Retro Christmas Decor Is Trending: Long Live Tinsel

Christmas nostalgia is upon us. Retro Christmas decor is trending. And that means it’s time to lean into tinsel-town. We’re giving you the OK to embrace your garish side this season. Rebecca Cox makes a case for ugly Christmas decor. 

Are We Doing Tinsel This Year?

Traditional tinsel is generally made from PVC, a plastic that takes hundreds of years to break down and typically ends up in landfill. So it might be labelled as one of the least eco-friendly Christmas decorations out there. Not one then, that a B Corp magazine like Country & Town House should be bigging up, right? 

But what if we stopped throwing it away and accepted that tinsel is, in fact, the best Christmas decoration out there, and always will be? As a 90s kid my family had a bag of tinsel streamers that came out every year to be thrown with enormous enthusiasm at the Christmas tree to finish off the (already heavily tinsel-based) aesthetic. Come January 1, we’d pull it all off and stuff it back into the bag, ready for the next year. In fact, 30-something years later my mum is still doing it. And yes, it gets a little threadbare over the years, but the stringy, patchy stuff is the best kind: if your Christmas decor doesn’t look like the art and design project of a primary school class, you’re doing it wrong. 

Interiors trends come and go, but when it comes to Christmas, nostalgia always wins. You will never recreate the magic of the season you experienced as a child, but you can recreate the visuals that accompanied it. For those that grew up in the 80s, 90s and 00s, the chances are that bright metallics, mis-matched tree decorations and plenty of garlands featured heavily. Every photo frame, mirror and screen was a resting place for yet more tinsel. And the beauty (and repellant) of tinsel is that because of its hideous plastic nature, it never spoils. There’s no need to buy more, the planet is awash with the stuff that simply won’t break down. So keep your own little stash safe and enjoy the grotesqueness of it each year in the privacy of your own home. 

What Are The Experts Saying?

Granted, I’m just one ageing tinsel-lover with a penchant for a pink tinsel curtain. But Sam Deeble, Interior Trends Expert at Woods Furniture is giving sign-off for a maximalist Christmas, too. ‘The Christmas nostalgia aesthetic can be recreated with a maximalist approach. Instead of a soft, neutral-toned colour scheme and minimal trimmings, create a bolder design using vibrant colours and plenty of trimmings. Red and green are the core hues to achieve this nostalgic decor, adding touches of blue, pink, and gold for a tacky yet festive design.’

You had me at ‘tacky’, Sam.  ‘Opt for mixed baubles and ornaments to create an eclectic aesthetic, drenching the tree and your home in tinsel and lametta for an authentic Christmas feel. Decorate the ceiling with 80s-inspired foil garlands for a festive and eccentric look. Multicoloured string lights, an abundance of tinsel, and plenty of Christmas and Santa-themed ornaments are a must to recreate this nostalgic aesthetic.’ 

I’m calling my mum immediately to ask her to dig out those foil ceiling garlands. Because what better item to transport me back to a time where Father Christmas was real and it didn’t cost £4.30 for a loaf of bread? 

Some Inspiration

 

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One More Thing

Of course, the environmental considerations of Christmas decor are not something we can glitter over, so if you don’t have a bag of tinsel stashed in the loft, or foil decorations older than you at your parents’ house, you might want to consider buying second hand or opting for more eco-friendly options. Read our guide to sustainable festive decor here.