Vintage

There’s a kind of tree that shows up in old family photos: bulky colored bulbs, tinsel, a jumble of ornaments that don’t match because each came from a different year. “Nostalgic Christmas tree” and “classic Christmas tree” are both rising on Pinterest this fall, and this is the look people mean. The good part is that it’s forgiving. It’s meant to look collected, not designed. The lights make it If you change only one thing, change the lights. C9-style bulbs (on Amazon), the big ones, in red, green, blue, orange and yellow. LED versions stay cool and use little power. Space them evenly, with the cord tucked toward the trunk. ...

Tinsel spent a couple of decades as the thing your grandparents did. Now “tinsel Christmas tree” is climbing on Pinterest along with “beaded tinsel” and nostalgic trees in general. Done right, it makes a tree shimmer every time the air moves. There are three kinds, and they look quite different. Icicle strands The old-fashioned kind: thin individual strands draped over branches so they hang straight down like icicles. This is what makes a tree look vintage. ...

Thrift stores in October and November have a lot of old Christmas decorations, and plenty of the good ones get passed over as dusty boxes. Old pieces have something new decorations can’t quite copy: real wear, real weight, a slightly imperfect hand-painted face. What’s worth looking for Shiny Brite ornaments. American glass ornaments made from the 1940s to the 1960s, with silvered insides, painted designs and cardboard caps stamped “Shiny Brite.” Look for silvering without dark patches inside, original paint and caps that aren’t bent. A box of 12 in good shape for under $15 is a real find. Partial boxes are worth it too; mix them with plain new balls in matching colors, or new vintage-style ones (on Amazon). ...