This Week: Christmas Antiques

I have certain antiques that I use just for Christmas. Some are actual Christmas decorations, such as old glass ornaments and a table top Santa, while others are not. I use an old sled to hold my Christmas teddy bears and other holiday stuffed animals. I have not figured out another way to use the sled in or around my house for the other 11 months of the year, so I use it only in December. Country Junque has a sled just like the one I have, so if you have a lot of Christmas bears, you may just want to try the same display in your home.

As a Peanuts collector, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is the focal point of my holiday decorations. I have been collecting ornaments forever, but in the last several years I have added other items that I have found in antiques stores or on line. This year "A Charlie Brown Christmas" celebrates its 45-year anniversary, so more stores than ever are selling items to celebrate that milestone.

I was able to add things to my collection by taking a trip to CVS where I bought a plush Charlie Brown that plays the Linus and Lucy theme, a nativity set and an ornament. CVS was also the place I bought my own little tree a few years ago, and they are selling it again this year, too. It is also available at Rite Ai, where you can also buy some lighted outdoor decorations featuring Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

I use a lot of my white Ironstone dishes and platters as the bases for holiday displays, since the colors of the season pop off the neutral base. My favorite way to use an antique plate is to place a pillar candle in the middle of it, then surround the candle with cranberries and a few holly leaves.

I bought an old crock several years ago after seeing a picture of one holding a small Christmas tree in a magazine. I have a small house, so a three to four-foot tree works best in my space. I put the tree right in the crock with some water and that is it. No tree stand to fuss with, no worrying if the tree is straight and no loud crashes in the night because I did not make the screws on the stand tight enough. One year I put the crock on the sled and used an old water tub to hold the teddy bears. I must say, both of those displays were too cute for words.

I also repurpose some of my antiques for the month of December. The small Windsor chair I use in my bathroom as a toilet paper holder now holds one of the two Christmas bears I do not put on the sled. The scale and color of the chair work so well with the bear sitting on it that I cannot help but make the small change to my house. The old white wicker rocker in my bedroom that usually holds some of my children's books is now home for the other holiday teddy bear that I want to have a place of honor. It also brings a little more Christmas to a room that does not get as much decorating attention as the main areas of the house.