Vintage Christmas Craft Week: Felt Christmas Table Runner

A few years ago, a dear reader sent me this vintage felt table runner as a Christmas present.  I absolutely love it and wanted to create a pattern to share it with all you!

Free Vintage Felt Christmas Table Runner Pattern Download

The directions are on the pattern, but it's pretty easy.  Pick out your felt, cut the runner and pieces, glue, embellish, and enjoy!

Please feel free to link to this page, pin this page, or direct your friends here.  Please do not re-post, re-distribute, or sell this download in whole or part anywhere else.  Pattern may be used to make items for sale, but please give credit to Livin' Vintage.

If anyone makes one, I would love to see it!

Vintage Christmas Craft Week: 1930s Crepe Paper Bells

I've been wanting to do a week of tutorials for a while now and what better time than Christmas to work on some fun crafting projects?  All this week, I will be sharing some holiday themed how to's, patterns, and some retro Christmas crafting project ideas.

To start the week, I am sharing this nifty idea for hanging bells made from crepe paper, circa a 1930 Dennison party book.

9 Vintage Calendars for 2014

Looking for a calendar for 2014?  

Why not try a vintage one from one of these years:

1902  |  1913  |  1919  |  1930  |  1941  |  1947  |  1958  |  1969  |  1975

I really like this one from 1947 and this 1930 one, both found via etsy.

Make a Santa's Sleigh Cookie Centerpiece this Christmas

When I saw this in a 1956 issue of Woman's Home Companion I just knew I had to share it with you all.  Isn't it darling?

1956 St. Nicholas Cookie Centerpiece

The article suggests cutting out the templets and tracing them on cardboard to make it more stable when cutting the designs out around the cookie dough with a knife.  While there was only the sleigh and reindeer templets provided, tree and santa cookie cutters are fairly easy to come across.  Actually, I am willing to bet that all these cookie cutters could be sourced, eliminating the need to use the templet.

If anyone makes one of these, I would love to see it!  Comment with a link to your photo and if I get enough, I will share them all in a future post.

A Brief History of Christmas Lights

The history of Christmas lights begins at nearly the conception of the light bulb itself.  In 1882, Edward Hibberd Johnson, the VP for Edison Electric Light Company,  got the idea to string red, white, and blue lights together and placed them on his tree which was on display in his parlor, visible to 5th Avenue in New York.  While locals weren't too impressed, one Detroit reporter was and the story made it into the Detroit Post.  In 1895, Grover Cleveland decked out the White House Christmas Tree in electric lights -- the first president to do so -- calling attention to this bright and colorful alternatives to candles.

Americans were still slightly skeptical about the safety of these lights and they were pretty expensive too.  However, in 1917 after a tragic NYC Christmas tree fire, Albert Sadacca converted his family's white novelty lights to colored bulbs.  This lights were safe for home use and Sadacca went on to form NOMA, the largest Christmas light manufacturer in the world.  By 1920, Christmas lights had become more affordable leading to a gain in popularity and more creations of light up displays.  

Christmas lights really took off post war, with the introduction of bubble lights, blow molds, and all things Kitschmas!  We've certainly come a long way from candles!

*all images were found via a google search*

Christmas on Main Street

One of my absolute favorite part of the Christmas season is seeing all the small town decorations on Main Street.  I have several "main streets" near my home and they all do something a little bit different.

There's just something about twinkling lights in the dark skies that makes it really feel like Christmastime!

Aren't these photos wonderful?  They were all found with a google search and let me tell ya, that's quite the rabbit hole to fall down on a snowy afternoon!


Tomorrow, I will be sharing a brief history of Christmas lights and more fabulous vintage pictures! 

12 Classic Holiday Films of Christmas

With Thanksgiving over, it's time to start getting into the holiday spirit!  One of my favorite way to get my Christmas mojo going is to watch all my favorite holiday classics.  I like to have them playing in the background while I wrap presents, decorate, package orders, and work work work!  I picked twelve of the best pre-1970s Christmas movies, many of which get televised during the month of December.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - Little Natalie Wood is just too cute!

Remember the Night (1940) - Complicated Christmas love.

White Christmas (1954) - Some of the best holiday dress inspiration!

Christmas in Connecticut (1945) - Stanwyck at her best!

The Bishop's Wife (1947) - Cary Grant (need I say more?)

I'll Be Seeing You (1944) - I love the pairing of Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotten!

Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer (1964) - for kids ages 2 to 92

Holiday Inn (1942) - get another dose of Bing!

Meet Me in St Louis (1944) - It wouldn't be Christmas without hearing Judy Garland sing!

It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) - a film with a good message and great fashion too!

"I Love Lucy" The Christmas Special (1956) - I just got this on DVD, but you can catch it on CBS December 20th at 8 PM

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) - I used to love watching this as a kid and always try and catch it on tv.

It's no surprise to me that majority of these were made during the 1940s.  Movies have always felt a responsibility to bring happiness and entertainment to viewers, especially during rough times.  It also makes sense that two of the most beloved Christmas movies for children were released in the 1960s, right after the end of the baby boom, when America had more little ones than ever before.

What are your favorite holiday movies? 

Cyber Monday Special

Today ONLY the shop is 30% off!  Discounts this big won't be seen until 2014, so stock up on all your favorite vintage dresses now!

SHOP THE CYBER MONDAY SPECIAL

Sale ends at 11:00 PM EST

Sale may not be combined with any other coupons or discounts.  Sorry no reserves or layaways during the sale.  Sale prices do not apply to items already reserved or on layaway.

Advertise in December

With the holiday shopping season reaching full swing, it's the perfect time to advertise your store, blog, or website!

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Interested in promoting your shop or blog on Livin' Vintage?  I would love it if you did!

Ads come in three sizes and run for 30 days, rotating with each page load to allow for equal exposure for each sponsor.  If you need help designing an ad, I would be more than happy to help!

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Also Available
I am now offering dedicated blog posts on your blog, shop, business, or products.  These are limited to vintage/retro related items and topics that adhere to the theme of my blog.

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*I am always open to sponsored giveaways, sponsored outfit posts, and swapping ad spaces*

Noir Nights | Uniquely You

| Noir Nights by livinvintage featuring lace up high heel shoes |

Recently, I was contacted by Modcloth to be apart of their Uniquely You Campaign and I was delighted to be included!  I was asked to create an outfit around the When Night Comes Dress -- a great LBD in a variety of sizes.  

When I'm not wearing vintage, I like to mix it up with fun modern pieces like the ones you see above.  I think my favorite of my selections is the faux collar necklace.  I am a huge fan of vintage detachable collars and this necklace has just the right amount of vintage feel combined with modern flair.  This collar necklace is so cute and would pair wonderfully with both vintage and modern dresses.