Vintage Christmas Papier Mache

Hello!  I have a great little collection to share with you today...

 

 

...my vintage Christmas papier mache collection.

 

 

 

Holiday papier mache was popular in the 1940s and 50s.

 

They were used as candy and nut containers and sold at the dime stores.

 

You can still see the nut cup in this snowman's hat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His little label on the bottom lists the ingredients of what once used to be inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These lovely little sculptures are very hard to find.

 

Most were played with and, because they were paper pulp products,

 

were destroyed easily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This lovely Santa carries a sack that served as the candy container.

 

 

 

 





 

 

Of course, there were savers out there who saved their old candy containers

 

to use as decorations for the following year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you had a dry attic, it was the perfect place to keep your paper pulp product

 

safe until the next holiday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This here boot even has some vintage plastic holly on the front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have some tiny boots, too.

 

Want to take a look at the vintage newspaper in the big boot?

 

Mom, you'll love this...

 

 

 

 

 

 

A crumpled circular from Goldblatt's-

 

a former Chicago chain store that was popular in the 1900's.

 

 

Sharing my vintage collection with:

 

Savvy Southern Styles' Wow Us Wednesday

 

Jann's Share Your Cup Thursday

 

Vintage Inspiration at Common Ground

 

 

Second Sunday of Advent and Fruit

During Advent we wait for Christ and prepare our homes.

One of the ways we prepare is to serve special fruits with our meals.

 

 

 

Cranberry garland on a Christmas tree, or cranberry sauce with a meal 

 

 is an example of a holiday fruit.

 

Oranges, pineapples, and apples are also traditional holiday fruits

 

used at meals, in decor, or given in baskets, not just in Colonial times,

but even today.

 

 

My dad, who is well into his seventies today, used

to just receive an orange in his Christmas stocking when he was a small child.

Money was not to be had in his little coastal town.

 

In the history of the Church,

fruits used at Christmas are truly symbolic of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

 

Some of these fruits are

Joy and Patience,
 

Suffering and Faith.

 

 

 

 

Let's be fruitful during this Christmas season...

 

We can be joyful and extra patient,

 

even in the hustle and bustle of life's traffic,

 

and we can pray for those who are suffering.

 

Have a peaceful week!

 

 

 

Sharing with:

 

Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesday

 

Vintage Inspiration at Common Ground

 

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage









Little Antique Santas

I love a good vintage Santa. 

 

 

 

 

 

I love this one in particular because he brings back old Christmas memories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mom has one just like this little felted guy.

 

I'm pretty sure my dad found him at someone's curb.

 

He was elevated to a new status on our TV at Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I picked up mine in an antique store with a box of vintage Christmas goodies

 

 maybe two years ago.

 

I've seen this little elfin Santa in other antique shops marked as high as $100.

 

He only stands about two inches tall.

 

Here he is with a slightly taller Santa from Occupied Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

(There were also some celluloids, ornaments, German composites, 

 

papier mache items, and other old delights in the box).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who couldn't love that face?

 

Or the tinged brown beard?

 

This one comes with glittered transportation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did I acquire the box?

 

Be kind to the people selling.

 

 

 

 

This particular person had another offer from an antique dealer.

 

He turned down her higher offer

 

  because he knew she would just turn around and sell them again.

 

 

He offered me the whole box for just a fraction of her original offer.
 

He just wanted someone to appreciate them as much as he did.

 

AND honor the fact that he spent a long time collecting his pieces.

 

And, most importantly, he wanted little kids to see them again at Christmas,

 

not be holed up in someone's fancy store display case.

 

 

 

 

 

(Even if they're TV toppers).

 

 

Sharing vintage Christmas goodness with

 

FUNKY JUNK INTERIORS at SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

 

NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY at COASTAL CHARM

 



Nativity Figures

I have a variety of Nativity set folk.  Some are plaster ones I painted,

 

some are chalk, others composite.

 

This little baby I've had a few years now.

 

 

 

 

He's a very old German-made Jesus.

 

I'm featuring him today with just a little chalk lamb.

 

 

 

 

The fabric is hand painted here...

 

 

 

 

...the little curls on the Baby are tiny fibers

 

and the figure itself is made of wax. 

 

The manger is an old type of folded sand paper/ paper mache product.

 

He is the only wax figure I have.

 

But the attention to detail is minute, and it's obviously handmade.

 

 

 

 

I have never seen another like it.

 

Please share if you have matching imagery!

 

 

 

 

Sharing with:

 

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground