Decorate With Charming Vintage Christmas Decorations

I am looking back on years of the junkiest vintage eclectic Christmas porch decorations from yours truly. I hope you find inspiration! I gathered all my Christmas porch posts right here and deleted all of the individual posts. Now you just need to look at one post for my best junkiest Christmas porch decor ideas!

You guys know I decorate with cheap junk and treasured vintage finds. I haven’t decided on a theme for 2020, so I need help. Also, I would love to hear which porch is your favorite. They go from 2014-2019

Vintage Christmas Decorations For The Porch – 2014

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the lights, the colors, the hustle and bustle….and the decorating.

You should always make your guests feel welcome and loved. The entryway is the first thing your visitors see when they come to your home. It could be your backdoor, your front porch, or maybe the garage entrance. Doesn’t matter, make it inviting.

The porch decor theme this year is ” A Vintage Christmas “.

To find items to decorate our front porch, I went through my Christmas decorations and junk treasures. I found everything I needed except the poinsettias and the balsam fir tree. They came from Walmart and Home Depot….in that order!

I don’t remember where I got this little guy but he’s a cutie…..he lights up! The youngest granddaughter wanted to know where his reindeer were. I tried telling her they were in the forest until Christmas time but she didn’t believe me.

I do remember where I picked up the lighted Noel candle and window frame…..My Favorite Junk Shop.

The wreath is made from an artificial pine swag wired to a grapevine wreath. It took me about 5 minutes to wire them together. The wreath looked a little bland, so I added the sign (made last Christmas) and the cute little Santa foam stamp. Much better.

The crate and wheels (reclaimed wheels) are two separate pieces bought at different times. They work well together, don’t they?

The Welcome wreath is a treasured find from our time in Florida. The balsam fir tree is so nice I thought I would leave it natural. It looks great in the “wagon”.Do you like red poinsettias? The past few years I purchased white and pink ones….going traditional this time. That w raps up Christmas porch 2014….

Porch Decorations: Vintage Christmas from a Junker at Heart – 2015

Welcome to my Merry Christmas Front Porch! It is similar to last year, with a few shakeups. The shutters are black instead of white, and I added the rusty wagon to the display.

I apparently didn’t have much to say about the porch decor in 2015, so there are pictures to look at but very little text.

The red poinsettias really pop against those black shutters.

I found the rusty wagon at a thrift/flea market shop and I still have it. It makes a really great display.

The pink poinsettias were calling my name this year too. Pink is one of my favorite colors.

This plant was a mixture of red and pink.

I purchased a couple of live wreaths at Lowe’s. They smell wonderful

Christmas Porch Decorations – 2016

The Noel candle from the Nashville Flea Market claimed a spot on the porch. I really like the candle. The colors are perfect. I lucked up on $3 poinsettias at Lowes. They were pretty good size too.

This Noel candle is from the junk shop and has been showing up in the Christmas porch decorations for a couple of years, and the Santa one, too. You guys will recognize the beat-up red bench from past porch posts. The rustic box containing the greenery (fake) came from the junk shop too.

The small tree is from Home Depot, and I like to leave it au naturel. Sometimes, the best decorations are no decorations. The rusty pots and rusty wagon were found at thrift stores or auctions. The wood pieces are from my junk hoard in the workshop.

I try to decorate with things I have around the house instead of spending money on a lot of new stuff. Most of the pieces I used in this display are not Christmas-specific and can be used over and over in displays around the house.

I like to have fresh plants/flowers/trees when decorating, so I splurge on those. But try to get them on sale.

This welcome wreath with the faded bird is a thrifty find from our years in Florida.

Using unique, unconventional things such as plant containers/pots is fun. I found the bucket at the Nashville Flea Market, and it was full of heavy-duty rope. I still don’t know what I’m going to do with that rope, but the bucket is perfect for the poinsettia.

As you can see, the pictures were taken in the middle of the day in bright sunlight. That’s the only time I could work the photo shoot in.

What did you think about the 2016 decorations?

Porch Decorating Ideas – 2017

I used rubber boots and luggage to decorate the porch….and a vintage paperboard Santa and Reindeer…and a bunch of other cool stuff.

The decorations I used on the porch this year are mainly vintage or just old used stuff….that’s my thing. Why buy a bunch of new decorations to be displayed only once a year? I throw in some greenery and maybe a piece or two of Christmas, but the rest of it is favorite finds I can use year round.

The coal scuttle/flower container has a rusted-out bottom, but that doesn’t matter with potted poinsettias. The live tree came from Lowes and the tree topper from the Dollar Tree. I can’t get out of that store for under $10, but the upside is I have a bag of inexpensive goodies.

When I start thinking about decorating an area like the porch I first decide on a color scheme. This year I wanted to do something a little different. I decided to use the shabby turquoise chair I found at my favorite junk shop as a starting point and then add bits of yellow to the mix.

The yellow rubber boots are a Goodwill find from a few weeks ago. They aren’t my size, but the price was 4.99, and if you buy them new the price is $60+. You guys know I love bold colors so I grabbed them.

I gathered some of my junk finds and lugged them to the sidewalk leading to the porch. Some things I used and some I didn’t. Plus I had to make several trips back to the workshop to find the perfect decorations.

The addition of two sets of boys rubber boots are my favorite thing about the porch. I don’t know why. Just love them. They were inexpensive finds from the local thrift store.

No, I can’t keep the poinsettias on the porch when it turns cold.

I have a pink Santa hat on my indoor tree.

I bought the pillow at World Market last year. One of my few Christmas décor purchases. The welcome wreath is a tad worn. I bought it at a junk store when we lived in Florida.

The faux luggage is an unfinished wood box filled with all kinds of paint goodies I received from Kilz paint company.

I painted the box with Kilz and Dove Feather colors and added recycled leather belts for the luggage straps and handle. Cute. The box makes a great tree container. The metal skates are another find from my fav junk shop.

I bought the vintage case at an antique shop for $15. It was filled with vintage Barbie and Ken clothes! I still need to check out prices for those things on eBay. The boots just make me smile.

The Seasons Greeting Santa sleigh and three Reindeer are last minute additions. I purchased them at the Nashville Flea Market over the weekend. Miss Sofi and her friends will love Santa.

Best Vintage Finds Make It To The Porch – 2018

Like most of you I drool over all of the beautifully decorated homes I see on other websites, Pinterest, etc. That’s only normal. But…..you can make your home just as beautiful by working with what you already have or by picking up a few inexpensive items at the thrift store.

Always go with things you love. Your decor will be YOU, not someone else…..and it won’t look like a store display. Blah, blah, blah. I’ll get off my soapbox now.

A few years ago it would have taken me hours and hours to decorate the porch. Now I guess I kind of have a feel for what works.

I decorated the porch this past Friday and it only took about an hour.

I started decorating the porch for Christmas by removing all of the Fall decor….except the wreath. Forgot that. I left all my rusty, junky pots on the porch. I needed a few of them for the new plants.

Then I gathered everything I thought I wanted to decorate with and started by adding one piece at a time and changing things to suit me as I went along.

I love that StaKool metal ice chest, and it only cost $10 at My Favorite Junk Shop. Who could turn down that deal? The cooler is spotless inside, no rust at all and it’s not stinky either.I did a little research on the cooler, which was made in the 50’s by Coleman.

The rusty metal star chair came from the junk shop too. I bought the pair of yellow kids chairs from the shop where I have my booth. I forget where the vintage scale came from but I think it was an estate sale.

How about that galvanized mop bucket as a Christmas tree stand/container? I like it! I bought the mop bucket at an auction, and I think I had to pay $30 for it. It was a bit over my budget but worth it to me.

I like having a live tree on the porch and Poinsettias (when it’s not too cold). I bought two trees and two poinsettias at Home Depot. The other tree is at the back door. Oh yeah, I bought the fresh wreath at Home Depot too….only $6 bucks.

The Santa and Reindeer had me at hello. I spotted them at the Nashville Flea Market last year. They came from Buffalo, New York, and only cost me $20.

The pieces are pretty beat up, but hey, they add charm, right? It looks like someone used the Reindeer for target practice. The shabby turquoise and green chair and the rough bench came from my favorite junk shop, too.

I filled the green log roller and the red Tonka fire truck with pine cones I picked up on my parent’s farm in Arkansas. It’s always nice to have a bit of home.

The plaid lunch box is an auction buy and the rusty bucket holding the poinsettia came from the flea market. As a rule I don’t pay much for rusty buckets and other junk containers. Once they get too holey or start falling apart I toss them.

Red Porch Decorations – Christmas 2019

I pulled out all the stops and went over the top with my red porch decorations. The red poinsettias for $1 a pot at Home Depot were irresistible and I bought 6.

Then I grabbed the roll of black and white buffalo check ribbon I used on another project and went to town. Everyone knows black and white is the perfect complement to red.

In the past I’ve decorated the porch in various colors, everything from vivid yellow to hot pink. Going with traditional Christmas red this year just felt right.

My junk stash figured heavily in the décor. I absolutely love the vintage red three-wheeled skate. I forgot I had it, and in the middle of another workshop cleanup/organization attempt, I found it on the back of a shelf. Just in time for Christmas. It’s nice and rusty and that’s what makes it perfect.

The small live spruce tree is a porch holiday tradition now. The square galvanized tub is a new purchase. I bought it at an auction last week for $15.

The plaid lunch box with the leather handle is one of my favorite finds and I don’t plan to part with it anytime soon.

What can I say about this display…..poinsettias, vintage plastic Christmas, and junk buckets. The wood sled is a flea market purchase and the original color was country blue and that’s not my style so I painted it white……. and didn’t like it.

I moved on to red with plans to stencil something on it. I found the live greenery swag at Home Depot and that was it. I removed the red velveteen bow and replaced it with the buffalo check and a bit of black and white polka dot ribbon.

The whole porch décor came together in less than 2 hours. As usual I waited until the last minute to decorate but sometimes that’s the best way. I get in high gear and get it done instead of playing around.

I tied short pieces of the buffalo ribbon around a few of the flower pots. This easy decorating trick packs a punch.

I go back and forth each year about using traditional colors or something different. As you guys can see I usually go traditional with a surprise thrown in here and there.

The NOEL candle colors are so vivid. I bought the candle 3 years ago and paid $20 for it. Not a steal but not a deal either.

The red floral wreath is a TJMAXX purchase. I could decorate with the wreath year round, especially for Valentines’ day but I always save it for Christmas.

I bought the little ceramic Nativity scene at my favorite junk shop a couple of weeks ago for $2. It was really grimy, and when I started washing the stable roof, the paint came off. So, it’s still dirty and it’s been relegated to the porch.

The Santa and Reindeer are also a Nashville Flea Market purchase. I kid about the holes in the sleigh and reindeer being bullet holes but I could be right. Or maybe they’re screw holes?

The vendor I bought Santa and his sleigh and 3 tiny reindeer from came all the way from Buffalo, New York. I paid $20 for the vintage set.

I could make a joke and say they are Holy Reindeer…..bad I know.

I hope the greenery swag lasts through the holidays and doesn’t lose all of it’s needles. The black and white ribbon looks much better than the red one.

Another look at the three-wheel skate holding the potted poinsettia. I cut a burlap square to cover the pot and cinched it with ribbon. This is so easy to do and looks much better than the bare pot or the red foil.

The plastic BINGO card is a fun whimsical touch. The opposite side of the card is red.

Junk Finds

Kathy Owen

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Author: Kathy Owen
Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines.