- Families have long decked out their homes for the holidays.
- Some decor, such as tinsel, stayed in style for decades, even as materials changed.
- Innovations, such as colorful electric lights and mass-produced flocked trees, modernized displays.
With Thanksgiving behind us and the holiday season in full swing, many families are decking the halls.
While some common holiday decorations like tinsel, ceramic Christmas trees, and colorful stockings might feel more nostalgic, they are back in style, as people look for comfort and connection that more modern elements can't always conjure.
Many resurgent decorating trends, from cranberry or orange garlands to vintage Christmas villages, can either be made at home or found in thrift stores — good news for the 85% of people who said they plan to spend the same amount or less on the holidays this year compared to 2024, WalletHub reported.
Take a look back at how people decorated their homes for the holidays in years past.
By the 1920s, some families were decorating their Christmas trees with electric lights.
An associate of Thomas Edison thought up the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees back in 1882, History.com reported, replacing the long-held tradition of attaching lit candles to branches.
By the 1930s and '40s, families were decorating their Christmas trees with festive candy canes and strands of tinsel.
Tinsel has gone through various iterations. Initially made from silver, which indicated wealth, it was switched for cheaper metals that didn't sully so easily, such as copper and tin, The BBC reported.
However, a copper shortage in World War I gave way to aluminum and lead tinsel, which in turn led to concerns over fires and poisoning, The BBC reported. Eventually, PVC was used.
History.com reported that candy canes got their start in Germany in the 17th century, and were brought to the US by a German-Swedish immigrant in the 1800s. The mint flavor was first introduced in the 20th century.
Wartime shortages in the 1940s meant families had to use handmade or natural ornaments.
In place of tinsel and metallic ornaments, items like pinecones and nuts adorned families' trees, The National WWII Museum reported.
There was even a shortage of real Christmas trees around that time because there were fewer people to cut them down and fewer train lines with space to transport them. Instead, American families turned to artificial trees.
Christmas stockings were typically made of red or green felt and trimmed with bells.
People still use similar stockings today, hung by the fireside with care.
By the mid-1950s, tinsel and other elaborate decorations were back in full swing.
There were tinsel garlands or long strands of metallic tinsel called icicles, like on the tree shown above.
Hanukkah tables were often decorated with ornate tablecloths.
Menorahs could also be simple or ornate to match the tablescape.
In the 1950s, ornaments became more uniform, and colored lights were firmly in fashion.
By the 1920s, 40 years after the invention of the electric Christmas light, colorful versions were on the market. By the 1950s, they had become more widespread.
For holiday meals, families would break out a red tablecloth and festive-colored taper candles.
Taper candles are still commonly used in holiday table settings.
Strands of pearlescent beads were used to decorate Christmas trees in the 1960s.
"Silver and Gold," a famous Christmas song performed by Burl Ives in the 1964 film "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," embodied the Christmas tree-decorating trends of the time.
Some families, like President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, adorned their trees with strands of popcorn, colorful flowers, and mismatched ornaments.
White House Christmas decorations have remained traditional but are more extravagant than they were in the 1960s.
"Flocked" trees covered in fake snow were also trendy in the 1960s.
Flocked trees date back to the 19th century, when people first used flour and other materials to give the impression of snowy branches.
By the 1960s, the trees were being mass-produced, but some people DIY-ed the look by dipping their tree branches in laundry starch, an approach now discouraged due to fire hazards.
Lawn ornaments like snowmen and reindeer also grew in popularity.
Inflatable versions of these vintage-looking lawn ornaments are still commonly seen today.
Families in the 1970s embraced colorful decorations with tinsel garlands and knit stockings.
Some holiday decorating trends never go out of style.
One popular decoration was the light-up ceramic Christmas tree.
The trees are popular again today and can be found at stores including Aldi, Target, Pottery Barn, and Home Depot.
Christmas villages were also popular, and people would collect different scenes to create a miniature town for their mantel.
People would often add cotton wool or sparkly white felt to create a snowy environment for their miniature Christmas villages. This decorating trend is still popular today, either new or secondhand.
Many trends have remained the same throughout the years.
However, elaborate light displays are one trend that probably would have seemed out of place 100 years ago.
