Vintage Town Christmas Vignette
Arrange vintage, old toy houses in a glass jar for a charming (and easy) Christmas vignette.
Anything you put into a glass jar or under a glass cloche becomes instant art! It’s the easiest way to create pretty decor for your home. Years ago, I had picked up an old, handmade toy town curbside {“Little Town”} and had wondered who had made it so meticulously. Sadly, it’s been collecting dust in the basement because there are no littles at my house to play with it. But today, the little buildings are getting a new lease on life. Here’s how to create a Vintage Town Christmas Vignette.
Today’s post is part of our monthly Pinterest Challenge, dreamed up by Cindy at County Road 407. If you’re coming over from My Wee Abode, welcome! I’m sure you loved Julie’s pretty Autumn Fairy Light Candleholder; she is so creative! I’ll have everyone else’s post links at the bottom. So much beautiful inspiration today!
This month’s challenge is a Christmas Glass Jar or Cloche. Our Inspiration pic comes from Katrin at Northern Feeling.
Start by Identifying the Style Elements
Before creating our own version, let’s notice the style elements in this Winter scene:
- glass jar
- fake snow
- buildings made of paper
- bottle brush trees
- star fairy lights
- galvanized metal in background
- evergreens in background
Now let’s see how this cute scene inspired my Christmas vignette!
Vintage Town Christmas Vignette
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To Start, Gather Small Items for your Display
The little buildings came off their board pretty easily with a little prying. Luckily none of them were damaged. I gave them a little scrub just to get the dust off. I love all the details on these cute buildings; someone spent quite a bit of time lovingly making this town:)
Find a Glass Jar or Cloche Large Enough for your Vignette
A large thrift store lidded jar I’d picked up a while back was big enough for about 1/2 of the buildings. (you can find a similar one HERE) The rest would need to spill out around the sides of the display. I decided the glass jar could sit on an oval galvanized tray and create the perfect Christmas corner in our newly remodeled bathroom. {“Vintage Modern Bathroom Remodel Reveal”}
Fill your Glass Jar with Fake Snow
Cheap epsom salts from your nearest pharmacy shelf is the easiest way to create fake snow. Bonus..the 2 bags I picked up smelled heavenly of mint! At the end of winter, I’ll pop it back in a bag and use it again next year.
Arrange your Vintage Town buildings in the Jar
Just like the little town had been originally laid out, I wanted the steepled church to be at the center. It’s blue color set it off from all the other buildings, and I love the spiritual significance of it being in the middle of everything! I wiggled the buildings down into the “snow”.
I placed the houses around the church like this was “in town”. The rest of the farm buildings would be outside of the jar.
If I had my Christmas bins out, I’d pop a little tree in there, but instead I added evergreens to the outside of the display.
Place the Glass Jar on a Tray and Add Foliage and Lights
A recently purchased oval galvanized tray (you can find one similar HERE) was the perfect base for this wintry town scene. I placed 3 books under the glass jar to raise it a little higher and popped in a candle also. Then I added the rest of the items in this order:
- evergreen branches from the yard
- metal star fairy lights
- rest of little buildings
- pinecones
Enjoy your Vintage Town Christmas Vignette
I love how this little repurposed children’s toy town turned into a pretty Christmas vignette for our bathroom! We’ll be able to enjoy the twinkling lights as nightlights all through the season. If I can find my little black songbook, I’m going to open it to “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and add it to this scene.
Bathrooms should have a bit of special during the holidays, too, don’t you think?
Glass jars or cloches are the perfect decor accessory for a bathroom display. Everything can easily be whisked away when you’re cleaning and set back when you’re done. Plus, all the cute things under the glass are protected from dust, hair, etc.
If you’ve got any old little toy buildings hanging around your home, pull them out and pop them in a glass jar or under a cloche. You can easily create a charming Christmas scene in any corner of your home!
Hope you enjoyed seeing how easy it is to create a Vintage Town Christmas Vignette! For another version of the same theme, pop over to Thistle Key Lane next; I love how Michelle decorates.
Please Pin, Share, and Enjoy the Rest of the Inspiration!
Holiday Glass Jar/Cloche Inspiration
Sharing at these lovely parties:
I love your creative take on this Pinterest challenge Lora! What a fun hop! Thank you so much for sharing this with us at Farmhouse Friday!
Your welcome, Michelle!
Lora your little town is precious! You have such an eye for great junkin’ finds! Your whole display looks gorgeous and perfect for the winter months in your beautiful bathroom.
So happy to hop with you! Pinning!
Thanks, Amber!
My favorite part of your post was that your vignette is going to be in the bathroom. Years and years ago, I commented to someone that I put some Christmas decor in my bathroom and they looked at me like I was crazy. I was crushed. I always used my vintage Santa mug as a toothbrush holder back then! But I think you ought to use the Epsom salts for a tired-muscle-relieving bath when the Christmas crazies are over! Or at least a foot soak! I make Epsom bath salts embellished with color and essential oils for Christmas gifts. Great after wood stacking or snow shoveling!
Yes, bathroom’s definitely need their bit of Christmas cheer, too, Kathy! Spread it liberally all over the house, I say! I love the idea of using a Santa mug for a toothbrush holder at Christmas; my kids would have loved that! Great idea! And yes…I may have to use those epsom salts once the Christmas decorating and blogging has calmed down! Just ramping up now!
This is so cute Lora! I love the wooden houses!
Thanks so much, Kim! I’ve always loved vintage toys:)
Lora, I love your vintage toy houses. How lucky that you found them. What a perfect focal point for your pretty glass jar vignette.
Thanks, Carol! Glad this challenge encouraged me to come up with an idea to use them!
Thank you Lora, i pinned it and will be using this idea. I have a little village from my mom’s Christmas decorations i got when she passed away years ago and have tried every year to do something with them, this idea will be perfect, thank you again. It’s always the hard things i can’t decide what to do with that you come up with a solution.
Wonderful, Marlene! I knew one of my readers must have some little toy houses out there that they’re sentimental about! Glad I gave you an idea to help you enjoy them:)
Such a pretty and creative idea! I love the idea of using vintage toys!
Thanks, Kristin! I especially love using them at Christmas time:)
Your vintage village is so adorable. Love the Epsom salt idea, the fake plastic snow goes all over the place and is hard to clean up.
Yes, that stuff is messy! I like to use both for different things, and using batting is a great option, too!
Oh, the stories these little toy buildings could tell! I can only imagine the love that went into making them for some special child. I’m a little sad that the original owners didn’t keep them to pass down to future generations, but you’ve given them a new lease, as you said. They look so perfect in your gorgeous renovated bathroom, Lora. Absolutely charming.
Thanks, Crissy! Yes, I’m always happy to find treasures like this, but sad the original owners didn’t appreciate them enough to keep:(
Those miniature wood buildings are adorable, Lora. Such a pretty vignette for the holidays!
Thanks, Marie! Just getting started:)
Best idea ever to use Epsom salts for snow! I also have lots of wood scraps that would work for the buildings. Great post!
Thanks, Luane! Have fun making your own little buildings!
I love how you let the rest of your little village spill out onto the pretty tray. Just lovely!
Thanks, Marilyn:) I just had to use them all!
Oh, this is so lovely… and it’s so special that you added it to the bathroom… I think that’s perfect! I’m glad you were able to find a place for your sweet vintage houses… and the Epsom salts is a great idea for faux snow! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Julie. It was so fun to see all the various great ideas today!
Lora, your talent for repurposing lost items never ceases to amaze me. Your little village is just delightful and I’m so glad you gave it a new and happy purpose. I love how you added the little buildings to the tray with greenery too. So cute! Pinned!
Yes, I do love breathing new life into old things:) Thanks!
Lora, you really did give your curbside town a wonderful new life! And you created an entire delightful vignette for all of us to enjoy! I’ve never used Epson salts before as snow but I will now. It looks so pretty.
Thanks, Yvonne! Yes, the Epsom salts are a little weightier than the fluffy artificial snow; easier to place items. I would have added some sprinkle snow, too if it wasn’t still in the attic;)
I am smitten with this little town and I’m so glad that you rescued it and saved it from becoming garbage. Each building is so charming and thoughtfully made. I love the winter scene you created using it for your bathroom. Any visitor to your home is certainly going to admire this display.
Thanks, Paula! I’m enjoying it in the dark evenings, and it’s getting me in the mood to decorate the rest of the house for Christmas!
No Lora, none of us have adorable old wooden buildings! You have the greatest treasures and I love love how your jar turned out. The entire vignette is perfectly warm and gives us the fuzzy feels for Christmas. I know anyone stopping off in the new fabulous bathroom will enjoy it too. So glad you joined is this month, Pinned
Someone’s got to have some cute little toy houses out there…or they can make them like Crissy did; hers are adorable! Nonetheless today’s hop has got so many amazing ideas and options, everyone’s going to have a Christmas jar or cloche in their home! So fun to be around so much talent!
Love your village in the jar and I especially like how you surrounded it with more village on the tray. Beautiful
Thanks, Marty! I had to use all of them;)
What a great idea using old vintage toys! looks so great! Thasnk for the inspo!!
Thanks, Kori!
Your vignette makes my heart smile! I adore the vintage building so lovingly handmade.
hi Lora! I love the town! I used fresh greens too for my jar! It looks so pretty! Love this one! laura
Yes, so nice to have real trees to clip from!
Lora,
These are so cute. Love the wooden houses.
Glad to be sharing with you today.
Rachel
Thanks, Rachel! You, too:)