Old Money Christmas: 15 Thrifted Decor Ideas That Look Way More Expensive Than They Are
An Old Money Christmas looks like a home that has quietly collected beautiful things for a hundred years, but the secret is that most of it can come from the thrift store this weekend. Think tarnished silver, warm brass, tartan ribbon, ironstone and old frames with a story. Nothing is shiny or new, and that is exactly why it feels so rich. My mom used to say the prettiest holiday homes smelled like cedar and looked a little lived in, and she was right. These ideas cost a few dollars each, they take an evening or less, and they turn ordinary rooms into the kind of Christmas guests stop and stare at. Grab a tote bag, head to your favorite secondhand shop, and let us make your house look like it has an old family name..
Start With a Thrifted Old Money Christmas Mantel
The mantel is the heart of the room, so start here. Lean two thrifted silver trays against the wall, line up brass candlesticks of different heights and top each one with a small velvet bow instead of a candle. Then weave tartan ribbon through a fresh cedar garland so it spills over both ends. The mix of silver, gold and plaid is the whole Old Money Christmas look in one shelf. Most of these pieces cost under five dollars each at a church sale. Which one do you already have hiding in a cupboard..
You will need: 2 thrifted silver trays, 4 to 6 brass candlesticks, fresh or faux cedar garland, 3 yards of tartan ribbon, velvet ribbon, florist wire.
How to make it: 1. Clean the candlesticks with warm soapy water and dry them well. 2. Lay the garland on the mantel and lean the trays behind it. 3. Weave the tartan ribbon loosely through the garland and let the tails hang. 4. Tie a small velvet bow to the top of each candlestick with wire.
Silver Tray Door Hanger
A wreath is lovely, but a tarnished silver tray on the front door makes neighbors slow down on the sidewalk. Look for an oval tray with handles, because the handles make it easy to hang. Tie a bundle of cedar, pine and eucalyptus to the middle and finish with a big plaid bow. Do not polish the tray too much. The soft gray tarnish is what makes it look like it came from a grandmother’s sideboard. Would your front door wear silver or brass this year?
You will need: 1 thrifted silver tray with handles, mixed evergreen stems, plaid wired ribbon, florist wire, a sturdy over the door hook.
How to make it: 1. Gather the greenery into a tight bundle and wire the stems together. 2. Wire the bundle across the center of the tray through the handles. 3. Tie the ribbon over the wire into a big bow. 4. Hang the tray from the hook with a loop of ribbon.
Vintage Cookie Cutter Garland
Thrift stores always have a basket of old tin and copper cookie cutters for pennies, and strung together they make the sweetest garland. Pick stars, hearts, bells and trees so the shapes tell a Christmas story. Thread them on cream velvet ribbon and tuck in little sprigs of greenery. It looks wonderful across open kitchen shelves or a hutch full of white dishes, the same cozy look you see in old farmhouse kitchens. How many cookie cutters are in your drawer right now?
You will need: 12 to 15 vintage metal cookie cutters, 3 yards of velvet ribbon, small greenery sprigs, mini clothespins or wire.
How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the cookie cutters. 2. Thread the ribbon through each one, spacing them about 6 inches apart. 3. Tie a small knot on each side so they do not slide. 4. Clip in sprigs of greenery and drape the garland across a shelf.
Old Money Christmas Brass Candlestick Trees
Brass candlesticks are everywhere at thrift stores, and this is my favorite way to use them for the holidays with no flame at all. Glue a small foam cone to the top, cover it with boxwood sprigs and add a tiny velvet bow. Group three of different heights and you have a forest of tiny topiary trees that looks like it came from a fancy shop. It is a perfect Old Money Christmas touch for a sideboard or entry table. Which room would you put your little forest in?
You will need: 3 brass candlesticks, 3 small foam cones, boxwood sprigs (real or faux), hot glue (adult help), velvet ribbon.
How to make it: 1. Push the foam cone onto the candle cup and secure it with a little hot glue. 2. Starting at the bottom, press boxwood sprigs into the foam until it is covered. 3. Tie a small velvet bow at the top. 4. Group the trees by height on a tray.
A Silver Bowl Full of Ornaments
The easiest centerpiece in the world is a footed silver bowl piled high with glass ornaments. Choose colors that feel quiet and rich, like gold, cream, deep green and burgundy. A bit of tarnish on the bowl is a plus, so leave it alone. Tuck a few pine sprigs around the base and you are done in five minutes. It works on a dining table, a coffee table or a kitchen island, and everyone will think you inherited it. That is Old Money Christmas magic. Do you prefer shiny or matte ornaments?
You will need: 1 thrifted silver or silver plated bowl, 15 to 20 glass ornaments, a few pine sprigs, tissue paper to fill the bottom.
How to make it: 1. Crumple tissue paper in the bottom of the bowl so the ornaments sit higher. 2. Add the largest ornaments first. 3. Fill gaps with smaller ones in mixed colors. 4. Lay pine sprigs around the foot of the bowl.
Tartan Ribbon on Everything
If you buy only one thing this season, make it a big roll of tartan ribbon. It is the fastest way to make any room look like an old country house. Tie it around napkins, stair rails, lamp bases, cake stands and the backs of dining chairs. Red and green plaid is classic, but navy and green feels even more polished. Buy wired ribbon when you can, because the bows keep their shape all season. Where would you tie your first bow?
You will need: 2 to 3 rolls of tartan ribbon (wired if possible), sharp scissors, napkins, chairs or rails to dress.
How to make it: 1. Cut ribbon pieces about 24 inches long for napkins and 36 inches for chairs. 2. Wrap and tie a simple bow. 3. Cut the tails at an angle so they do not fray. 4. Repeat the same ribbon in three rooms so the look feels planned.
Old Money Christmas Book Page Wreath
Old books with torn covers are often free or a quarter at library sales, and their creamy yellowed pages make a gorgeous wreath. Roll each page into a cone, glue the cones onto a cardboard ring and finish with a green velvet bow. It looks like something from a grand library, and it is a wonderful Old Money Christmas piece for a study or reading corner. Please use books that are already falling apart, not treasures. Would you hang it over a desk or a bookcase?
You will need: 1 damaged old book, a cardboard or foam wreath ring, hot glue (adult help), velvet ribbon.
How to make it: 1. Tear out 60 to 80 pages. 2. Roll each page into a loose cone and glue the edge. 3. Glue the cones around the ring in two or three layers, points facing in. 4. Add the velvet bow at the bottom and hang with a ribbon loop.
Velvet Bows on Thrifted Frames
Here is a trick decorators use all the time. Tie a big velvet bow to the top of every frame on a wall, and a plain hallway suddenly looks ready for a holiday party. Gilded thrift store frames with old landscape or dog paintings are perfect for this. Red velvet looks warm and classic, while deep green feels a little more modern. The bows come off in seconds in January, so there is no commitment, just an easy Old Money Christmas moment. How many frames are on your walls right now?
You will need: Thrifted gilded frames or your own art, velvet ribbon in red or green, removable hooks or small command strips.
How to make it: 1. Cut 30 inch pieces of velvet ribbon. 2. Tie each into a full bow with long tails. 3. Attach the bow to the top of the frame wire or with a small removable strip. 4. Let the tails fall evenly down both sides.
Mini Wreaths on Thrift Store Paintings
Thrift store oil paintings are one of the best deals in decorating. Look for a snowy scene or a country landscape in an ornate gold frame. Then hang a small boxwood wreath right over the front of the painting on a thin velvet ribbon. Layering a wreath over art is a classic look in grand old homes, and it makes even a ten dollar painting feel important. Lean it on a mantel or a console with some brass pieces beside it. Do you have a painting that could use a wreath?
You will need: 1 thrifted oil painting in a gold frame, 1 small boxwood wreath (6 to 10 inches), thin velvet ribbon, a small nail or removable hook.
How to make it: 1. Dust the painting and frame with a dry cloth. 2. Tie the velvet ribbon to the top of the wreath. 3. Attach the ribbon behind the top of the frame. 4. Adjust so the wreath sits in the upper center of the painting.
Old Money Christmas Jugs of Evergreen
Old stoneware jugs and cream ironstone pitchers are the unsung heroes of an Old Money Christmas. Fill one with cut cedar, pine or holly from the yard and set it on a kitchen counter, a windowsill or a bedside table. Add a basket of pine cones beside it and you have a little winter scene that costs nothing. The worn glaze and simple shape look old and loved. Clip the branches fresh every week and they will smell like Christmas. Which windowsill could use one?
You will need: 1 or more thrifted stoneware jugs or ironstone pitchers, fresh evergreen branches, pruning shears, a small basket of pine cones.
How to make it: 1. Fill the jug halfway with water. 2. Cut branches at an angle and strip the lower needles. 3. Arrange tall stems in back and short ones in front. 4. Add a basket of pine cones beside it.
Monogrammed Linen Napkins
Old linen napkins with someone else’s initials show up in thrift store bins all the time, and they are pure gold for a holiday table. It does not matter that the letter is not yours. A monogram just looks elegant and old. Wash and press them, fold them in thirds, then tie each one with a thin tartan ribbon and a sprig of fir. Set them on cream plates with mismatched silver forks for a table that looks like a family heirloom. Will you mix and match or keep them all the same?
You will need: Thrifted linen napkins (monogrammed if you find them), thin tartan ribbon, fir or cedar sprigs, an iron.
How to make it: 1. Wash the napkins and iron them flat. 2. Fold each one in thirds lengthwise, then in half. 3. Tie a ribbon around the middle. 4. Slide a small sprig under the ribbon and set it on each plate.
Old Money Christmas Ticking Stripe Stockings
Ticking stripe fabric is the classic pillow and mattress fabric from old country houses, and it makes beautiful simple stockings. Cut two stocking shapes, sew around the edge and add a plain linen cuff. Hang them from brass hooks under a cedar garland and they look like they have been used by the same family for decades. It is the quiet, no logo Old Money Christmas version of a stocking. If you do not sew, fabric glue works too. What color stripe would you choose?
You will need: 1 yard of ticking stripe fabric, linen scraps for cuffs, thread or fabric glue, a paper stocking pattern, brass hooks.
How to make it: 1. Trace the stocking pattern twice on the fabric and cut out. 2. Sew or glue the edges, leaving the top open, and turn right side out. 3. Fold a linen strip over the top for the cuff and stitch it on. 4. Add a ribbon loop and hang.
Brass Bells on the Door
A cluster of old brass or gold bells over a doorway is one of those details that feels straight out of a classic Christmas movie. Look for sleigh bells and small hand bells at thrift stores and antique malls. Tie them to a garland over a door or loop them on the knob with ribbon, so they ring softly every time someone comes in. Kids love it, guests notice it, and it costs a few dollars. Which door in your home gets the most traffic?
You will need: 3 to 5 brass or gold bells, a short garland or wreath, ribbon, florist wire, an over the door hook.
How to make it: 1. Polish the bells lightly with a soft cloth. 2. Wire them together in a small cluster. 3. Tie the cluster to the center of the garland with ribbon. 4. Hang the garland over the door frame.
Dried Citrus and Bay Leaf Swag
Dried orange slices and bay leaves add warm color and a soft scent that feels very old fashioned in the best way. Thread them on twine with cinnamon sticks to make a swag for a mantel, a cabinet or a window. For more ideas, see our dried orange slices holiday decor ideas. Slice the oranges thin and dry them in a low oven with an adult, then let them cool before stringing. Do you love the smell of citrus at Christmas?
You will need: 4 to 5 oranges, a bag of bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, jute twine, a large needle, baking sheet.
How to make it: 1. With an adult, slice oranges thin and dry on a low oven setting for about 3 hours, turning often. 2. Let them cool completely. 3. Thread oranges and bay leaves on twine, adding a cinnamon stick every few inches. 4. Hang across a mantel or window.
Old Money Christmas Trophy Cup Tree
Old silver plated trophy cups turn up at estate sales all the time, and they make the most charming planters. Set a small live tree or a faux mini tree inside, decorate it with tiny gold ornaments and tie on a plaid ribbon. Put it on a stack of old leather books and it looks like the prize of a very fancy country house. It is the perfect finishing piece for an Old Money Christmas, and you can find more inspiration on MSN. Where would yours sit?
You will need: 1 thrifted silver trophy cup, a small potted tree that fits inside, mini gold ornaments, plaid ribbon, a few old books.
How to make it: 1. Line the cup with a plastic bag if using a live tree. 2. Set the tree in its nursery pot inside the cup. 3. Hang tiny ornaments and tie the ribbon around the cup. 4. Display it on a stack of books.
