. I love the vibrant color and delicate blown glass.

Collect Year Round

If you want to collect vintage Christmas ornaments, you can often find great stuff year round. You just need to know where to look.

Church and Non-profit rummage sales are my favorite places to find affordable Christmas décor. Garage Sale season is another off-Holiday time to find neat, affordable Holiday decorations. People are often willing to bargain because they just want to get rid of the stuff.

Next, keep your eyes open for Estate Sales. Depending on who is running the estate sale, items can be affordable or pricey. If pricey, decide if you want the items anyway or take your chances that the decorations will be there later. More expensive estate sales often have a half-price time in the afternoon or on the second day. Be sure to ask when their discount sale will take place.

Thrift shops are another place I frequent. You never know what you will find, so I enjoy the random hunt of the shopping experience. Some thrift shops put out holiday décor year round, while others just display it during prime Holiday shopping season. Check with your favorite thrift stores to find out their schedules. At the thrift shop I volunteer at, we have a “Christmas Corner” in one section of our shop. However, we also have a slew of Holiday-related donations we hold onto to display closer to December. At our shop, you can also let our staff know what you are looking for. We will keep our eyes out and contact you if we get something in that you might enjoy.

Thrift Shopping for Vintage Christmas ornaments
Thrift Shops are great places to find affordable vintage Christmas ornaments. Check back often, as the shops get tons of stuff in all Holiday season.

Thrift shops often get so much Holiday décor that they price it very affordably. They just want to keep the décor moving to make room for more. I have seen all sorts of great vintage ornaments, wreaths, garlands, you name it, come through our shop and the other thrift stores I frequent.

Finally, check out flea markets and antique shops. Sometimes vintage Christmas décor can be really marked up in price at such places. I’ve seen individual glass-blown Christmas bulbs from the 1950s marked as high as $8 a piece. Meanwhile, we may sell a whole box of similar ornaments for $2 at our thrift shop. Be ready to bargain if you see something you really want. Or if you see something really special, maybe it is worth the asking price.

Tin Christmas ornament from Mexico
Mexican tin Christmas ornament my mother-in-law collected during her travels.

Pick a Theme

Picking a theme for your Holiday décor or Christmas tree may help you figure out what to collect and how to utilize the vintage ornaments you do collect. For instance, for our Bohemian Christmas tree, I recently designed, I was inspired by two things. First, we inherited a set of beautiful hammered and hand-colored tin ornaments from Mexico. My mother-in-law purchased the ornaments in her travels, so they carry special energy for me. We also inherited three hand cut wood snowflake ornaments originally from Germany. I think they were circa 1940s or 1950s. I always admired the ornaments on my in-law’s Christmas tree.

German wood cut Vintage Christmas ornament
One of three vintage wood cut Christmas ornaments from Germany that we inherited.

From these ornaments, I knew I wanted to decorate the tree in bright, mostly primary colors. From there I dug out select ornaments from those that we inherited plus some ornaments in our own collection. I then made Christmas garlands and other boho ornaments to add to the tree. And this year, I’ve been keeping my eyes out while combing garage sales, rummage sales and thrift shops for additional ornaments that will enhance the boho décor look.

Keep An Open Mind

See something cool, but don’t know what you’ll do with it? That’s part of the fun of being eclectic and having boho style. Decide how drawn you are to the items and buy those that really call to you. You can always figure out what to do with the items later. Plus, if you didn’t pay much, you can always let go of the decorations later if you never find a use for them.

Holiday bird decor
Holiday bird fountain I found at a thrift shop for $4. We now also have a whole collection of winter birds we display on our bookshelves.

For instance, I grew up in the country where we were always surrounded by a multitude of songbirds. At our thrift shop, a winter, bird-themed fountain came in. When cleaned up (we dusted it off and then applied some spray glitter to it to freshen up the snow part of it), it was rather charming. I stared at it all season each time I came into work. When it was marked down to $4, I could no longer resist. That fountain became the base to a collection. Now we have a series of winter songbird collectibles that sit on our bookcase for the Holidays. (We also have a summer collection for the rest of the year).

So always be on the lookout for items you can build a collection around.

Vintage yule log and Pfaltzgraff Snow Bear collection
We combined a vintage yule log, gold greenery, and our Pfaltzgraff Snow Bear pottery collection on our antique buffet. In the background, you can see part of our miniature crystal vase collection that sits out year round.

Keep a Holiday Craft Stash

I always keep a stash of Holiday craft supplies and vintage components that I can visit if I am feeling crafty. Holiday craft supplies can often be found in garage sales. Look for unique components to make boho ornaments out of, such as beads, vintage cookie cutters, napkin rings, ribbon, fabric scraps and such. I also often purchase items 75-90% off around the New Year when the craft stores desperately want you to drag Holiday stuff out of their store at any price. That way I have supplies ready to go if I get random inspiration during the year.

Look Online for Inspiration

Going online to your favorite bohemian blogs and Pinterest are great ways to get ideas on how to use your vintage decorations to build a boho Christmas tree. There are wonderful DIY tutorials on how to make felt ornaments, mini dreamcatchers, yarn God’s eyes and more. You will also find great examples for upcycled ornaments from items like old cookie cutters, vintage lace and mini tart pans.

Tart tin DIY Christmas Ornaments
Keep a stash of Holiday craft supplies on hand to craft your own Christmas ornaments.

Add Some World Culture

Bohemian style is all about embracing world crafts and cultures. So finish your tree off with a couple of special ornaments from around the world. Cost Plus World Market is one of my favorite places to look for really unique ornaments. Amazon and Novica also sell a lot of Fair Trade ornaments and décor. World artisans are paid fair living wages to produce their unique crafts, so your money goes to a good cause.

Think Beyond the Tree

Some vintage Christmas ornaments are very fragile. Older glass ornaments tend to lose paint or shine over time. Others are too frail to put on the tree. Consider displaying these ornaments in a glass bowl or in a crystal ice bucket as a Holiday centerpiece.. You can also gently set ornaments into greenery to make a table or buffet centerpiece.

One of my absolute favorite vintage pieces is a 1960s Nativity scene. I found the nativity set in the attic at an estate sale for only $10! Each year, I love unwrapping the figurines and setting them up. It sparks wonderful memories. Our current nativity set is one size smaller than the set we had in our childhood. Our church also had a really large version of the same nativity. When my parents were first married, they collected a few figures each year, as they could afford them.

Collecting Vintage Christmas Ornaments_Nativity
I found this beautiful vintage Nativity set in an estate sale for only $10. Its one of the most cherished items I own because it reminds me of my childhood.

The nativity scene was one of the first items we were allowed to decorate the house with each year, as well as putting up our advent calendars and Santa cutouts on the windows and kitchen cabinets. This was followed by excessive amounts of cookie baking and being allowed to stay up to watch the classic Christmas cartoons like Rudolph. It’s funny how all the memories come floating back as I carefully put the nativity together.

Boho Christmas Tree with vintage ornaments

Collecting Vintage Christmas ornaments is fun. You will love your Holiday boho decor when you mix your vintage finds with the right amount of greenery, regular ornaments, and handmade ornaments.

Happy boho decorating!

Up next in our Bohemian Christmas series, check out how to Make Easy DIY Christmas Garlands with Felt and Wood Beads.

Vintage Christmas Ornaments

Cool Ideas for DIY Bohemian Christmas Decorations

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I decided it’s time to do something new with our Christmas tree. I like to change up the theme every few years. This time around, I’ve crafted various bohemian Christmas decorations and mixed them with vintage ornaments for a truly beautiful and festive effect.

Bohemian Christmas Ornaments DIY

To me, bohemian style extends into one of two directions- 1. Decorating in earthy, natural, found objects, or 2. Mixing colorful multicultural items into your own look. And if you are like me, I like to mix natural pieces with the multicultural for a truly unique look.

This series of blog posts gives you a tour of our boho Christmas tree. We went for the colorful, multicultural look. Each post will give ideas and directions on how you can create a similar bohemian Christmas look in your home.

Tart tin DIY Christmas Ornaments

Most of these bohemian Christmas decorations are fun and easy to make. If you feel like being social while you craft, invite some friends over to make the bohemian Christmas decorations with you. I recently participated in two crafting nights with friends. We had a ton of fun painting holiday canvases together. Then we made the alcohol ink painted glass ornaments to give as gifts. I love crafting with friends because we often gain creative ideas off of each other. Each of us has our own approach and style to creating.

Boho Christmas_DIY Christmas Garlands

So happy Holiday boho crafting! We hope these boho Christmas decor ideas inspire you:

*Tips on Collecting and Using Vintage Christmas Ornaments

*Easy DIY Christmas Garlands with Felt and Wood Beads

*Mixed Media Tart Tin Ornaments

*Felt Mandala Ornaments

*Bohemian Feather Ornaments

Velvet Throw Blanket Love! Add Super Soft Plush Blankets to Cozy Up Your Boho Décor

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Plush_Throw_Blanket_DIY_Joann_Sew_Lush

It’s Velvet throw blanket time of year! With winter weather fast approaching, it’s time to cozy up and stay warm.

Velvet throw blankets are one of my absolute favorite items. Throws add comfort and a cozy feel to any living space. We’ve been busy redecorating our living room in shades of gray, adding in select bohemian décor to make the room pop. Shopping around, I haven’t found the perfect throw blankets yet- the kind that says, “Take me home!,” so I decided to make some on my own.

Jo-Ann Fabrics is having some amazing sales lately on all of their Fall/Winter plush fabrics. I immediately fell in love with Jo-Ann’s Sew Lush line of fabrics. Sew Lush is by far their softest line of velvet plush fabrics and it comes in over 40 colors and prints. Sew Lush solids are around $12.99 a yard and prints are around $14.99, though they are often on sale or you can use a coupon to reduce the cost of your purchase.

For my velvet throw blanket project, I chose the Navy Geometrics pattern. I like the boho design of this fabric. The fabric comes in a 57 inch width, so I purchased 2 yards for each blanket. To start, I trimmed about one-half inch off the raw selvage edge. I used regular white Coats & Clark thread, but definitely suggest putting a medium weight ballpoint needle in your machine. Ballpoints are best used when stitching knit or other stretchy, performance fabrics.

DIY_velvet_throw_blankets_Sew_Lush_from_JoAnn

I began by sewing the long lengths of the blankets first. You can pin ahead if you like, but I found it just as easy to create a rolled hem as I sewed. I turned under about one-quarter inch of the fabric edge, then turned the hem a second time to hide the raw edge. I used a medium width large zigzag stitch that easily caught the raw edge underneath. I noticed that my commercially made plush throws only rolled the hem under once, but I decided I liked the cleaner look of the double rolled hem and hope that it will prevent the blankets from letting off excess lint.

As with any new fabric, remember to wash your blankets after you craft them to get rid of any unhealthy chemical finishes that are on the fabric. (You can also wash them before.) Washing should also help cut down on the lint coming off the plush.

Boho_Throw_Blanket_How-to

And like any project in our house, I had help. This is Squee, our newest rescue cat. Squee is our household’s quality control expert and confirmed the Sew Lush fabric was indeed super velvety soft and cozy. He was parked on the fabric before I even started sewing. I have a feeling that we are going to be arguing over whose blankets these are in the coming days!

Happy Boho Crafting!


The Locker Hooking Experiment- Boho Fiber Crafting Fun

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Hello boho crafty friends! Question for you…Have you ever heard of Locker Hooking? (Insert funny, off-base comments from my husband here!)

I was a child of the 80s, so every kid I knew who was remotely crafty had to go through a creative rite of passage: Receiving latch hook kits for Birthdays and Holidays. And making goofy pillows in middle school Home Economics class. (My pillow was an apple with a worm coming out of it and my sister’s pillow was a turtle. I think we both also completed horse latch hook kits).

Locker Hooking Black & Gray Grid Pillow

I have to be in the mood to work on hand stitching projects because, at times, I still find them a little tedious. I also really have to pay attention if I am knitting so I don’t drop stitches and have to take out numerous rows. So I recently found a fun craft that is in between- not quite as slow as latch hooking but easy to fix in a hurry, unlike most knitting screw-ups.
Introducing Locker Hooking!

About Locker Hooking

Locker Hooking is a continuous rug hooking technique that uses latch hook rug canvas and fibers such as yarn, string, and narrow fabric strips. A locker hooking tool has both a crochet end and a needle end. You simply use the crochet hook end of the tool to pull your yarn or fabric up through the latch hook canvas holes. Then use the needle end to thread a simple black cotton yarn through the loops to “lock” the loops in place. Click here to get step-by-step locker hooking instructions.

According to Theresa Pulido, author of the books, Hook, Loop & Lock, and Locking Loops, locker hooking originated in England in the early 1900s where wool yarn was used to create rugs. Some Americans took up locker hooking in the 1940s, but it never became a widespread craft. More recently, artisans have begun experimenting with fiber techniques and with the help of Lisa’s books and projects, locker hooking is becoming more popular worldwide.

My Locker Hooking Projects

So far, I have completed 3 locker hooking projects so far and I LOVE the art!

1. I started by making a square pillow using dyed sari fabric yarn from India. The yarn is so colorful and I love the texture the fabric makes when it is looped through the latch hook canvas.

Locker Hooked Pillow_Front

2. For my second project, I experimented with multiple colors of bamboo yarn and designed a tribal pattern. The loops of bamboo yarn are super soft (like kittens), but slippery to work with. Because the yarn is super soft, the pattern also came out a bit less structured, but the design is still eye-catching.

Locker Hooked Pillow_Tribal boho design

3. For my third project, I decided to run with a serious pattern. On Pinterest, I noticed people posting cool designs that were created on Grid-Paint.com. I selected one of the patterns pinned on Pinterest, then went onto Grid-Paint.com and doubled the design to make the end result big enough to be a pillow or wall hanging. I then chose black and gray chunky cotton yarn to complete the locker hooking. I love the result! The chunky yarn held the pattern well and this piece adds wow factor to our living room.

Locker Hooking Black & Gray Grid Pillow

To learn more about locker hooking, check out my instructions here. I also suggest you get your hands on Theresa Pulido’s books to give you further locker hooking project ideas. She also sells some great colorful locker hooking kits and supplies on Amazon and her site, ColorCrazy.com. I am also happy to see her cat participating in her instructional videos.

Happy Boho Crafting!


Locker Hooking- How to Craft Great Bohemian Style for your Home

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Locker hooking is quickly becoming my new favorite pass time, especially if I am sitting in front of the tv (with our Cat, Huffy) and I feel like I should be accomplishing something. Locker hooking is a rug hooking technique that originated in Great Britain and is recently going through a major resurgence. The craft is quick and easy to do. Locker hooking is a fun way to give your home fantastic bohemian style.

Directions to make Locker Hooking Pillow

Here are the directions to get started locker hooking:

Supplies:
Locker hook
rug hooking canvas (the kind also used for latch hooking)
Pencil or marking pen
Yarn, sari fabric strips, ribbon or other fibers
Black cotton yarn
Large eye tapestry needle
Coordinating fabric (to back finished project)
Fiberfill (if making into a pillow)
Needle & thread

Locker Hooking Supplies

Preparing Your Canvas

Start by preparing your latch hook canvas. Decide the final dimensions you would like your project to be. I suggest making a square pillow for your first project. My pillow canvas is 13 x13. So this gives me 51 latch hook canvas holes to work with in each direction.

Next, add on 3 canvas holes to each side of your project. I like to mark these with a pen or pencil so I know where to cut my canvas. I also like to mark the actual boundaries I will be stitching within. If you are stitching a particular design, you will also want to mark the center of the whole project and other select places, such as where your design starts or where you plan to change colors. The markings will all be hidden once you locker hook over that area.

Once you cut your canvas, fold over the extra 3 canvas holes to the back on each side of your project. This will provide reinforcement for your completed project and extra strength if you are attaching a backing to your locker hooking.

Estimating How Much Yarn You Need

There’s nothing worse than starting a project and then realizing you are short on yarn. Yikes! I’ve been there! Take a look at the back of the yarn wrapper. You’ll find a key that will tell you what size needles to use if you are knitting or crocheting and how large the item will knit up on the recommended needle size. And most importantly look at the number of yards in your skein of yarn. All of this data helps you estimate how much yarn you will need to complete your project.

locker hooking using fabric yarn

With locker hooking, it depends on how big you make your loops how much yarn you will use. I make my loops around ¼ inches tall for fabric loops and 1/3 inches for yarn loops. By the inch, I think it’s pretty comparable to the knitting and crochet estimates on the label. To truly check, try locker hooking a few inches with your yarn, then pull out the loops and measure how much you used. From there, figure out how much yarn you would use to locker hook a row and then multiply that number by the number of rows to get the yardage you need for your completed project.

Or, if that’s too much math for you, (as it is for me! Math hurts my brain!), just buy extra yarn. You can always return it to the store or use it in another project. For this pillow, I needed 2 skeins of sari fabric yarn that was sold in 75 yards per skein. (I ended up using 1 ½ skeins).

Starting to Locker Hook

Now we are ready to get started locker hooking!

Thread the needle eye of your locker hook with black cotton yarn. Place your locker hooking yarn under your canvas.

Pick a place to start locker hooking. Some people like to start in the middle of their project and work a swirl pattern outward. My pillow consists of simple rows, all in the same sari fabric yarn. The edges are the most difficult to get through since they are doubled over, so you may want to start in a single canvas area until you get the hang of the stitching.

From the top, push the crochet end of the locker hook down through the hole in the latch hook canvas, and catch the fabric yarn in the crochet hook (you don’t have to do a full loop, just catch it), then pull the fabric up through the hole to make a loop on the front of your canvas. Bring the fabric loop up about ¼ inches. Go to the next hole and repeat.

Locker Hooking Creating the Loops

How to Locker Hook- catching yarn underneath

How to Locker Hook_Make loop

Once you get six or eight loops, you will then pull your locker hook across the top of the canvas through all of the loops, locking the loops in place with your black cotton yarn. Leave a tail of 2 to 3 inches on your yarn, enough to weave in later. Then continue locker hooking more loops and locking them in place.

Locker Hooking How-to_Lock the Loops

When you are working the edges of your project, make sure to bring your loops through both layers of the doubled over canvas. It can be a bit difficult if your folded canvas doesn’t line up perfectly (mine never does), so just carefully finagle your locker hook and your yarn through as best you can. If you tug too hard, you may break the canvas.

Finishing the Edges

Once you get done locker hooking, you will notice the canvas showing on the edges of your project. You will also have yarn ends sticking out all over the place. No worries, we’ll get to those in a moment.

To cover the edges, take your sari yarn and overstitch all the way around your project. On the corners, overstitch twice, once on each side of the corner. This overstitching will give you a nice finished edge and looks really nice if you are making coasters, trivets, placemats, or rugs.

Tying Up Loose Ends

Now it’s time to deal with all your fabric yarn and black cotton yarn ends that, if you are like me, are probably driving you crazy.

Start with your black cotton yarn tails that are sitting on the top side of your project. Thread your large eye tapestry needle with an end piece and then slide the tail into several locker hooked loops (not the same loops the thread is coming out of as that will unlock some of your stitches). Then just clip close any excess yarn.

How to Locker Hook: Weave in yarn tails

How to Locker Hook_Weave and clip yarn tails

Once you have all the black cotton yarn tails woven in, turn your project over to deal with the cotton sari yarn ends. Thread the fabric yarn tail onto your tapestry needle and carefully push the needle and fabric through one of the canvas holes to the front of your project. Then weave the end into the locker hooked loops and clip, just as you just did for the black cotton yarn tails. This process will give the back of your project a clean look and is especially nice if the back of your project is going to stand alone. Cleaning up the back of the project is less important if you are going to be adding a backing such as rug canvas or when making a pillow. However, finishing all ends will further lock in your loops on the front and keep them from slipping when your project is in use.

How to Locker Hook_Weaving in Yarn Tails

Displaying Your Completed Project

The back of your completed locker hooking project usually looks as cool as the front, so for some projects such as coasters, table runners and placemats you will probably want to leave the back as is. For rugs, you may want to add rug canvas or non-slip strips to the back. If you’d like to hang your locker hooked project on the wall, it may look nice hung from a branch or driftwood.

Here’s an example of what the completed back looks like on my project:
Back of Locker Hooking Project

If you want to make a pillow out of your project, cut out fabric that is 1 inch larger than the completed locker hooked area. Folder under the fabric 1/2 inch and then 1/2 inch again and press so that the right side of the fabric is facing out. Then carefully stitch the fabric onto the back of the locker hooked area. Leave enough room open to stuff the pillow with fiberfill, then continue to stitch shut.

Locker Hooked Pillow_Front

And that’s it! Locker hooking is an endlessly fun, easy and creative way to use yarn and other fibers in your boho crafting. What a great way to add happy pieces to your bohemian style! For more project ideas check out Theresa Pulido’s books on modern locker hooking and follow her on Pinterest. Plus check back here for my next projects.

Happy boho crafting!