Vintage Christmas Trees

 

I recently got these trees from a friend of a friend, you know how that works.  I'd actually been to one of her sales before and bought a pair of lamps and some other bits, but I didn't realize it was her until I got to her place and realized I'd been there before.  So, I looked through her garage, shed, and storage room in the house.  But these are by far the most exciting treasures I came home with.

The traditional Christmas colored one was a little worse for wear with some of the backing material torn and faded.  So I didn't feel to bad taking it apart to use for parts.  Sorry for the fuzzy picture here.

What I was most thankful for was that these were created before the days of hot glue guns.  Whoever put this together poked the pin and earring backs into the foam base with extra support coming from straight pins or bobby pins.  And almost all the pieces were in tact.  In fact most looked unused, no missing rhinestones or wear or tarnish on the base metal. 

  

This is a pile of pins with some sequins that look like they might be the same as those found on Enid Collins bags.  (see my post about Enid Collings purses here)

Here's the tree carcass, what's left after I took what I wanted.  The background is a yucky green plastic material.  That's gold lame fabric, green velvet ribbon patches, and sequin trim.  All this is held on with those 1/2 inch short straight pins.

In total there are 18 pairs of earrings and 16 broaches, plus some necklace pieces.  Alot to play with.

The other tree has a pink velvet fabric base and clear rhinestone bits.  There are a couple bear spots around the bottom that I have since filled in with a few clear pieces from the other tree.

I bought these trees intending to take them both apart and use the parts.  But the pink one is growing on me and for now, it's in my little girl's room.  Little?  Well, she's almost 20.  Our first Christmas decoration for the season.  We'll see what her reaction is when she comes home in a month for Christmas break.  Ha!