observe our anniversary with a 100 of Christmas tree dress melodic theme , straight from the pages of Better Homes & Gardens .
Each vacation season is announce by treasured traditions and decor that tap into cherished memories . And perhaps no item is more synonymous with the season than the Christmas tree .
Whiledecorating home with evergreensduring wintertime in reality go out back to the Romans , Druids , and Vikings , the Germans are credited with displaying the first Christmas tree in the 16th 100 . In 1846 , the tree went viral ( well , the mid-1800s translation of viral ) when Queen Victoria of England decorated a tree as a nod to her married man ’s German heritage . When an illustration of the royal family standing around the tree was published in paper , having a Christmas tree became the hottest newfangled interior design trend . And before long , the practice was firm planted in the American vacation custom .
To lionize our 100th day of remembrance , we ’re taking a look back at the preceding 100 ofChristmas trees boast on pages ofBetter Homes & Gardens — from 1920s clip - on candles and strings of cranberries to today ’s lead queen light and felted wool ball garlands .
Better Homes & Gardens
1920s: Fresh-Cut Trees and Electric Lights
The fresh fragrances of pine , fir , and spruce are hallmark aromas of Christmas . And in the early days ofBetter Homes & Gardens , freshly cutChristmas Tree brought those dear scents into the home — but not week in advance as is now custom-made . In a 1926 issue , writer Marjorie C. Murphy wrote that not until Christmas cockcrow does the tree diagram “ take its true stead in the lamp chimney niche , glowing with color and light . ”
Murphy line the ideal tree of the meter : “ It stand , if potential , near the open fireplace ; its branches are broad and full and generous ; its lead almost touches the ceiling ; it sparkles and glows with color . The soft and fragile balls that swing from the very lead of its branches are of lovely greens , strange blues , scarlet , Au , and silver . There are chains of cranberries , chains of Zea mays everta , kindergarten chains of hopeful papers , and honey of all those shine concatenation of tinsel ; adorn the very top is an Angel Falls or a star . "
In our 1928 December issue , author Frank I. Solar encouragedusing electric lights on the Christmas treeinstead of the long - confine custom of lit candle snip off to branch . “ The flicker of the Christmas - Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree candles among the light-green bough of the Christmas tree diagram is a beautiful sight , but so many lives have been lost thru [ sic ] flack due to the candles conflagrate the trees , " he wrote .
chain Light Within were not a brand new technology — entrepot had been using them in displays for old age — but it was n’t until the end of the 1920s that electric lights were low-cost for the modal family . Solar excuse that electric lights were becoming a universal pattern and it was " well to substitute other Christmas - Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ornament for the candles . "
1930s: Depression-Era Handmade Decorations
Depression - epoch holiday were marked by austerity rather than excess . Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree were decorate withhandmade ornamentsas well as food like popcorn and cranberries . In 1930,Better Homes & Gardenspublished a letter from a reader partake a thrify Christmas tree decor idea . Rather than burn the envelopes that Christmas plug-in come in , she used the patterned envelope liner to make tree diagram trimming .
Although faux tree were first preface in the ‘ 30s , our varlet tout the benefit of a support tree diagram , suggesting a root ball that you could later plant in the garden and even get inside year after yr . In 1934 , our pages feature a “ fairly gullible tub , 14 inches wide , for your Christmas tree . ” The column described a new product , now known as a tree standstill — a vacation must - have that ’s still a staple today .
By 1937 , the human race was recovering from the Great Depression and the varlet ofBetter Homes & Gardensencouraged celebration and originality withholiday home interior decoration . One article sport the author ’s own Christmas tree — one that lived most of the year in the garden but was brought indoors and embellish for the holiday . A black - and - white picture of the decorated tree appeared alongside a colorful verbal description : " Our snowbound , living Christmas tree has been laden with whitened and silver ornaments and a few big blue balls to create shadow . The unique reindeer , whippets , plane , Eskimo dolls carrying tiny Christmas taper , bell , etc , have been group to contribute out personal identity . giving under the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are roll in effervesce risque and white Cellophane to carry out the color dodging . "
1940s: Wartime Shortages and Upcycled Ornaments
For the first half of the ' 40s , the United States — like the entire earth — was concenter on World War II . American troops were deploy to Europe and the Pacific and the mood at home was somber but patriotic and unify in the wartime effort .
In our 1942 December issue , Fae Huttenlocher wrote , “ Happiest spot in all the world at Christmas should be the abode — for those doing their big part on the home front , for those back for wanted hours or days from shoal or summer camp , for those ineffectual to ' make it , ' but just as unfeignedly here in our hearts . permit the place fire burn higher and brighter than ever this year for those who gather round them . ” She write that Christmas medal should “ express the affectionate friendliness of traditional dependable cheer , more precious to us than ever before . ”
With manufacturing focus on war efforts , decorative goods were not promptly usable on computer memory shelf . Instead , our pages pep up readers to get creative in floor their student residence . A 1943 story read : “ Let ’s make our home a magnet of cheer — this class as never before . It takes so little and means so much . It ’s not money expenditure that consider on this function ; it ’s good taste , imagination , and ingenuity . And you ’ll not need to interest about shortages if you plan ideas like these , using thing you have around the business firm , disturb them up with Yuletide green . ”
In 1945 , the DIY theme keep on with ideas formaking homemade Christmas garlands . “ well-worn of tinsel ? Make decorative swags by string pinecones . average - sized pinecone are prettiest when brush with ash gray , unripe , or red gilt paint from the dime store , and fasten on newspaper ribbon 6 inches asunder . ”
We also apprise readers on upcycling ornaments from home garbage . “ Shiny decoration to shine your Christmas tree diagram twinkle can be forge from tin can lids . Make this tin icicle by twisting the minute trim from a coffee can into a corkscrew shape . Those small pieces of plastic often found in the tops of confect or cosmetic box make shimmering Christmas trees . ”
1950s: Shiny Brite Ornaments and Flocked Trees
Optimism and color predominate in the post - war tenner when many of the 16 million American mankind and women who serve in the war returned home . immature newlywed twosome drove suburbanization and a huge baby boom . Midcentury advanced style and the bright coloration ( think pink , yellow , and turquoise ) of on - trend interiors made their way to the Christmas tree , as well . lustrous Brite ornament , first muckle - grow in the 1940s and know for their colored designs and shapes , collide with peak popularity .
In our December 1953 issue , writer Fae Huttenlocher declared , “ A white tree is best . ” The snowy constellate tree was a standout at the sentence . We now have mod instructions forhow to flock a tree , but we originally gave readers the following instructions on flocking trees . “ livid branches are made by applying Casein , a white powder , mixed with body of water . It never loses its white even alfresco . For indoor use , you’re able to dim ramification in laundry amylum . In either showcase , before the subdivision dry , sprinkle with artificial snowfall . It will glitter and stick to indefinitely . ”
before long , technology work about a tree that sparkle , sans flock , did n’t shed its needles , and did n’t even require tearing . Introduced in 1959 , the Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree was an instant hit and the pioneering company behind the sparkling tree manufacture more than one million in the ten that followed .
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
1960s: Customized Ornaments and theCharlie BrownTree
The ' 60s were atime of modernismand the Space Race , but also a time of social upheaval , individualism , and ego - locution . plate interior decoration was mass - produced cheaply with the estimation that items would be befuddle out once there were no longer en vogue . Christmas decor was no exclusion . With these decorate - my - way and nothing - is - forever mind-set , Better Homes & Gardenscoached reader to create ornaments that would fit their personal holiday scheme without relegate the banking company .
Now considered a authoritative vacation gem , the cartoonA Charlie Brown Christmaswas an unexpected hit when it vent on national television in December 1965 . It also ushered in a beloved raw case of Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree : The diminutive , sparsely branchedCharlie Browntree blossom in popularity and has remain a steadfast movement even today .
While some folk clung tofreshly - cut Christmas tree , some bosom a modern spirit with Al trees , while others had a diffuse spot for theCharlie Browntree . Our pages acknowledge that each tree is a celebration of the vacation season , no matter its looks . “ Everyone has his own idea of how a Christmas tree should be deck … Some trees are hang with base - fashioned ornaments , strings of Zea mays everta , cranberries , and awry paper trims reduce with fumbling infantile finger . Others are glowingly color - intrigue and laden with exquisite crank ball . ”
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
1970s: Homemade Trees and Nontraditional Decorations
The 1970sturned toward the environmentand all things born , from houseplants to wood paries paneling and countertop to a colouration scheme of avocado green and harvest home amber . This focal point applied to Christmas decorating , too . The individuation from the premature decade remain andBetter Homes & Gardensspoke to personal vogue in 1974 . “ With all the unlike form of trees useable today — metal , charge plate , constellate , and evergreen to name a few — it may take a while to retrieve one that suits you . "
We also recommend pairing a tree diagram with your home ’s existing interior decoration . " After all , your Christmas pine or spruce is usually placed in a spot where everyone can see and admire . It ’s conform to the evergreen plant should collide with the right accent tone with your furnishings . "
A nostalgia for sewing and handcraft , help along by America ’s Bicentennial , pushed back against mass - produced interior decoration . In the 1970s , we offered several trees readers could make themselves . “ Why not indulge in an ever - after version — one you could unfurl , unwrap , or hang up at the very beginning of the vacation time of year before you buy the unripe one ? " A striking dry out - textile tree diagram is a bountiful study in browns and golds , while a see - through Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree made of gullible string and hung from the ceiling resemble a freestanding Mobile River . A macrame wall tree is an example of a classic craft updated for present-day use .
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
The influence of the nation ’s 200th natal day and nostalgia for hand-crafted decor was reverberate strongly in our pages . In our 1977 Christmas government issue , we feature a collection of stitchery labor , include " calico birds and star decoration in tree , comforter , and pillows , " along with operating instructions for an appliqued Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree annulus , textile garlands , and a roseate chaplet .
1980s: Maximalism and Monochromatic Decor
“ More is more ” might just sum up the 1980s perfectly . In an about - cheek from the seventies earthiness and nostalgia , interior decoration in the ' LXXX turned toward maximalism , bright colors ( huntsman green , burgundy , peach , and mauve ) , and patterns ( conceive Laura Ashley florals and Ralph Lauren chevron ) . Home and vacation decor were now a mercenary fashion statement .
Our December take featured trees decked in distinguishable semblance palettes ( no more everything - goes ornamentation ) as Christmas tree became more of an upcountry design element than a nostalgic tradition . In one 1981 feature , a towering tree is crop for the season with equalize gift tucked under its lowest branches . “ A crisp red and white scheme and circumstances of fresh verdure suit this young family ’s modern-day tastes … At this fourth dimension of year , the freshly cut tree becomes the focal point for house gatherings . "
tree diagram at the metre were more about creating a cohesive look throughout the dwelling than displaying kitschy memories ormeaningful ornaments . Christmas interior decoration also emerge as a report , stretching beyond just the tree diagram or a colour scheme .
1990s: Themed Trees and Shabby-Chic Style
In the ' 90 , beige became the colour du jour for walls and furnishings . Textured , whittle - back decorreplaced the fully grown , loud manner of the late 10 . In this concluding decade of the twentieth century , Americans emulate Old World and European style and became enamored with the amatory , feminine look of ratty modishness by Rachel Ashwell — where perfectly experience - in slipcovers geminate with the sparkle of crystal chandeliers and case goods with chippy paint .
moth-eaten - chic dash can be seen in many of the themed tree feature within our page in this decade . One homeowner feature in our 1994 December issue embellish her Christmas tree with real waffle , cerise - and - lily-white bows , and clip - on taper . Another used gingerbread cookie and cranberry globe in keeping with her yr - round , tatty - voguish - manner interior .
While themed trees were all the rage , we also encouraged readers to embrace the mismatched look of handmade and garner decoration ( even if that meant decorating a second tree diagram ) . In 1995 , we romanticize the Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree decorating outgrowth with a shift off from a perfectly curated smell . rather , we encouraged our readers to make a focal item for their home with a collection of kitschy , meaningful ornament — regardless of if they matched or not . “ recollect of your tree as a painter ’s sheet , your ornaments as the oils . Then coiffe the tone for the holidays as your decorated evergreen spread out . For a masterpiece that ’s washed in memory , tally a kaleidoscope of favorite ornaments — the ones you ’ve fondly gathered over the years . "
At the end of the decade , a new pillar appeared on the pages of the magazine . For the first time , ourBHG.comcolumn organize readers to our latterly launched website for a Christmas tree buying usher — something we still defend to facilitate forward-looking - 24-hour interval readerschoose the in force live Christmas treeorpick the good artificial treefor their home .
2000s: Tree Decorating 101
The new 100 kick back off with a now oftentimes - repeated , beloved - by - readers , must - have tutorial : Tree grace 101 . In four page , we offered crosscut , tricks , and techniques used by our editor to achieve a cartridge - suitable Christmas tree . Our step - by - step instructions walk reader through swathe lights , drape Judy Garland , and hanging ornaments strategically . Although not elaborate , these do - it - yourself guide shew reader how to recreate the looks expose on our pages .
The dawn of a newfangled hundred also marked the rise of the Internet age , and Americans embraced simpleness in holiday decor , with several reference to " simply decorated " trees featured in the Thomas Nelson Page ofBetter Homes & Gardens . This included traditional color schemes ( “ Green , red , and silvery ornaments froth next to bounteous , old - fashioned clear light . " ) and unfussy ornaments with “ a cozy , country tone . " In 2006 , " the style is unclouded and simple — even at Christmas . The tree enchants with just a few type of trimness . ” In yet another home , a family Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is " merely embellish with a few strands of lights , colored ball , vitreous silica , and snowflakes . ”
One home , feature in 2009 , seemed to announce the comingfarmhouse adorn trendwith its Christmas tree display in an old tub generate to the homeowner by a granger .
David A. Land
2010s: Jewel Tones and Instagram Looks
The 2010s bring about new elbow room to share interior design ideas : social spiritualist and blog .
In December 2010 , we featured a blogger ’s vacation home whose distinctive Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s creative shape , ( “ sticks roll up from the thou ‘ literally just shoved into the tree , " ) became a vogue of its own . before long , those branch morphed into a resurgence of theCharlie BrownChristmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . While not an accurate replica of the 1965 cartoon , the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree inspired a more thin excogitation than the traditional holiday evergreen . or else , the updated build — which now appears on Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree of all heights — incorporates distance between offshoot and limbs of various lengths for a more natural face .
In December 2013 , we even gave this holiday tree confidential information : “ reduce out ramification before decorating the tree . Ornaments and garland will cloak attractively . ” The growing popularity of the modern farmhouse aesthetic extend into the holidays with these more natural Tree . Additionally , woodland creatures ( squirrels , birds , hedgehogs , and more ) and accessory such as pinecones , Ellen Price Wood cutouts , and items plunk from the backyard became popular . In 2018 , a “ woodsy backdrop and bloodless , black , and Army green palette ” along with a fake parchment rug that served as a " plush tree diagram wench ” squeeze the look on the pages of the magazine .
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
In the mid-2010s , jewel shade also take off . In 2015 , we featured a North Carolina home with “ oculus - popping decorations ” and a tree diagram delineate as “ bright and bluff . ” The householder tell her access to decor was bare : “ Everything I do is colourful . ”
In 2017 , one Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree palette glittered like gemstone with hues of Amethyst , ruby , rose quartz , sky-blue , and emerald . “ A neutral background [ of white wall ] means the dodging does n’t overwhelm . strategical hits of black , metallics , and greenish in [ the family ’s ] everyday decor are grounding enough to make rainbow hues feel ripe and sophisticated . ”
One terminal blogger - driven trend : trees throughout the menage , include a kids ’ tree . These Christmas tree diagram — from mini to full - sized — gave children an chance to decorate their own way and a place to exhibit elementary artistic creation - course creations .
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
Lucy Ancheta
2020s: Maximalism and Grandmillenial Style
Today ’s Christmas tree trends take a page from the past , with theCharlie Browntree silhouette and innovative farmhouse aesthetic still popular . Flocked tree and gem - note decorations reminiscent of Christmases by also continue .
During the vacation seasons mark by pandemic isolation and solitariness , homeowner espouse maximalism . Leaning into the holiday time of year felt different , unexampled , and celebratory from the endless daylight of sameness . In that nervure , some homeowners incorporate a copious palette of plaids , others a accumulation of tied - on ribbons , and still others “ theatrical roots and vintage come up to create a amply layer wonderland . ”
Grandmillenial elan , a throwback aesthetic that nods to design elements of the past , is rekindle many beloved Christmas tree diagram decoration of past , let in Shiny Brites , flock trees , and plenty of pink .
Credits
Design Director : Amy Sheehan
interior designer : Corinne Mucha
