Unique Christmas ornaments to find at your local thrift store

The holiday season is the perfect time to heat up some mulled wine,  watch old movies on TV and pull out the decorations handed down from grandma. They go perfectly with Nat King Cole singing “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” You can enhance those vintage vibes even more by thrifting for vintage ornaments. 

And by keeping traditions alive on your tree, your ornaments become more of a collection than a trendy decoration scheme. This means they’ll last longer and reduce the amount of plastic waste created during the holidays. Each year you hang them, you’ll have long lasting memories about when and where you found them. 

Our favorite preloved ornaments

Vintage tree toppers

Tall, reflective and globular, these beauties definitely have a look. They spike up towards the ceiling with a pointy tip. Try to find ones that have inverted stars for a real vintage treat. They’ll shimmer with their space age appeal and make your living room twinkle. 

Wooden Christmas ornaments

Nicknacks like painted wooden nutcrackers, toy trains and pinocchio ornaments look fantastic on a tree. Their primary colors and smooth wooden surfaces make it look like you’ve been to a toy factory from the 1940s. They do tend to weigh down the branches, though, so you might need to hang them from your drawer handles or door knobs instead of directly on the tree. 

Felt Christmas ornaments

These cute, soft and puffy ornaments definitely make me smile. I love it when they’re decorated with buttons, embroidery or sequins. That personal handmade touch makes you want to know the story behind them. And they come in all kinds of shapes: snowmen, trees, gingerbread men, Santa faces, reindeer and more. They’re super easy to make, too, so if you can’t find them by thrift shopping, you can definitely make them as a fun Christmas project at home. 

Doily lace snowflakes

Whoever spent the time making these delicate, hand-crafted ornaments deserves to have their work shown again and again on your tree. These dainty threaded gems will give your tree that winter look no matter how warm or cold the weather is this year. 

Hand-painted ornaments 

Back when ornaments were handmade, you could find uneven stripes painted around Christmas tree balls. This hand-craftsmanship is the true charm of vintage tree ornaments. They inspire us to think back to our great grandparents’ lifestyles when things were not mass produced and the holidays weren’t quite as commercialized. 

Frosty pine cones

You know the ones I’m talking about. The pine cones with white painted tips covered in sparkles. Nothing says Christmas like a pine cone dangling from a red ribbon tied to a paper clip to hook on to your tree. 

Give the gift of thrift this year and shop our holiday gift guide.