A Very Vintage Christmas, Room by Room- The Kitchen

This marks the first installment of a series of posts entitled "A Very Vintage Christmas, Room by Room." The kitchen is the most fitting place to begin. Where else does family congregate this time of the year? Needing ideas on how to make your scullery scrumptious? Maybe there is a lover of cooking or baking on your Christmas shopping list. For inspiration, take a look at this curated collection of vintage goodness. I can smell the cookies now!

You can go a number of routes when crafting vintage Christmas decor for your home. I like to mix flashy pieces from the later fifties and sixties (like tinsel trees or big, outdoor holiday lights) with more rustic, rugged pieces such as plaid curtains and checkered fabrics from the 40's or fresh cyprus garlands. Blend your modern Crate & Barrel or sophisticated Pottery Barn pieces with playful reindeer ornaments, mossy terrariums filled snow capped model trees, homespun fabrics, and White Christmas inspired Vermont firewood bundles. Remember, you are aiming for a vintage feel in your home, not a vintage stage set for a play. 

1. Display your Vintage Cookbooks. Don't have any original editions? Snap up a few classics re-done in their original covers like Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook and Mastering The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. They make great gifts and they'll provide you with a tasty array of old-time Christmas recipes for your holiday feast.

2. One can never have too many Tea Towels-- especially if they are retro as can be like this Airfix Kitchen Dish Cloth, $15 from Etsy. Wrap a bottle of your favorite bubbly in one of these cuties, tie it with a ribbon et viola! An instant hostess gift-- sure to deliver some holiday cheer.

3. A Kitchenaid Mixer's design has withstood the test of time and deserves a special place in every vintage-inspired kitchen. If you already own one of these cullinary workhorses, it's time to shine it up and get cracking on those holiday treats! Consider bequeathing one to the newlyweds in your life, they will be ever so grateful.

4. Bring Mason Jars into your winter decor-scheme by making Vintage Jar Snow Globes or Christmas terrariums to adorn the tops of your cupboards and windowsills. Check out a tutorial here.

5. Framed Chalkboards are the perfect way to spell out your favorite Christmas messages. This looker in teal is a respectable 24x30 inches-- large enough to hold its own atop your kitchen hutch.

6.  Bring on the Fresh Christmas Greenery- Unlit wreaths and garlands look stunning hanging over cabinets and sideboards a simple striped ribbon will tie it all together (source). 

7. Who says you can't look festive whilst you make a mess? I'm loving this sweet, vintage-inspired Cherry Pie Apron from Anthropologie.

8. Checkered Tablecloths aren't just for picnics or Italian dinners. They offer a sweet, homey touch to your holiday tablescape. At a mere $13.99, this spread is a no-brainer.

9. Bring on the Tinsel Tree! You already have a formal tree in your living room, liven things up with a vintage standard in your kitchen. Buy an affordable tabletop sized tree and pop it into a cherry red, enamelware bucket it will make an sweet table centerpiece. Decorate it with vintage ornaments such as these and your kiddos' popsicle stick creations or, to keep things strictly kitchen-themed, vintage cookie cutters looped with colorful yarn or ribbon. 

More ideas:

Ornaments in Large Jars and Cake Stands- Pull out your glass domed cake stands or glass canister jars of varying heights and fill them with vintage ornaments. These will add a great pop of color over your kitchen cabinets or on a table as a centerpiece.

Vintage Thermos Vases- Line up your kitchen table with a grouping of vintage thermoses from the 40's and 50's. They come in every size and color/pattern, from awesome red and green plaids to ribbed silver aluminum. Clip a few branches off the back of your Christmas tree (the side no one sees), fill your "vases" and presto! Instant, rugged centerpiece!

Hanging Cookie Cutters- String vintage cookie cutters up on ribbons of varying colors and lengths. Hang them in your windows to add bling to your kitchen.