Christmas is such a magical time of year, and my favorite thing about the season is that my family has so many traditions that make the holiday special and uniquely ours. Tradition, coupled with family heirlooms, is the perfect combination in my book, which is why I’m excited to share this post with you.
Last year I noticed that one of my grandmothers had a few darling little antique Christmas cards framed on her wall. She pulls them out of storage right after Thanksgiving, and they give the walls a festive and sentimental glimpse into our family’s past. The cards are all postmarked from the 1920’s (which I thought was so neat), and they were sent to my great-great grandmother during that time, so they are a wonderful way to remember those who are no longer with us. My grandmother has an entire album filled with more of these cards, and she allowed me to select a few to take home with me. I chose a unique “Merry Christmas from Florida” card, one card with carolers on it, and another with a quaint Christmasy indoor scene. All of the messages on the cards are charming and so very different from the cards we send nowadays. They each are truly a piece of art, and are definitely worthy of hanging on any wall.
I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on custom framing (although I will at some point in the future), so I bought clear frames from Hobby Lobby for next to nothing. The sizes of the cards are odd, so I thought an all clear frame would be the best option.
I have absolutely no wall space left in my home, so I hung these on my bookshelf. (Adhesive picture hanging hooks are such a great invention!) Now my bookshelf looks a little more festive, and I fondly think of my family each time I see them. I’m so thankful I come from a long line of sentimental Southerns who don’t get rid of anything!
How do you decorate with family heirlooms during the holidays?
I actually like the clear frames, it makes the card the hero.
Thank you!!