Walk into a vintage shop today and you’ll see them. Those weird, shimmering silver trees. Brightly colored glass ornaments that look like UFOs. The 1960s weren't just about the Beatles or the Space Race; they completely overhauled how we celebrate the holidays. If you look at your own living room this December, chances are you’re still living in the shadow of the mid-century aesthetic.
The 1960s were loud.
Decorations moved away from the subtle, naturalistic greenery of the Victorian era and dove headfirst into the "Space Age." It was a decade of plastic, aluminum, and bold, saturated colors. People weren't just decorating; they were making a statement about the future. It was a weird, optimistic time.
The Aluminum Christmas Tree Revolution
The most iconic piece of Christmas decorations in the 1960s has to be the Evergleam aluminum tree. Produced primarily by the Aluminum Specialty Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, these weren't meant to look like real trees. Not even close. They were metallic. They were pink, gold, or silver. Most importantly, they were fire hazards if you tried to put traditional string lights on them.
Because you couldn't put lights directly on a conductive metal tree, the "Color Wheel" became a staple of the American living room. This was a rotating motorized disc with four panes of colored glass—usually red, green, blue, and amber—that sat on the floor. As it spun, it bathed the silver needles in shifting hues. It was mesmerizing. It was also incredibly noisy. The low hum of the motor was the soundtrack to many 1960s Christmas mornings. By the mid-60s, these trees were selling by the millions.
But then, A Charlie Brown Christmas aired in 1965.
It’s hard to overstate how much that one television special changed things. When Linus and Charlie Brown mocked the "shiny green aluminum trees" in favor of a spindly, real sapling, it triggered a slow decline for the metallic trend. People started feeling a little guilty about the commercialism. They started wanting "real" things again. Yet, the aluminum tree remains the ultimate symbol of 1960s kitsch today, often fetching hundreds of dollars on the secondary market.
🔗 Read more: United States Post Office Pickup: How to Actually Get It to Work Without Losing Your Mind
Bubbling Lights and C7 Bulbs
Lighting changed too. Before the 60s, lights were often heavy and dangerous. While the 1960s still used the massive C7 and C9 ceramic bulbs—the ones that would practically melt a hole in your thumb if you touched them—the "Bubble Light" was the real star of the show.
Invented by Carl Otis and popularized by NOMA, these were glass tubes filled with a chemical called methylene chloride. When the incandescent bulb at the base heated up, the liquid would boil at a very low temperature, sending a steady stream of bubbles up the tube. It felt like science fiction.
If you grew up then, you probably remember the frustration of a light string going out. Because most sets were wired in a series, one burnt-out bulb meant the entire house went dark. You’d spend three hours on a ladder in the freezing cold, unscrewing every single bulb one by one to find the culprit. It was a rite of passage. It was also a test of patience that most modern homeowners would never tolerate.
The Tinsel Problem
Then there was the tinsel. Oh, the tinsel.
Today we use thin plastic strips that are mostly annoying because they get stuck in the vacuum. In the early 1960s, tinsel was often made of lead-foil. It hung beautifully. It stayed exactly where you put it because it had weight. It also happens to be a neurotoxin.
Parents would spend hours "icicling" the tree. You weren't supposed to just throw it on; you had to hang it strand by strand. By the time the 1970s rolled around, the FDA began cracking down on lead-based products, leading to the transition to the lightweight, static-prone plastic tinsel we use today. If you find vintage 1960s tinsel in an attic, don't let the kids touch it. It’s a literal relic of a less-regulated era.
Ornaments: From Shiny Brite to DIY
If you look at the ornaments from the early 60s, they were almost all glass. The Shiny Brite company dominated the market. These weren't just round balls; they were "indents" or "reflectors." They had concave centers that caught the light from those hot C7 bulbs and projected it back into the room.
Colors weren't just red and green. We're talking:
📖 Related: Finding the Rainbow Fish Story Online: Why This Simple Fable Still Sparks Fierce Debate
- Turquoise
- Magenta
- Chartreuse
- Atomic Gold
Everything was vibrant. However, as the decade progressed and the counterculture movement took hold, there was a shift toward "handmade" aesthetics. People started making ornaments out of felt, sequins, and even dried dough. It was a reaction to the slick, factory-made look of the early 60s. The "Mod" look gave way to a "Back to the Land" vibe.
The Outdoor Display Arms Race
The 1960s was the decade of the suburban lawn display. Post-war prosperity meant more people owned homes with front yards, and they wanted their neighbors to see their success. This was the era of the giant blow-mold plastic figures.
Blow-molding allowed companies to mass-produce hollow, lightweight Santas, Reindeer, and Snowmen that could be lit from the inside. They were durable, weatherproof, and massive. A 1964 Sears catalog would show entire nativity scenes made of this plastic. It was the birth of the "Christmas Light Show" culture. Suddenly, it wasn't enough to have a wreath on the door. You needed a four-foot tall illuminated Rudolph on the roof.
Why We Still Care About 1960s Decor
Nostalgia is a powerful drug, but there’s more to it than that. The Christmas decorations in the 1960s represented a peak in American manufacturing and a specific kind of design fearlessness. Designers like Christopher Radko eventually built empires just by trying to recreate the look of these mid-century glass ornaments.
We see the influence today in "Retro-Mod" collections at Target or West Elm. People are tired of the beige, minimalist "Sad Beige Christmas" trend. They want the chaos of the 60s. They want the magenta ornaments and the flickering bubble lights. It feels more human, even if it was made of plastic and lead.
The 1960s were a transition. They started with the sleek, cool lines of Mad Men and ended with the earthy, DIY spirit of the early 70s. Christmas reflected that perfectly. It moved from the formal, silver-plated holiday to something more experimental and, frankly, a lot more fun.
If you want to bring this look into your home today without the lead poisoning or the fire hazards, start small.
Find a vintage-style rotating color wheel and pair it with a modern white or silver tree. Look for "reflector" style glass ornaments that mimic the old Shiny Brite designs. The goal isn't to create a museum piece; it's to capture that specific 1964 feeling of looking at a tree and seeing the future.
Practical Steps for a 1960s Style Holiday
- Hunt for "Indents": Search eBay or local antique malls for Shiny Brite boxes. Even if the paint is flaking, they have a patina that modern plastic cannot replicate.
- Avoid the Lead: If you find old tinsel, keep it as a collectible in the box. Use modern "Mylar" tinsel for the actual tree, but apply it the 60s way: strand by strand, not in clumps.
- The Color Wheel Trick: You can buy LED versions of the old 1960s color wheels now. They don't get hot, they don't hum, and they still give that weirdly beautiful shifting light effect on a metallic surface.
- Blow-Mold Magic: If you find a vintage plastic Santa at a yard sale, grab it. They are becoming highly collectible. Just make sure to replace the old wiring with a modern, fused outdoor cord for safety.
The 1960s were about optimism. Even when the world felt like it was falling apart, the decorations were bright, shiny, and bold. Maybe that’s why we’re so obsessed with them right now. We could all use a little more of that atomic-age glow.