Inspiration for vintage holiday gifts

By Donna Rousseau

Feature Writer

“Recycle, Reuse, Re-purpose” is a song worth singing this holiday season. Decorating or gift-giving in vintage style can be fun, affordable, and on trend for anyone practicing responsible consumerism this season. For people born in the 1950s and 60s, vintage shopping is sure to bring back memories.

Enter the quintessential aluminum or white Christmas tree — if the tree spins and comes with a color-changing “spotlight” all the better! Look for them in second-hand shops and antique stores. Orphan Annie’s in Auburn, has a holiday window featuring a silver tree and a bounty of vintage holiday decor.

Vintage Christmas demands the colored lights from the larger bulbs and vintage trees must glisten with delicate glass ornaments. Classic rounds, decorations personalized in glitter, and finely detailed and fancy shapes make vintage decor sparkle and shine. Strands of shimmering silver icicles, the ones your mother agonized over placing perfectly, provide the finishing touch to a vintage tree. (Pet owners will want to forego the icicles as animals may ingest.)

Steve Montminy of Minot, holds a special place for vintage Christmas in his heart. “My mom raised five children on her own and she always made Christmas special for us. I got my love for the holidays from her.”

Montminy’s mother and grandmother gave him a treasure trove of Christmas decorations collected over two lifetimes. In addition, he and his wife, Sue, have collected characters from many of the classic holiday children’s specials including “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” along with other novelties to create a wonderland to delight their nieces and nephews.

One of Montminy’s favorites in his collection is an electrical tabletop Santa light. “Every year when we were kids, as soon as the Thanksgiving meal was through, we would pester mom to get out the Christmas decorations we stored in what we called ‘great grandma’s playhouse.’ I remember her putting the Santa light on the stove as a nightlight for us if we got up when it was dark. That Santa light must be at least 65 years old.”

Charlene Leclair of Charlene Leclair Designs, has long enjoyed decorating with and collecting vintage treasures.

“I’m all about going green,” said Leclair. She loves breathing new life into vintage finds so much so that she has created a business from her passion and has a vintage glitz and glam booth at the Auburn Flea market, formally The Barn, located on Minot Avenue across from Agren’s Appliance.

Leclair decorates trees with beaded and rhinestone clip-on earrings from the 20s, 30s and 40s and turns strands of beads into garlands She creates holiday displays from vintage hats and perfume bottles. “The period was all about glitz and sparkle,” said Leclair. “Vintage is a natural for decorating during the holidays.”

Vintage gifts make special gifts, and not just during the holidays.

“Where else can you find a pair of old opera glasses that can be made into a pendant or a gold Whiting Davis clutch?” said Leclair.

Her imagination sees beyond what something is to what it might become. Her flea market booth is accented with handmade items crafted from vintage items including earring displays fashioned from an antique picture frame and screen, and a presentation pedestal for hors’ doeuvres created from an old candle stand, small china plates and mirrors.

From the shimmer of vintage jewelry and beaded bags, comes eclectic vintage gifts for men. Antique shops, flea markets, and second-hand stores are the hideaways for such gifts as collectible lighters, antique compasses, and eclectic bar ware for the man cave.

Unique money clips, cuff links, and rings are all affordable, practical gifts for men. There is a surprising assortment of items to choose from and something different or practical for most. Ask shopkeepers like Daniel Poulin, owner of Orphan Annie’s, to help you find the perfect gift for under $20.

Find holiday inspiration outside the box this year. Try your hand at a vintage Christmas and see how something old becomes new and how unique gifts can be surprisingly affordable.