Why We Love Vintage Style Ceramic Christmas Trees
It was sometime in the 1970s when I watched my mom and my grandma meticulously clean, prep, paint, and finish their current masterpieces in ceramics class.
Those trendy ceramic Christmas trees were filled with tiny glass bulbs, and when the inner light bulb was turned on, it created a beautiful holiday tree illuminated with bright multicolored lights.
Looking back, I wish I had participated in creating a version of the now classic ceramic Christmas tree with them, but I was a kid, and my ceramic class projects included tiny figurines of mice, kittens, and other small clay creatures that caught my eye. At the same time, they dedicated their time to their ceramic trees.
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A history of the ceramic Christmas Tree and the story of your grandmother.
With the resurgence in the popularity of these vintage-style Christmas trees, I was curious to take a deep dive into the history of the trend.
History tells the story that handmade Christmas crafts were popular in the 1940s and that is when it is believed the first ceramic Christmas tree mold was introduced. In the 1950’s ceramic studios had started to open all across the US providing a creative outlet for amateur potters, and the ambitious housewife. These studios offered firing services and classes and quickly became a social gathering for many.
Atlantic Mold Company is credited with being the first ceramics company to introduce self-painted ceramic molds for the Christmas tree. The earliest versions of trees had tiny electric bulbs made from glass that were individually lit. With the influx of ready-made ceramics, the iconic trees were quickly updated to the more common small plastic bulbs lit from a single bulb within the tree completed with a star topper.
By the 1970s (my childhood timeline) the ceramic Christmas tree craze was at it’s peak with ceramic parties and classes becoming part of social gatherings to make these treasured keepsakes. Unfortunately, the remembered pastime of attending ceramics classes with family and friends eventually declined in the 1980s. Today there are very few studios still open.
The memory of the vintage ceramic Christmas trees didn’t fade away.
It seems everyone has a similar story and fondly remembers their mom’s or grandmother’s vintage ceramic trees.
Since I work in a Christmas store, many conversations are shared where the customer will excitedly describe what it looked like and where it sat in the house each Christmas. Each story is usually followed by one of three types of statements.
They proudly exclaim they inherited the tree, or found it stored away in the dusty attic and happily use it today.
They wistfully express their wish that they had kept the tree.
Or they haughtily remark they know which family member took it!
My memories started in ceramic class.
My memories from ceramic classes include the traditional green one my mom made with the faux snow white tips and the full range of multicolored bulbs. It was crafted out of a larger ceramic mold and had different sections stacked together.
My grandmother’s ceramic class tree was a real beauty. She was an energetic and eclectic woman before that term was even popular and her class project was a white ceramic tree with deep red cardinal bulbs all around it. She was half a century ahead of the current red bird craze. Every time I see a white tree I think of Grandma Rose.
And yes, I still wonder which cousin has that tree.
Where to find vintage Versions of The ceramic Christmas trees.
Original vintage versions made by those sweet little memory-making grandmothers can still be found today if you are willing to pay a bit more money and put in some work and effort to bring them back to full glory.
Some of the best places to scout out vintage trees are at your local thrift store and flea market.
If you have the time and persistence to browse through hundreds of listings, you will find that the online market has the largest selection available. Now and then I spy one in the photos of estate sales but have never tried to rush to get one.
Owning a true vintage one will not replace the memories of the ones I watched my mom and grandma make. If the cherished memories of these vintage ceramic Christmas trees are what you want to recreate, then the reproductions on the market today have much better prices for the same effect.
The trend has come full circle again.
A few years ago, while on a shift at my part-time seasonal job in a local Christmas store, we unboxed some of the first battery-operated ceramic Christmas trees to arrive back on the market. They looked slightly different than the ceramic trees of my childhood but I was so excited to bring one home.
I still use it every year since I bought it.
Still one of the most popular items available each season in the store since then, we often sell out or have to reorder additional deliveries. Now available in a variety of sizes and an impressive variety of colors, we sell dozens of them every day. Especially the adorable ornament-sized ones that became popular about two years ago.
Another popular trend today is to purchase a small ceramic Christmas tree with multi-color lights for the office desk. What better way to enjoy the season while at work?
The new styles keep coming.
If you can imagine a ceramic tree in any color, you will probably be able to find it. Christmas trends today have embraced colors beyond the classic red, white and green. The nostalgic ceramic tree is no exception to evolving with the current trends.
Even your family’s favorite college or professional sports teams can be represented and celebrated during the holidays.
No longer grounded as only a tabletop decoration, replicas of the beloved ceramic tree are available as small ornaments and even nightlights. The nightlights are my new favorite reincarnation of the ceramic trees. They are perfect for when you don’t have the space to display a tabletop ceramic tree but still want to add a special festive touch to any room or office space.
Christmas decorations and popular trends will continue to change year by year. These iconic trees have become a hallmark of holiday decorations for decades and will continue and adapt to the current trends. The new memories they create will always be rooted in the memories from our childhood.
If you have fond memories from your childhood of these trees or want to create a new tradition this holiday season, then purchase your own version of the now classic ceramic Christmas tree and enjoy!
Hugs,
Deuteronomy 32:7
“Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee”.
