Remember the 60's and how they promised us a future of hover cars and jet-pack travel? Well, some of us do, anyway. The rest of you can put down your Tommee Tippee cups and see why the rest of us all believed so hard.
See, our moms were busy creating space-age Christmases. Just like Ethel Peterson who had covered the face of her clock (now at a thrift shop near you) with a half-circle of gold-flocked cardboard. "Stars, pasted onto the blue crepe paper, give 'sky' effect."
Pretty potent stuff, merging forever, the idea of travel, space, and free gifts.
Here Santa rides a rocket -- which they call a "jet" ("cut from linoleum rolls and covered with shelf paper, then painted"). Not only better than that, a reindeer rests on the rings of Saturn.
What the heck can be better than typing "a reindeer rests on the rings of Saturn"? Seeing it. I can't wait to make hundreds for next year's holiday craft fair.
All you thought you had to worry about was your neighbor with the black lawn jockey...
Included in the Pacific Palisades Holiday Tour was this exotic outdoor decoration that blends East and West. Set on an outdoor patio, the antique rickshaw carries a Santa Claus figure and a collection of brightly wrapped Christmas gifts.
The coolie figure was made of papier mache with an Oriental mask face under his collie hat. This holiday display decorates the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Kalasardo of Pacific Palisades.
Found in the 1959, Better Homes & Gardens' Christmas Ideas.
Here's another version of a tissue paper flower tree, made on last year's tree frame.
Yes, "another version" -- because in this 1959 holiday magazine there's a more, err, traditional tree with tissue paper flowers. I don't honestly know if there is such a thing as a traditional tissue paper blossom decorated Christmas tree... But the other one is huge and I'm saving that one for holiday time. So you get this "diminutive" version, "just right to decorate a dining room or entrance hall table".
I'm not very surprised to find such a "spring posies on a Christmas tree" project; but I am surprised that the last year's artificial tree was plucked of the plastic needles so quickly...
Just in case you need to recycle your artificial tree -- and don't find tissue paper trees anything to sneeze at, here's the pattern & instructions.
Even though Xmas is past, don't knock the winter kids' music -- there's not a hint of Christmas in Frosty the Snowman. Recorded as a cash-in follow-up to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the silly little song gave a personality to every snowman made by kids since (well, up until Calvin took it a different direction) . We even overlook that the song ends with the disgusting death of the main character, and his ominous promise of resurrection...maybe there's something more Easter in the song than Christmas.
We got the kids a few of these toy pens by Stylus Pens (the SpongeBob Squarepants Etch A Sketch Pen & the Nerf Dart Blaster Toy Pen -- and the Star Wars Darth Vader Lego Pen I kept for myself) and they were huge hits. At such small prices, I'm thinking we'll be adding to their collection with birthdays etc.
But the best gift by far was Flarp -- just 88 cents at Walmart, it was not only the thing the three youngest (ages 4, 7 and 11) played with the most, but the thing they called their favorite gift and mentioned to others first when asked what they got for Christmas. We always say that a purchase of Flarp is the best 88 cents ever spent.
See some folks with Flarp in action:
Lessons learned? Kids are cheap thrills seekers. Just like cats.
You can spend big bucks on the latest toys, but all your cat wants is a wad of tin foil rolled into a ball to bat about, or the plastic ring on a milk jug, or a rubber band... I suspect our kids might be easily amused with the same. But we settle for cheap toy pens & Flarp -- oh, and Silly String. Every birthday party, we arm the kids and the grown-ups (all the way to Great Grandpas & Grandmas) with cans of silly string and that's their favorite part.
Taken from a 1965 Christmas craft publication, these are mostly made with things you have in your home -- so get busy this weekend!
Ooooooh, make Santas? Learn decoupage? From instructions on a record? Why a monkey could do it! ...A monkey who understands English, anyway. Now I want to decoupage a monkey.
The next few prove that retro 60's persons loved the tinfoil...
A tinfoil angel centerpiece:
A flaming tinfoil wreath:
Tinfoil snowman:
And my personal favorite, tinfoil kitty-cat cookie holders -- they're not just for Christmas anymore.
Make festive holiday chandeliers out of coat hangers and cone-shaped paper cups. No mention of light, but I guess I'm expecting too much from paper cups and hangers.
Or, you could go for something more dreamy & use all your clear glassware, filled with colored water, to make this castle.
I don't know that a castle is particularly "Christmas-y" but the 1965 holiday magazine has it in there...
Moving on.
A good hostess wears pretty holiday petti-skirts:
Use your flatware to make a lovely decorative, um... er, serving tray?
I guess your guests won't mind a fork that's been taped to a McDonald's tray... Then again, the house was likely set on fire by these candle holders made of paper.
Don't forget to stand at the door and hand out these gifts you've made for your guests who run from the fire...
Like this flamboyant hairspray can:
As the line says, "For the person who has everything..."
I know I'd enjoy holding a wet faux fur handle as I brush my teeth... And glitter in your teeth? Makes your guests want to say, "Oh no, you shouldn't have!"
But then they notice the guy next to you is getting a well-dressed pet rock:
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Flying through the air, In a private aeroplane O'er the world we go, High above the rain! Wings on airplane zoom Making spirits bright What fun it is to ride and sing A flying song tonight!
Zoom and whirr! Zoom and whirr! The sky's an open lane! Oh, what fun it is to ride In a zooming aeroplane! Zoom and whirr! Zoom and whirr! The sky's an open lane. Oh, what fun it is to ride In a zooming aeroplane!
