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Category: Vintage Christmas

Aluminum Christmas Trees-Vintage Christmas Decor Fun!

Have you started putting up your tree (mine is done). Now raise your hand if your home had or has an Aluminum Christmas tree (mine does not)? I so wish I did own one because I think these kinds of trees are just so darn cool!

Today’s post is going to be a fun roundup of a brief history lesson, vintage photos of the trees in “action” and of course vintage ads. Super inspiration for your Christmas decor.

Welcome to the holiday season and happy decorating!

1960s Aluminum Christmas Tree-Vintage Christmas Fun! Mid Century Christmas cool. Learn about the history of the Aluminum Christmas Tree and see fun vintage advertisement and images at the Vintage Inn Blog

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 


Aluminum Christmas Trees-Vintage Christmas Decor Fun!

Brief History of the Aluminum Christmas Tree:

In 1958, a toy sales manager saw a metal tree in a store window and brought back the idea to his company, Aluminum Specialty Company, in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The company worked to develop a light, cheap aluminum tree they dubbed “Evergleam” in time for Christmas in 1959. The retailed for $25 and in that decade the company produced more than one million aluminum trees (Source).

Homeowners often paired them with color wheels, which rotated to throw colored light onto the tree. Consumers liked them because they had an atomic, Space Age feel.  (Source).

As the mid-1960s passed, the aluminum Christmas tree began to fall out of favor, with many thrown away or relegated to basements and attics. 1965’s, A Charlie Brown Christmas helped fuel the decline of aluminum trees. Despite Lucy’s instruction to Charlie Brown to “get the biggest aluminum tree you can find” and “Maybe paint it pink,” Charlie Brown buys the sad, but very real, tree, and doomed the popularity of aluminum trees (Source).

Whether you decorate with blue or red balls . . . or use the tree without ornaments – this exquisite tree is sure to be the talk of your neighborhood. High luster aluminum gives a dazzling brilliance. Shimmering silvery branches are swirled and tapered to a handsome realistic fullness. It’s really durable . . needles are glued and mechanically locked on. Fireproof . . you can use it year after year.

— Sears, 1963 Christmas Book
1960s vintage photo of an Aluminum Christmas tree in a mid century home. Cool Vintage Christmas photo.

Source: Etsy – UncleDavesGarage

A fun, late 1950s / early 1960s photo of a girl in the cutest novely Christmas skirt hanging decorations on the tree. A train, presents and of course the much needed color wheel finish off the photo.

1950s vintage photo of a girl in a novelty 1950s skirt putting christmas decorations on the Aluminum Christmas tree. In the photo is a color wheel and a train.

Source: Pinterest

“Now…exclusive Sears design, a lighted Green-Aluminum Tree”. Chose your colour wheels to go with it.

As seen in a 1962 Sears Christmas Catalog.

Aluminum Christmas trees as seen in a 1962 Sears Catalog. The Catalog page includes the color wheels you can buy for them. Fun Vintage Christmas!

Source: Wishbookweb.com

Beyond the obvious (the tree), there is so many fun things in this Mid-Century 1960s photo. I love the all the presents so nicely wrapped, the fiberglass lampshade, that cool tv and of course the cute dog! So fun!

I think this is the same house from the image above just a different placement of the tree.

1960s vintage photo of a mid century home with an aluminum christmas tree surrounded by gifts and mid century tv and fiberglass lamp

Source: Etsy – UncleDavesGarage

1962 Sears Christmas Catalog. This page features a collection of Silver Aluminum Trees and an Aluminum Swirl Tree (with bright new pom-pom trim).

1960s Aluminum Christmas trees for sale as seen in a 1962 Sears Christmas Catalog. The page features a collection of Silver Aluminum Trees and an Aluminum Swirl Tree.

Source: WishbookWeb.com

A shopping mall tree.

vintage photo of an aluminum christmas tree in a shopping mall

1960s Ad: “Christmas Trees and Christmas Gfits made with Reynolds Aluminum”. Put a kitchen appliance under your Aluminum Christmas tree.

1960s vintage ad for Reynolds Aluminum featuring a white Aluminum Christmas tree and a woman in a 1960s dress

Source: Collectors Weekly

A well dressed 1960s lady opening Christmas presents beside her silver tree. Love the curtains in the background.

1960s vintage photo of a well dressed woman in a cocktail dress holiding a present and posing beside her Aluminum Christmas Tree.

Source: Tip Hero

“The Internationally Famous Aluminum Christmas Tree.” 1964 ad from Mard Continental Inc.

1960s vintage ad featuring an Aluminum Christmas tree -Mard Contiental Inc ad for patents.

Source: eBay

$18.50 for almost a 7ft tree WITH decorations. Incredible! -1960s catalog page.

1960s vintage catalog page featuring an aluminum christmas tree you could buy.

Source: Pinterest

1960s black cocktail dress with gloves looks lovely next to the tree. And there is the color wheel in the background (I love the color wheels).

1960s vintage photo of a woman in a black 1960s cocktail dress posing in front of her Aluminum Christmas Tree with color wheel

1959 ad for “The Merriest Christmas Ever!”, Angel Pine. “Natural” shape, stainless aluminum Christmas Trees.

1950s Vintage Ad: 1959 Original Ad for an Aluminum Christmas Tree - Angel Scotch Pine ("Natural" Shape)

Source: eBay

Shopping for Vintage Aluminum Christmas Trees & Color Wheels

Are you need of a tree for your home or maybe the color wheel that goes with it? Here a some examples I have found on Etsy & eBay at the time of posting.

NOTE: If you click on any of the items featured below and they are not available, don’t fret! Hit the search button on Etsy & eBay and see what else is on the websites. There are 1000’s and 1000’s of items being listed daily.


I have also put together an ETSY COLLECTION for Aluminum Christmas Trees & Accessories that I update Monthly (Nov 30th, 2023 update).


Sparkler 6′ Aluminum Christmas Tree complete and in original box. This tree was made by the Star Band Co. of Portsmouth, VA #S691S. The original paperwork with instructions for assembly is included and it says it was made in 1962.

1960s / Mid Century Christmas: A Sparkler 6' Aluminum Christmas Tree complete and in original box. This tree was made by the Star Band Co. of Portsmouth, VA #S691S. The original paperwork with instructions for assembly is included and it says it was made in 1962.

Source: Etsy – PJsAntiqueTreasures

Evergleam Aluminum Christmas Tree, 6 Ft Tall.

1960s / Mid Century Christmas: Evergleam Aluminum Christmas Tree Stainless 6 Ft Tall

Source: eBay

1960s Sears Holiday, Colortone Roto Color Wheel for an Aluminum Christmas Tree.

1960s Sears Holiday Colortone Roto Color Wheel For Aluminum Christmas Tree

Source: eBay

Another color wheel example.

1960s Vintage Panorama Color Wheel Christmas Light For an aluminum Christmas tree.

Source: Etsy – ChezlManouche

Okay I must confess, I actually DO own my own aluminum tree but there is a catch…it’s teeny tiny!

Here it is on my Tiki mug shelf, hanging out beside my Ohana Tiki Motor Inn mug. It’s the size of my palm and I got it from Target several years ago. The color wheel works! I would like to wish it into a bigger size though. HA!

tiny aluminum christmas tree with color wheel beside a tiki motor inn tiki mug

Thanks for dropping by and checking out this post. I hope it brought some fun memories for you and some ideas on how to add a bit of a kitschy fun vintage Christmas aesthetic to your holidays.

Share any thoughts you have about this post, in the comments section below!

Further Reading: Vintage Christmas Posts from the 1920s-1960s

Liz

Have Yourself A Very Tropical Christmas! 1920s-1960s Vintage Photos

Discover the captivating and charming visuals of vintage tropical Christmas photos from the 1920s to the 1960s.

From Florida to Hawaii, these snapshots of Yuletide cheer serve as a precious glimpse into a festive season that combined island living with holiday merriment. Explore the unique and nostalgic moments captured in these treasured photographs, some of which may even have been taken by your own grandparents!

A special article that will reignite your passion for the holiday season!

palm tree on a beach dressed as a Christmas Tree. Island Christmas

Vintage Tropical Christmas Photos

1920s – 1960s

1950s vintage photo of 2 women in 1950s swimsuits having a christmas party on Bondi Beach, Sydney Australia 1959.

1950s vintage photo of 2 women in 1950s swimsuits having a christmas party on the beach in Bondi Beach, Sydney Australia 1959

Source: Art Blart

1960s photo of Santa in the Ala Moana Mall parking lot in Honolulu, Hawaii. Is Santa holding seashells?

1960s photo of Santa in a mall parking lot Ala Moana Mall Honolulu, Hawaii

Source: Pinterest

In 1958, Liberace’s Deep Well Estate home was chosen by the Palm Springs Villager magazine as the Home-of-the-Month for December.

His home included a large fireplace that dominated the black and white living room. That year, during the holidays, the entire living room was transformed into a winter wonderland with trees, snowmen and icicles hanging on eaves overlooking the pool (Source).

1958 vintage photo of Liberace Christmas Home in Palm Springs. photo shows Liberace sitting at his bar with Christmas decor around.

Source: Palm Springs Life

Want to enjoy your Christmas Tree while hanging out by the pool? Why not add it INSIDE the pool? 1957 Vintage Photo.

Christmas tree in a pool in this 1950s vintage photo from 1957

Source: Pinterest

Christmas Music Guidebook: A Hawaiian Holiday Hullabaloo (Hawaiian Holiday albums)

Excerpt: “The concept of Christmas carols with an island twist might seem a bit incongruous at first glance, but these two disparate flavors have combined for some hugely memorable music.  The Andrews Sisters set the standard for South Seas caroling when they released Christmas Island in 1946, and repeated the trick a few years later in 1949, when they convinced Bing Crosby to stop longing for a “White Christmas” long enough to make Mele Kalikimaka part of the national vocabulary.

Still, it wasn’t until the late ’50s that this combination reached full bloom.  Hawaii’s ascension to statehood in the late 1950s, the rise of Tiki culture, and the national surfing craze that followed the release of the Gidget novel and movie sparked a rush of Polynesian-themed product – inevitably, Christmas albums followed.

1950s Christmas Album-Christmas from Hawaii by the Surfers

Source: Depth of Field

Christmas on a Southern California beach in the 1930s.

Christmas on a Southern California Beach in the 1930s

Source: Pinterest

1950s photo of a couple sunbathing by the sea at Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1955 by Slim Aarons.

A couple sunbathing by the sea at Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1955 by Slim Aarons

Source: Pinterest

Santa (in his shorts) and swimmers on the beach, Los Angeles 1927.

Santa and Swimmers on the Beach, Los Angeles 1927

Source: Gray Flannel Suit

1954 vintage photo of Santa Claus water skiing with a female friend in her cute holiday themed swimsuit.

1954 vintage photo of Santa Claus Water Skiing With Female Friend

Source: 1000museums.com

1950s photo of Santa on a boat.

1950s vintage photo of santa on a boat.

Source: Fans in a flashbulb

Question time: Do you live somewhere warm (or travelled / travels to a warm destinations) and celebrate Christmas? Share what you do to bring a winter feeling to your holiday in the comments section below.

Last but not least I wanted to showoff some of my Christmas looks for all the fun events I was able to squeeze in before Omicron hit. My fav was Mr & Mrs. Claus with my husband (he is wearing my grandfathers suit from the 1970s). I am also very proud of my “Tree-ara” that I made out of bottle brush trees, cotton balls and a vintage deer I have had for years. So fun!

Vintage Christmas Looks for the Holiday season by the Vintage Inn Blog. Kitschmas, pinup, rockabilly and vintage hairstyle looks.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays friends!

Further Reading: Vintage Christmas Blog Posts from the 1920s-1960s

Liz