As a child of the 60’s (yes, I’m getting old, don’t remind me), one of our fondest memories was going to pick out our Christmas tree from the Christmas tree lot, bringing it home, stringing the lights, and getting out the collection of ornaments my mom had so lovingly put together for our family. Those pretty and colorful glass ornaments that many of us grew up with.
Do you remember them too?
Back then, there were no designer trees. No special colors and trendy trees. Most everyone did those big fat colored lights and all the ornaments were colorful too. We never had just red and green on our trees. It was an explosion of fun colors. That’s what I remember the most. Those ornaments were so pretty and magical to my little bitty self and I can remember sitting under the tree, with the lights all lit up, looking at the ornaments and dreaming of Christmas. Don’t forget those shiny silver icicles too. That was the finishing touch on those trees of childhood. 
My mom still puts up a little fake tree and was still using these ornaments up until last year. We were over in Marietta over the weekend spending some time with my family for Christmas. I had mentioned to her last year that I’d love to have them one day, so she got them out this year and gave them to me.   The oldest box was from a store called Christo’s and the price tag was 59 cents. Oh my, can you imagine? They just don’t make them like this anymore. Well, maybe they do, but for a huge price, perhaps? 
She said she was afraid to keep hanging them on the tree, cause she had dropped a few and broke them in the last few years and if they fell, they were history. These fragile things are paper thin blown glass and about 50 years old, so what do you expect?
So, now they are mine to take care of and treasure. And that, I will do. I will probably pass them onto my niece, Lauren, at some point. She will treasure them too. There were over 2 boxes intact and they sure do make me smile when I look at them.
I love the colors and shapes. Remember the indented ones, with their inside of shimmery gleaming shine? 
The colors are just remarkable and so, so pretty. 
All shapes and colors. 
I remember them so well. 
These pinks are so hot and colorful, aren’t they? 
So many pretties to look at. 
For these pics,I piled them in a white iron bird feeder, but they don’t all fit inside here. I’ll have to find just the right spot to display them, while protecting them too. 
Here are a few of my faves. This pretty bell, with its stripes and shiny silver. 
Another one shaped so prettily and the colors are so soft and subtle. 
This silver with teal and hot pink is one that I really remember, along with the frosted snow on top. 
I’m so glad that they have survived and now I get to enjoy them too.
At least for this year, I carefully placed them in one of my crystal bowls on a side table in the living room.
How about you?
Do you have vintage ornaments from your childhood or have you collected some for yourself?
I’ve been on the lookout for some of these and have never found any that were a decent price. And I hardly ever see any just like this with all the colors and shapes.
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This post made me smile. I have a lot of the same ornaments hanging on our tree, a gift from my grandmother when she passed away. Every time I walk by the tree and see them I think of her.
Hi Rhoda-
I enjoy seeing the nostaglic aspect to Christmas and these ornaments surely have it. They have a lot of impact when grouped together like you did in the glass bowl. They look so yummy and pretty. I have a few boxes with the 59 cent price tags too. Mine are from Grants. Seeing those tags brings back a ton of memories as they have been out of buisness for a long time. A few have broken, and they are a bit shabby, but I love the patina and the mix of pastel colors. My dad always put up Twinkle Lights on the tree. Each mini colored bulb screwed in to the sockets and twinkled, not blinked. It was magical. My sister got those and just found some on Ebay that she is going to give to me. I can’t wait to add the string to my tree to see the lights twinkle on the ceiling.
My best- Diane
I loved this post! My mom throw ours out and replaced them with all blue, yuck. But I found 2 boxes in my M.in law’s attic and I have started buying them. I found 3 boxes at a flea market on Sun. Cheap as the sellers didn’t want to carry them home! I put them on my tree here in Miami Beach. I love the contrast to high style and homey.
I always wonered what happened to my grandmothers Christmas ornaments..but, about 15 years ago, my cousins were clearing out their fathers house (grams son) and they found our grams ornaments! I was absolutely thrilled to have her ornaments!! My guy cousins packed a shoebox full of ornaments that were to be divided up between my sister & myself! I couldn’t have been any thrilled with this treasure trove! My biggest satisfaction was to have my 4 yr old daughter putting them on our tree that year! That truly brought tears to my eyes!
Hello from another Rhoda!! Just found your site and enjoyed the walk down Christmas ornament memory lane. My most treasured ornament is a small glass bi-plane my grandma carried with her when she immigrated from Poland at the age of 18. She died a few years ago at the age of 103, so the airplane is unfortunately showing it’s age too. Not sure how much longer I can keep it from completely falling apart, but at least my children are able to see it and enjoy it a while too. I remember some of the others my mom had, but I don’t think any of those are still around.
Beautiful!
I’m from Marietta too. My mom went to Wheeler and I want to say she graduated in 1970 and my dad went to Marietta High.
Yes, you invoke many wonderful memories of childhood with these ornaments. If only we could keep that wonder and innocence with us as adults. I enjoy your page and look forward to it every time it lands in my mailbox! Merry Christmas!
You just took me down memory lane! I remember all of those on my grandma’s tree. I wish I had them now. I do have 4 little gold angels we put on my tree when I was a child and 3 of a 4 piece set of some nice ones that were of the nativity. I also have our old lights but don’t use those. I need to see if my mom has anything left to share! Thanks for the great trip down memory lane! Did your tree always have candy canes too?
Oh my goodness! Those ornaments are exactly like the ones on our tree when I was little. Really great memories – I especially love the indented ones with the silver insides. So beautiful!
Hi Rhonda,
I love your beautiful vintage ornaments. I started collecting them last year when I found a big box of pink and silver ones at a thrift store.
Now, I pick them up whenever I see them. I love the colors too and I think there is nothing prettier than a big crystal bowl full of them.
I’m glad that your Mom gave them to you to cherish.
hugs
Sissie
Oh, Rhoda, you have me crying! My Mimmie and Granddaddy had beautiful ornaments like those, to hang on an aluminum tree with a color wheel to make it change colors. What memories those ornaments bring back! The only ones I have are two plastic icicles that I somehow managed to get, but I wish I knew where the rest are, along with the tree and color wheel. Getting one now wouldn’t be the same…it wouldn’t be Mimmie’s tree. Thank you so much for sharing…even if it does make me jealous! : )
I have my grandmother’s vintage ornaments. My mom gave them to me last year, for the same reason yours did…she had been hanging them on her tree and every year one or two would break. My grandmother died before I was born so its super nice to have a special reminder of her during the holidays. Thanks for sharing, they are so pretty & we have several of the same ones!
They’re gorgeous Rhoda! The fact that they were handed down from your mother makes them even more special. My tree is decorated with Shiny Brites, but none of them are family heirlooms.
(My favorite is the pretty swirly one.)
Have a very Merry Christmas!
Teresa
I have some of my parent’s and my grandmother’s ornaments from the 1950’s. My dad used to make snow out of Ivory laundry detergent and spread it on the tree with a spatula. It was gorgeous! Christmas memories are the best.
We had a bell just like yours when I was a girl! Thanks for the memories. Merry Christmas, Rhoda!
I have several boxes of vintage ornaments – some from my husband’s grandmother and others from yard sales where I never paid more than $3 for a box! Lucky me! However, the ornaments that I coveted as a child and will never have were gorgeous blown glass birds from Germany – they clipped onto the branches and had real feathers glued to them, along with glitter. They belonged to my grandmother and she had a beautiful tree made from driftwood bleached white. She filled it with the birds and added bits of real tinsel and it was just about the prettiest thing I’d ever seen. Unfortunately, my grandmother’s heart is sometimes bigger than it should be and she loaned her birds and tree to a local business for display. Someone stole every single bird that Christmas. ;-( The upside is that I have started collecting my own bird ornaments – not the blown glass beauties of the past, but various artisan-made things to add to our collection.
I love your blog today what great memories of the vintage ornaments. I have some of my Grannie’s and mama’s too. I some times find them at Yard Sales and have made a couple of wreaths with them. Wishing you a very blessed and Merry Christmas, Vicky
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE vintage ornaments like these. I have a collection too and they mean so much to me because most are from my mom and my mom in laws collection so mine are not only just fun, but they have special meaning too. Thanks for sharing yours.
Merry Christmas!
Valerie
Merry Christmas Rhoda, I am so glad you were able to get the ornaments from your Mom I know they hold such special memories for you. I love all the shapes and colors also. I recognized several that I have and some from my childhood that hang on my tree each year. Last year I displayed mine in apothecary jars, which would be so perfect for your home. You can see it here if you like:
http://goodlifeofdesign.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-i-display-my-vintage-ornaments.html
I just love the way they capture the lights. I have quite a collection that I have been gathering for some time now. Enjoy your sweet bowl of memories, Have a very Merry Christmas sweet friend,Kathysue
Your post brought a few tears of nostalgia to my eyes. My grandma and great-aunt had ornaments exactly like the ones in your pictures on their tree. And it’s not surprising that they are so similar because relatives from the US and Canada has sent them over. |Sady, almost all the ornaments are gone. Many were broken (my cousins and I being the main culprits) but slowly they seemed to have gone out of fashion and were given away. I wish I could get my hands on them again. I do not go for the themed Christmas tree using just one or two colours. Instead my husband and I pick up ornaments from our travels or special ones from the shops and each ti me we open the Christmas boxes, they bring back so many memories. Have a wonderful Christmas.