Christmas is a holiday that inspires nostalgia to many.
Having an old fashioned Christmas tree is one way families celebrate warm comforting memories of their earlier years.
While the use of Christmas trees originated in Europe, by the 1880’s the custom was popular in the United States.
Although what one thinks of as an old fashioned Christmas tree may vary to each person, to me it comes from early childhood and from watching old Christmas specials on TV.
To me, an “Old Fashioned Christmas Tree” is not a live Christmas tree with wooden antique looking toys or home-made craft decorations, as it is to so many others.
Although decades before my time, to me it’s a 1940’s Christmas tree. These trees are seen by all on black and white movies such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” , “Christmas in Connecticut” , etc.
Do you remember seeing the wide tree with its outstretched arms, the screw in lights, and all the tinsel?
My Christmas tree consists of the old screw in Christmas lights, and tinsel. Old fashioned Christmas decorations are mostly large tarnished glass ornaments. There are not any newer ornaments or decorations to disrupt the harmony.
The original cardboard boxes are so fragile as are the ornaments. Thankfully today they still make replacement bulbs and now they also sell replacement bubbler lights in reproduction boxes using the “Noma” name.
Bubbler lights were manufactured to replace real wax candles on the tree.
All these old fashioned Christmas decorations are great but more important than the decorations is the TREE ITSELF. The tree must be an old fashioned Christmas tree style.
To get a true period feel, Old fashioned Christmas tree decorations WITHOUT the type of Christmas tree used during the era, would look like Victorian ornamentation on a ranch house.
During the period, the Balsam Christmas trees were most popular. They were very skimpy with giant spaces between the branches. Hideous by today’s standards.
They are what some now refer to as a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. This is how the trees were naturally and that is what was available for sale.
Well I would say during the 1980’s or so, the public began to prefer fuller trees. To satisfy this request the Christmas tree growers started to shear their trees in the summer to make them grow fuller.
This worked fine because most people were using small low wattage Christmas lights, smaller ornaments, and replaced the use of tinsel with garland.
By the early 1990’s the traditional old fashioned Christmas tree was not to be found.
Today there are many varieties of Christmas trees including the original old fashioned Balsam. All these trees however are now more like landscape trees.
They are as thick as hedges for buyers consider a thicker fuller tree a better specimen. The difficulty of hanging ornaments on a full tree is no longer even considered.
Don’t use this however.
Old fashioned Christmas tree from the 1940’s.
It’s a Wonderful Life Christmas (1946)
Christmas ornament box.
Vintage glass Christmas ornaments.
Old fashioned Christmas bubble lights replaced real wax lighted candles.
You can now buy an authentic reproduction of these lights. Noma Old Fashioned Bubble Lights as Amazon.
Traditional tree with large spaces between branches for tinsel and large ornaments. Most people would never buy this tree nor understand how it needs to be decorated. (sounds like a lot of old house owners)
What do you do if you want an old-style tree?
For me there was an exhaustive state wide search. This was very important especially when my house was open to the public for a Historic House Tour during Christmas. The tree had to be perfect.
The solution was to purchase a large 30 foot or so tree and use the top. The top was cut off for me at the tree farm.
At times I found some neglected trees in the back of tree farms I could use. At the Christmas tree farms I was told that a full hedge like tree is what people expect – what people now look for in a Christmas tree has evolved. I however refuse to give in!
You’re probably thinking that a full tree could be thinned out by cutting out some of the branches. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way – I wish it did.
My tree is purchased about two weeks before Christmas and decorated about a week before.
I live in a private home. I am not a retail business that needs to decorate in October to try to get people to spend money.
I also believe in keeping the Christmas season alive until February 2nd (Candlemas day). Just because the stores in the mall take down their decorations at New Years I refuse to feel intimidated by them or the majority of the population cleaning up early.
I keep my house cool and the tree is very fresh up to the end.
Monkeyface sitting in front of tree.
One of the few photos taken with a flash.
B&W photo looks like it could be from an old movie.
So this is my story about what I have to go through each year to find a Christmas tree. It’s not easy being me sometimes!
Short needles, wide spaces between branches make room for tinsel and vintage ornaments.
The tinsel and large lights and ornaments fill in the spaces and make the tree look full.
Update: Old Fashioned Christmas Tree
For those who want an old fashioned christmas tree, there are other options. While not wide like the 1940’s tree this tree is definitely old fashioned. A Silvertip Fur is found in the upper elevations of the California and Oregon mountains.The good news is that although they are not that popular they can still be found out west.
For those who have a Victorian house and really want to be authentic there is the Victorian Feather Tree. Almost a lost art, there are only a couple people making them anymore. (Thanks for the photos Pam)
Silvertip Fur for an old fashioned Christmas tree.
Victorian feather tree.
A lot of people have inquired about finding old fashioned Christmas trees. If you have a source please post the information in the comments. Please remember to list your location for people from all over are reading this.
Before you go check this out. 1926 Yuletide Lighting catalog from General Electric .
or will she . . .
Yes, this tree feels right. I live in an old house and now I realize why I’ve been uninspired by puffy Christmas trees. Love the look of the tree all decked out.
Thanks – Well a guy at a tree farm said he is getting requests for this type and he was thinking of growing a few un-sheered trees. I hope he does. Maybe it will catch on. This is so foreign to someone young unless they are an old movie buff and pay attention to the Christmas trees.
Agreed these are beautiful trees
Germany really is old-fashioned in some respects. When I first moved here, I was horrified by the Christmas trees for sale. My husband could not believe the full, American trees are real trees and not plastic. He swears trees do not grow like that. Over time, I adjusted. I don’t do the lit candles like Germans used to, for safety reasons. However, aside from childhood ornaments, most are handmade by me over the years and some years we string popcorn and cranberries.
i bough the charlie brown-ist tree i could find this year, and next year, i plan to really go for this look again. do you have any tips on getting the bubble lights to stand up straight? i’ve been struggling for weeks.
It’s not easy. What I wound up doing is using binder clips to clip the wire to the branch. Not the best thing to be pressing against an electric wire though.
The lights should always be towards the end of a branch where the one branch forks out into 3 branches. Sit it on the center branch and the other branches will help support it. You still may need a few clips since the light is so top heavy. That’s what I do – does anyone else have a suggestion?
I was born in the fifties and my family always used bubble lights. My father would use electrical wire to hold each light in place.
Try small craft mini cloths pins the spring should put less pressure on the wire yet firm to hold the lights. Some have a short end and should not stick out as much.
Another option is to get the clear clip on light holders that they make for the exterior lights.
Have you tried green pipe cleaners? I use them to hold several quirky ornaments in place on my tree
Born in 1959, began putting up the vintage tree a few years ago. I get to do it every three years as i have to compete my wife. Three different types of old lights, lead tinsel, glass ornaments, old red pan tree stand, large vintage chalk nativity set and vintage toys and board games lay around the tree. Guests love the memories
Try cable ties, they’re plastic and nonconductive. Bonus they come in colors so you can match it to your tree and are readily available at most hardware stores and online.
Hi. On the bubbler tip is a groove. Take the longest ornament hook you can find, twist it around this groove and hang it to the closest upper branch. It will hold the bubbler upright. This is on my original bubbler box back panel. Hope this helps. Frank
Yes yes yes!!!
A thousand times yes. I cannot imagine a more classic tree than that of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.”
I was lucky enough to inherit all of my families old faded crazed glass ornaments (from both sides.) Unfortunately I was unlucky enough to have my tree fall over this Christmas, taking countless ornaments down with it…
But all is not lost, because of my “more is more” aesthetic, I have PLENTY more ornaments to fill in the gaps.
And may I just say, that after perusing your posts, it is so refreshing to read someone who “gets it” about old houses. I live in a brick and wood beauty from the 1890s…I’ll never ever ever slap up plastic on it. And my storm door has already been removed. But I might have to hire you for a consultation before we repaint next year…it’s currently an uninspiring white and cream.
Thanks for doing what you do!
-Michelle
I love the old fashioned Christmas tree look. When I was married in 1977 we use to buy the old fashion balsam tree and everyone loved it. We also used the old tin reflectors that look lovely. We can’t find this type of tree anymore. We live in Maryland. I don’t know if that makes a difference or not. Can you tell me were we can buy the old fashioned balsam?
Thank you
Hi – the Balsams come from up north but are sheared these days. You will have to find a substitute such as a Frazier fur and do what I did. Good luck!
I LOVE these photos! I’ve never been able to find a tree like these. What exactly is this type of tree called? Just balsam? I’ll travel 200 miles just to find one of these…thanks!
Just Balsam as far as I know.
I’ve always loved the Balsam tree. Since they’re no longer available, I just look for the less full Frazier Fir tree. It needs to be 8′ tall and WIDE, wider the better. Icicles are a must, and still use the C7 lights. Can’t wait to find my perfect Christmas tree.
I too am a lover of old fashioned Christmas trees. Here in Wisconsin we can purchase a $5 permit from the DNR to cut a “wild” tree from anywhere in the National Forest. It’s been a holiday tradition for my family for years. Now if I could just find that really crinkly tinsel that used to be available. Any tips?
You can still get it here.
http://www.amazon.com/BRITE-Silver-18-Inch-Icicle-Tinsel/dp/B002SAPUNW/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0S1VZV0EAM6NGN319EVZ/kenroginskihisto
To get the true “real old fashioned” look of tinsel, you need to get the original lead or lametta tinsel, which you can find on eBay. But buy now, out of season. You’ll get a much better deal. And buy more than one box. You save and reuse it, but you’ll need to replenish the broken pieces each year. Yes, it’s lead, don’t let the kids touch it, but it is what will give you the really true old fashioned look. I’ve used the newer stuff but it just doesn’t look right. We used it until we had kids, then used the newer plastic stuff until last year when they are old enough to not touch everything.
Great info!
You can find the icicles (tinsel) at Walmart or Dollar General Stores. I’ve used it a few times in the past and I still have a box from last year. It’s less than a $1 a box. It’s there, you just have to look for it. I saw some at Dollar General last week.
Angela the tinsel sold today which you mention is NOT real lead tinsel. Real lead tinsel is heavy weight, hangs perfectly even if you only put a tiny bit over the branch and let the rest hang. Modern tinsel slithers off onto the floor at the slightest provocation, real lead tinsel stays on the tree. Real lead tinsel develops crinkles or comes with crinkles, Mylar NEVER crinkles. You want real lead tinsel (it has a shiny tin coating) and no, real lead tinsel will not harm you unless you eat it which is not recommended.
You are looking for real lead tinsel (has a tin coating which is the shine!) Go to ebay and you will find real lead tinsel. DON’T BE FOOLED BY THOSE CLAIMING “VINTAGE” TINSEL as Mylar tinsel is now over 50 years old and not what you want. Don’t buy any package which uses any of these words: lightweight (lead tinsel is heavy, “lightweight was used in an attempt to glorify the new plastic stuff which is horrible), metalized plastic, saran, metalized. Real lead American tinsel is available on ebay. It is crinkled because it came packed loose in boxes and shifting around during transit cause it to crinkle before you bought it. From around 1960-1970 real lead American tinsel was sold in printed cellophane packages.
German real lead tinsel came packed flat in folders and it will be crinkled after you use it one season on your tree. Real tinsel may be picked off the tree at the end of the season and stored by rolling the hank of used tinsel in a piece of recycled gift wrap and bringing it out again the next year to hang on the tree again. IF IN DOUBT ASK THE SELLER to GUARANTEE that you are buying real lead tinsel.
great info – thanks
I bought the old fashioned tinsel you mention from Vermont Country Store around 5 years ago. It has on the front of the package, “beidseitig verzinnt” and the words Brilliant Eislametta. It is just what we used on our tree in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Hangs beautifully. It is not the UGLY and flimsy plastic tinsel you buy now.
When I lived in Maine we were allowed to do this with just a permit. No fee, but I would’ve happily paid a fee! I moved back to Ohio, and it is not allowable to cut down trees in national forests. Bummer.
I have also searched for a thinned out type tree. I am in search of the old fashioned ones that you put the branches in the holes. I figured I could make as thin as I wanted. I would love to have the real Balsam but thought this might be a temporary solution. Any ideas of where I could find one of these? Thanks
I’m hoping to find this type of tree also for 2016, I live in Biloxi MS so I can’t just go search the forest! I did find this website today though, says they ship unsheared, low density Balsam Firs: http://www.treichelstrees.com/home.htm
Thank you for the website! That’s just the tree we were looking to put up in our 1920’s Bungalo.
I still look for these trees each year. I occasionally find one but not often enough.
They’re becoming ‘extinct’ in the world of Christmas trees. How the dense, puffy and awkward looking trees became a symbol of the Christmas season is beyond me! The simple elegance and beauty of the un-sheered balsam Christmas tree leaves me with lasting memories. And they are so easy to decorate from their large lower bows to the perfect top prop for my favorite star. I live in the snowy north east where the “Currier and Ives” Christmas was born! Does anyone know where I could find a tree like this? I live in New York.
Lived in Germany for quite a while and the unsheared “Charlie Brown” christmas tree is still popular there. And many still use candles on the tree–just for short periods under supervision. Although having space for ornaments is great, many were so thin that they took some imagination to decorate, even with my large collection of ornaments. I used ribbons, garlands and lots of the lightweight German straw ornaments to fill it in, as well as many ornaments that can be clipped or wired to branches. I also like the traditional glass tree topper.
My mother used lots of tinsel, carefully hung strand by stand and saved from year to year. I dislike the mess and prefer old-fashioned icicles. I do use a lot of wooden ornaments with my mother’s Shiny Brights. I use layers of egg crate bed toppers cut to size in a rolling foot locker for most of my non-glass ornaments. packed in layers, from smallest on the bottom to largest on top, and the tree skirt folded on top. That way, the big ones come out first, to be hung to fill the holes and in the inner parts of the tree and then the middle and smaller ones to fill in. Much better than lots of little flimsy boxes.
For lots of info on mid-century Christmas decorations, check out retrorenovation.com . Loads of great info for mid-century homes, mostly from the 1940s-70s, although some info on “midcentury modest” (minimal traditional) homes dating earlier.
Starting the 2017 Christmas Tree search and googled something like “open and airy Christmas trees with spaces between the branches” and fortunately found your site because it was the only one that helped me. We want a natural tree as you describe and at least I know now what I am looking for!
The quest for perfect, old-fashioned Christmas tree ends in California with the magnificent “Silver Tip Fir.” It is a symmetrical tree that has tiers of branches spaced at wide intervals. We get two. One is for our Austrian, crystal ornaments, which include long icicles that just won’t hang on any other sort of tree; this tree goes in the formal living room with white, twinkle lights. The other tree is a smaller on for the family room. The children always decorated this one as the wooden, German ornaments, which are far less fragile than the crystal.
We visit my family’s 105-year old Victorian outside Chicago for a week during the Christmas season, which isn’t long enough for anything but an artificial tree, all of which are even more objectionable than the live, bushy ones. I searched for days before I came across something called a “Feather Tree.” Apparently the Germans had been deforesting the countryside by cutting the tops off trees for their Christmas trees. After the practice was banned, they needed a substitute. Feather Trees are said to be the first artificial tree, brought to the US by German immigrants in the 1800s and widely used in Victorian homes for their old-fashioned ornaments. Perfect! Mine is being hand-made with goose feathers as I write. I’ll see if I can post photos.
Love this article. I have been trying to figure how to thin a puffy Frazier Fir. Cut every other row of branches?? Any advice please?
I don’t think it can be done once it’s sheared.
Love the balsam trees. That’s what we had in the fifties. Saving the lead
tinsel from year to year…memories! Have been looking for an artificial
Balsa m tree. I found one about 5 1/5feet at Target. I just finished decorating
it with retro garlands and vintage ornaments, battery operated candles.
Looks pretty good for artificial. Needed to put a couple eye hooks with wire
to secure the tree so my cats don’t cause a fallen tree…lol. ????
Enjoyed visiting your site. Merry Christmas to all! ??? And may we all
have the trees of our dreams.
There is a site called treetime. I am lucky there is one not too far away. They have a tree called FanFare. I bought the four foot one. It has lots of space for ornaments. I have the old c-6 lights on it. The old leaded tinsel and it looks great. May have to get the 7 foot one next.
I think I love you!
I have searched for a tree like this for years. Two Christmases ago I finally found a tree farm that sold these natural, ungroomed trees about 15 minutes from our home in New Hampshire. It was my favorite tree ever, but unfortunately came with a ton of spiders. This year (2017), these trees started popping up all over the decor community in blogland. I expect they will be all over the place in 2018 due to Nordic inspiration and influencers on blogs and instagram. Some retailers are even starting to carry fake versions of these trees including Grandinrod, Pottery Barn and Target.
Hello all,
I am in search for more info about where I can buy a sparse branched Christmas tree. I have been looking for a fake one, but not having great luck finding one that looks super realistic. If you have any info for me, it would be most helpful!
Look on Amazon.
I got this artificial one and love it.
National Tree Company
4.6 out of 5 stars 11 Reviews
National Tree 7.5 Foot Feel Real Norwegian Spruce Tree, Hinged (PENG4-500-75)
There are several companies that have them on Amazon. They are really expensive some places. Look at Amazon. Read the reviews.
Hey ! Just saw this post. I was actually looking on line for REAL GLASS multi colored twinkling lights. All the big stores – Walmart /Target – have “glass” but it’s NOT GLASS like I had when I was a kid. It’s cheap feeling and looking. Do you have a place you buy REAL glass lights? Are there any out there?
Thank ,Shannon
Best place to get old Christmas lights is at garage sales. Also check craigs list. People are getting rid of this stuff all the time.
Hi. On my farm I have a ton of old school style pines. I am in Minnesota and throngs on people from the Minneapolis St. Paul metro area are literally going nuts for my natural looking trees. To the point I’m going to start planting more. Not sure how to upload a pic here. But someone literally paid me a very large amount of money to druve up and cut one for them. A lady that remembers “Grandpa & Grandma’s” old Christmas trees. I thought no one appreciated them but me. Wow. Apparently they are making a huge come back.
If anyone in Minnesota, Dakotas, Wisconsin, or Iowa would like to come take a look before Christmas, Please feel free to contact me. I’m not saying I need large sums of cash for them. But it does supplement a farm income and ensures that less are harvested and more will be available in the future.
Thanks for posting this.
Hi, still selling trees? If yes, have any balsams? If so, where abouts are you? I’m only interested in un cropped trees. Thanks. d
Thank God for you and this article. I think you are another version of me and my sis. It is difficult being us! We are always looking for the elusive. Your article is great and answered a simple question we had been searching for. Thanks for being you!
Michael’s has a beautiful tree on sale for $169. I’m waiting for them to go down. I don’t have a historic home. I just love the old Christmas look. The Balsam tree is what’s missing. Wish I could leave a picture of the tree at Michael’s. I do think I’m going to invest in a sparse tree. I’m just not getting the look that I’m going for. And I have the old ornaments, Garland, even some Victorian ornaments. Oh and the 7.5 foot tree is $199 right now.
I just looked and couldn’t find what you mentioned. They do have a sparse tree here: https://www.michaels.com/6.5ft-prelit-juniper-alpine-artificial-christmas-tree-micro-dot-led-lights-by-ashland/10599209.html
Loved stumbling on this article. I have been looking for years for an old-fashioned (now I know Balsam) Christmas tree.
Hopefully as many have said they will become more available because of demand. We are all nostalgic for the old trees.
As many years in the past, I’ve always searched for that Christmas tree that resembled Darrin and Samantha Stephens’ Christmas tree of Bewitched tv show. I’ve always loved theirs, with big wide open spaces between the branches to hang big ornaments and lots of tinsel (on strand at a time) and clipped with large Christmasy glowing lights of ever color.
Does anyone remember stores selling a (sort of) preserved small balsam tree…..was maybe three ft. Tall, they were sold in a tin sealed base….and sprayed with some kind of preservative. My mom & dad used to buy one every Christmas for my brothers grave. It was a family tradition to visit the cemetery and decorate the tree for him. I have not seen them in years….don’t know if they just fell out of favor, or if the sprayed on preservative was dangerous….they were marketed as “Real”, or “live” christmas trees, and were not very expensive. Anyway….great article!
I live in Northern California and wanted to let you know about this tree farm –
https://littlebeartreefarm.com/tree-info/
Thank you for all the amazing historical information and photos. I appreciated reading through all of the comments. We do typically get the full tree but went here and found hillsides of these sparse trees….
Good luck and Merry Christmas
Good for our readers to know – thanks!
Not sure if you’ve already heard, but up here inMassachusetts there is a Christmas tree Farm that does the unsheared style, sustainably too. Pieropan Christmas tree farm. I am looking at one in my living room right now! Probably 3+ hours from you, but maybe worth the trip? 🙂
https://www.pieropantrees.com/
Hi. Per old box instructions. Clip socket to tree branch , screw in bubbler , at the top of bubbler glass tube is a groove. Twist a long wire tree hook in groove. Hook to a branch above bubbler to hold it upright. Hope this helps. Frank
Does anyone know where I can buy an Old Fashioned balsam Christmas tree?
I bought one of those this Christmas, too! My brother said “That looks like the spindly trees dad used to bring home when I was a baby”. And I said “Yes! That’s what I was aiming for!” I used to buy real trees, but last year I had some sort of reaction to the one I got…sore, dry throat…and I didn’t want to find out if it was just that one tree, (which ironically, I think was a balsam, but not spindly) or if it was a new permanent thing. The National Tree Co. Feel Real Norwegian Spruce did the trick. I love it! And the price wasn’t astronomical, either.
I forgot to mention in my previous comment that Vickerman sells an Alberta Blue Spruce that has the gaps between branches, and the PE molded tips for a realistic look, for those of you who either can’t find a real tree, or a real tree isn’t practical. They come in large sizes, too, from 4′ to 12′. I have never seen one in person, though, just in pictures on the internet. They are kind of pricey, but are starting to be marked down now.
i purchased a Vickerman alberta spruce unlit… the green version not blue spruce and it is the most realistic artificial tree w/ gaps that i’ve seen. Kaemingk / Everlands brand also sells the nobilis fir with gaps but hard to get hold of here in the US. Grandin Road and King of Christmas also have Noble firs with gaps.
This year—well, Christmas 2020, I found a fantastic product at Home Depot. Pipe-cleaner style wires but heavier duty with fake half-inch long green needles all along them. Great for holding light strands to the tree branches.
can you share the tree you found at Home Depot?
i found this one at Lowes but it’s flocked
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Glitzhome-7ft-Deluxe-Pre-Lit-Flocked-Pine-Artificial-Christmas-Tree-LED-Light-Bulbs-400/5005504455
Fantastic article, photos, and comments. It is great to know there are others out there who share this passion!
If anyone is seeking new lights that look very much like antique c7’s, check out http://www.tru-tone.com . These are unbelievably beautiful lights. They look virtually identical to my old ceramic GE’s, even side by side, but they are .6 watts each, and zero heat. I normally use only antique lights, but these bulbs are truly amazing. And, by the way, they do not emit that weird purple glow most LED’s do. Turn off the room lights, and the glow is rich and warm.
I store my lead tinsel on dowels – which prevents it from getting any more crinkled than it already is. Lifting a strand (or a cluster) from the dowel and moving it to the tree branch is easy – and same thing in reverse when it is unfortunately necessary to do so. It’s also easy to spot which pieces are longer or shorter when it is hanging on the dowel.
Thanks to everybody for the great information!
I also hope that the trend will come around, un-sheared, trees. I too miss the old fashioned trees of my youth in the 1950s. wide, and lots of space between branches for hanging ornaments. not thick, not dense.
It can if people request them. Don’t waste your time at a roadside tree stand or for trees grown in Canada, but if you go to a tree farm you should tell the owner. I did that and I was told that I was not the only one requesting them. If there is a demand they will do it – hopefully.
I found my fake tree with the more sparse look at a thrift store. I do not know where it came from originally, but it looks like a real tree. It is my favorite tree I have ever found.
Really enjoyed this article, as we share the love of the old fashioned 1940’s era tree aesthetic! Beautiful, beautiful tree and home. Keep up the good work so we old house lovers can continue to learn!
So I’m not the only one!
Just happened onto your website and had a great time reading through all the comments. Have been looking for the old sparse trees for what seems like forever, but with no luck. Last year my 20 something daughter, who lives with us while she’s in grad school, got a cat. So a real tree was out of the question – at least according to her. Looked last year for an old-timey tree without any luck, so we used the 6 foot artificial tree my husband and I first bought when we got married.
This year we want an upgrade. Thrilled to find all the resources listed and will definitely be checking them out again as we move closer to the holidays.
i’m in Maryland , near d.c. Home Depot in Lanham Maryland had real Balsams one year. Some of the artificial trees that look sparse or semi sparse……are Kaemingk / Everland’s brand Nobilis Fir and Spruce trees. Vickerman’s Alberta Spruce, King of Christmas Nobilis Fir tree… you just have to shape it right and it has awesome gaps. Northlight brand’s Little River Fir tree looks similar to a Silver tip … you can shape it to have some gaps. Northlight brand also has a stand for artificial trees that looks like 2 planks of wood … very old timey. There is a wispy Long Needle pine tree sold on the walmart website. Christmas Central also has a nobilis fir tree… again you have to shape it to accentuate the gaps.
When I was small we lived in a Victorian House with a front and back parlor; there was a pocket door separating the two rooms. My parents, in the German tradition, put up the large Balsam Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and got finished decorating it just about the time I got up. I remember opening the pocket doors and being transfixed by the beautiful tree with all the old glass ornaments and lead tinsel. It always took me a while to actually see what was under the tree. One year, when I was 4, Santa brought me a Lionel Blue Flyer train set with a tunnel-it was wonderful.
My current tree is artificial but with well spaced branches so I can hang all my vintage ornaments. I leave my tree up until the end of February. After January 6 switch out Christmas ornaments to birds, owls, etc. on the tree and in February Valentines. By the end of February here in Central Ohio, the days are longer and I know Spring is coming.
Thank you for sharing photos of the trees that I grew up with.
I am so grateful for this page on Old Style Balsam Trees with all the gaps between branches (and leaded tinsel and big bulb lightsl).
We had this style tree in our house every year from the 1950’s to early 1980’s. From then on, I went along with the newer style but two years ago, I just got so sentimental for the “right kind” that I was determined to find a fresh Old Style balsam with plenty of gaps. There I was asking around, but no one knew what I was talking about.
I did finally find one. It was out on a farmer’s back, back lot in a rural Upstate New York. What a joy. And having had it that holiday season, I’m more flexible about having to purchase today’s styles (well, except those thin pencil trees which kind of look ridiculous).
Even more of a joy? Finding this page and folks who understand why this was so important to me.