Tag: familyheirlooms

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Create A Nostalgic Christmas Tree Your Family Will Love With Old Family Photos

Nostalgic Christmas Tree with Old Black and White Photos, set in front of a vintage mirror

Have you been inundated with the “Christmas in July” sales and celebrations? While it seems a little crazy, I don’t hate the #christmasinjuly hoopla. In fact, it makes me feel nostalgic for Christmas.

My sister and I spent a few summers working at a year-round Christmas store on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The first thing we did each morning when we’d walk into Christmas Joy was turn on the Christmas carols that played throughout the store. In the back room, there was a giant Christmas-themed carousel that played its own Christmas tune, amplifying the Christmas carol chaos. We would then turn on the Lionel Christmas train that chugged around the store, an attraction that was a huge hit with the customers. Even with so many competing holiday sounds throughout the store, I never got tired of those Christmas carols. (Okay, maybe the carousel was a bit much, but it was far away from the cash register.)

After the music was set and the Christmas lights were appropriately twinkling, we would go about the store, inspecting and stocking the hundreds of different ornaments, neatly grouped by theme or interest. We also spent some time customizing those beachy ornaments that would serve as little reminders of our customer’s Cape Cod vacations.

Christmas Collectibles Add to the Nostalgia

Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim Byers Choice Collectable Doll
Bob Crotchet & Tiny Tim Byers Choice Caroloer
photo credit: Lisa L. Duncan

Finally, we would and freshen up our collectibles displays. Here I learned about Christmas collectibles, such as the Byers Choice Carolers, Fontanini Figurines, Snow Babies, and Department 56 Villages. Personally, I was never a fan of those Byer Carolers. But my sister was, and we used our employee discount to purchase several first editions for her now vintage Christmas collection.

We lived and breathed Christmas all summer long at that store, and it was wonderful. This is probably why I love seeing my Instagram feed fill up with festive squares of holiday hoopla.

A Vintage Tree Creates a Warm, Nostalgic Christmas Vibe

Feeling a little nostalgic for Christmas past, I went scrolling through my own Christmas photos from last year. I came across the vintage Christmas tree I had put together. Oh, I loved that tree!

Christmas nostalgia is clearly a year-round thing for me. As we get older, preserving family history seems to gain greater importance. This tree perfectly blended family history and Christmas in one simple nostalgic Christmas tree. It’s an excellent project for those that want to preserve and share their family history. And, if you double up the effort now, you can knock out a few meaningful Christmas presents early, as I’ll explain.

Start Scanning Those Old Photos

Collection of Old Photos
Collection of Old Photos | photo credit: Lisa L. Duncan

Creating a nostalgic Christmas tree is simple: just gather all your favorite old family photos and start selecting the images you want to share. When I look at old family photos, especially the Christmas ones, I love to see how all the vintage Christmas decor has changed throughout the decades. When I recognize some of the old ornaments and furniture I now have in these photos, I feel like I’ve just read another chapter in our family history book.

For my nostalgic Christmas tree, I chose black and white Christmas photos. It doesn’t get more vintage Christmas than that, right? However, whether you go with vintage black and white or color photos, it really doesn’t matter. What matters most is that the pictures celebrate the best of Christmas past.

Here are some other ideas you might want to consider for your own nostalgic Christmas Tree.
Credit: Heirloom Explorer

Don’t Forget to Preserve Those Memories!

Next, you will want to photocopy these photos on high-quality paper. You could also scan and reprint them on photo paper. If you make multiple sets of these vintage Christmas photos, you can get a jump start on creating meaningful Christmas gifts for your family!

If you know who is in the picture and where and when it took place, do future generations a favor and WRITE IT ON THE BACK. – Future Generations

When friends and family are looking at our vintage Christmas tree, I want people to touch the photos, take them down, and handle them without worrying about ruining them. Because of this, I recommend laminating your pictures. You can find laminating supplies at your local craft or office supply store, or online. It’s also easier to affix a beautiful thin ribbon or string for hanging on the branches if they are laminated.

And What Do You Do With Those Extra Nostalgic Christmas Photos?

Here’s the best part.

All those extra photos you copied? Wrap a few sets of those vintage Christmas ornaments for other family members to have as Christmas gifts. After all, once they’ve seen your tree, they’ll want their own anyway. Or, if you’d rather give them something a little different than the ornaments, you could use the photos to create a set of unique vintage Christmas cards. It’s a super easy way to create thoughtful yet inexpensive Christmas gifts that your family is sure to love.

Now, when Christmas time comes, all you need to do is whip up your favorite hot cocoa or egg nog concoction, hang these photo ornaments on a tree and let the memories flow.

Don't have a tree?  Try hanging your old photo ornaments on a clothesline with little clothespins and string them about like garland?

Let’s See What You Come Up With – Share with Me on Instagram!

I would love to see your nostalgic Christmas projects! If you decide to create your own nostalgic Christmas tree or garland, I invite you to tag me on Instagram at @heirloomexplorer and use the hashtag #nostalgicchristmastree. Let’s see all those preserved memories in your Christmas decor.

Read More

Want to read more? Check out my post on Creating New Memories of Old Christmas Traditions. or learn more about Heirloom Explorer.

Follow me on Instagram for home decor inspiration, featuring heirlooms and vintage finds. Be sure to check out my reels tab to heirlooms in action, and where I go exploring.

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Bring Out Your Patriotic Heirlooms This Fourth of July

usa flag on white house patio
Photo by Jessica Lewis Creative on Pexels.com

For me, home decor is an expression of our lives and a collection of our experiences. Sure, I could pull out the traditional red, white, and blue-themed decor, add a few flags and call it done. But this year, I wanted to create something a little different, something a little more meaningful. After all, when creating seasonal decor vignettes, I think they should tell a story. What better way to do this than to use patriotic heirlooms in Fourth of July decor?

Each Heirloom Tells a Story

View of living room shelves with a collection of patriotic heirlooms. The collection includes a blue vase with red, white, and blue faux flowers. In the foreground is a gray tweed loveseat with blue and white pillows.
by @heirloomexplorer

Telling stories through heirlooms has become a bit of an obsession for me lately. As the “family historian,” I’ve been handed down trinkets and treasures that hold generations of stories. However, I’ve discovered that not all the stories are complete or accurate. As each generation passes, the stories get harder and harder to recollect. Perhaps it’s because I’m still in the middle of two generations, I feel a strong pull to connect the generation before me more fully with the generation after me.

This need to preserve stories is why this year, I decided to combine my Fourth of July decor with a few patriotic heirlooms that capture and share a glimpse of my mother-in-law as a little girl growing up in Winnetka, Illinois.

Adding Context to Old Stories Helps Keep the Alive

My mother-in-law gave me her many boxes of old photos when she moved nearby to what would be her last home. Often, when she would visit, we would go through and label old pictures so that these memories could be preserved and shared. I loved these visits and the stories she shared. I especially loved the stories of growing up near Lake Michigan in a charming town called Winnetka. It sounded like an idyllic childhood, with ice skating in the winter and big Fourth of July celebrations in the summer.

Closes up of a collection of patriotic heirlooms. Included is a compact disc of a movie titled "The Winnetka Story" by John Newcombe, and two medals dated 1942 and 1944. There is a blue vase with red, white and blue faux flowers.
by @heirloomexplorer

A few years before she passed, I found a documentary on the History of Winnetka by filmmaker John Newcombe. We made popcorn and watched this together as a family. She loved the 4th of July scene with all the kids’ races. Seeing this added context to the stories she remembered so fondly was so wonderful.

Adding this movie to these patriotic heirlooms will give future generations additional context to these trinkets and photos. Of course, this assumes that they will have some way to read this CD. But that is a problem for another day.

Knowing These Stories Saved these Patriotic Heirlooms

It wasn’t until after she passed away that I found these little medals. They were tucked away in a top bureau drawer, along with rolls of stamps and old batteries. I recognized these second-place medals for the 1942 and 1944 50-yard dash as a little reminder of a memory she loved, persevered, and shared. Separately, I found this brochure among her papers for the 1944 Fourth of July festivities.

1944 Fourth of July Brochure of Winnetka, Illinois Celebration

Preserving these patriotic heirlooms and sharing them in decor helps us remember and share the memories she loved. I think they also add a nice opportunity to invite more story-telling in our family celebration, don’t you agree?

If you need a little help getting motivated to save your family stories, you can also read more about How to Safeguard Family Stories.

I hope you all have a wonderful Fourth of July.

About Heirloom Explorer

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Love Your World Travels All Over Again

African Inspired Dinner Place Setting
African Safari Dinner Table Setting by @heirloomexplorer

African Safari-Inspired Dinner Table Setting

I love to find ways to bring new travel experiences into our daily lives. To me, it creates little moments of happiness around our home. But more importantly, it also tells our life story through decor. If you are new to Heirloom Explorer, finding ways to capture stories through family heirlooms is my jam. This was the idea behind this African safari-inspired dinner table setting after our trip to Tanzania, Africa.

It Started With Napkin Rings

Close up of batik bone napkin rings with linen napkins and a wooden spoon with a batik bone handle place on white dishes.
Batik Bone Napkin Rings in Dinner Place Setting by @heirloomexplorer

When I spied these napkin rings in the tiny store at our lodge, I knew they would look perfect on our dining table. My decor design style is a bit eclectic. I’m not very good at following design rules. However, I recently heard a phrase that I’m willing to call my decor style (for now). It’s Traditional Boho. With its mixing of old and new, this design style marries the legacy keeper in me, who loves antiques and traditional decor, with my stubborn inclination to break design rules.

Anyway, these striking batik bone napkin rings were what kicked off this basic dinner table setting. My understanding is the local Maasai tribe carved and dyed these. They are irregular in shape, and each one is slightly different. It was love at first sight!

Adding the Zanzibar Spiced Coffee Ritual

Overhead view of African Safari Inspired Dinner Table Setting. Elements include batik bone napkin rings, ebony sugar bowl, vintage silverware, a glass elephant, a plant, and a french press coffee maker.
Overview of African Safari Inspired Dinner Place Setting by @heirloomexplorer

Next, I spied a sweet ebony bowl and cover. I figured it would be perfect for holding the sugar crystals for all the Zanzibar spiced coffee we would be making. You are missing out if you haven’t tried this African coffee treat. Forget pumpkin spice coffee. This slow coffee is where it’s at. (Sign up for my blog so you don’t miss my recipe for this slow coffee treat! I’ll be posting about it next.)

I paired these new things with my old white dishes and linen napkins. Adding this vintage silverware that belonged to my grandmother creates a bit of flair to my African safari dinner table setting, don’t you think?

One of the experiences I loved when we were in Tanzania was the coffee service. Instead of afternoon tea, we drank glorious, bold cups of local coffee. We learned that agriculture is an important economic activity in Africa. We passed several small coffee farms on our way to the Ngorongoro region. So, I pulled out our old french press and whipped up a cup of Zanzibar spiced coffee to help recreate the experience of our afternoon slow coffee treat.

I’ve shared a video of how I made my coffee on Instagram reels. If you’re not already following @heirloomexplorer on that platform, do pop over and give it a follow. There you’ll see more heirloom decor details at home and find them in my travels.

And Finally, the Family Heirloom Touch

Heirloom Glass Elephant by @heirloomexplorer

Finally, I had to add a bit of the unexpected. I remembered this heirloom glass elephant I found in my godmother’s things. She was a traveler, teacher, and collector of trinkets and “what nots.” When she passed away nearly 30 years ago, all her treasures were boxed up. These family heirlooms were kept hidden in a basement until I spent some time last summer sorting through them. I wonder if she also traveled to Africa, and this was a momento she collected along her journey. Or maybe she just liked elephants. Sadly, I’m not sure I’ll ever know. But it makes me smile to see these moments mingled as if we were sharing stories around the table.

What do you think about this African Safari Dinner Table Setting for a traditional boho decor vibe?

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