Want to give your Christmas tree a vintage, homemade flair? Try your hand at these 4 easy ornaments found in a 1943 newspaper! Or give the project to older kids to keep them busy on their holiday break!
Note: We’ve transcribed the instructions below, but you can see the originals in the Macon News on Newspapers.com™!
11 Dec 1943, Sat The Macon News (Macon, Georgia) Newspapers.com
“Of course it is fun to have a splendid Christmas tree trimmed with shining ornaments, but it can be lovely without them and you won’t have to spend a penny for trimmings. […] You will be proud when you see your Christmas tree dressed in its beautiful homemade ornaments.”
−The Macon News, 1943
Rosette
- Measure and cut a strip of bread wrapping paper 3” x 15”.
- Hold the short end toward you and pleat the paper.
- Tie the pleated strip tightly in the center with thread.
- Spread out the pleats to form a rosette and add a loop of thread for hanging.
Rosette 11 Dec 1943, Sat The Macon News (Macon, Georgia) Newspapers.comBell
- Use a paper cake or candy cup.
- For the clapper, fold six thicknesses of paper. On this trace around a spool. Before cutting the circles, sew them together at the center.
- Cut around the circle and slash the edges.
- Separate the papers to form a ball.
Bell 11 Dec 1943, Sat The Macon News (Macon, Georgia) Newspapers.comBall
- Make ten circles about 2 1/2″ in diameter. Trace around a water tumbler if you have no compass.
- Fold each circle into quarters without pressing the folds flat.
- Sew through the point of each folded circle and draw them together. Hang by a loop.
Ball 11 Dec 1943, Sat The Macon News (Macon, Georgia) Newspapers.comCornucopia
- Measure and cut a 5″ square of colored paper from a magazine.
- Roll this into a cornucopia shape and paste it. Sew it if the paste does not stick.
- Add a paper cut scallop or one cut from a paper doily.
- Fill several cornucopias with popcorn, raisins and sweets and hang them on the tree for visitors.
Cornucopia 11 Dec 1943, Sat The Macon News (Macon, Georgia) Newspapers.com
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“Jenny Ashcraft says:
December 15, 2023 at 2:46 pm
As we mentioned before, we are unable to digitize this Silverton paper due to copyright restrictions. We hope to find a way to work with this publisher and digitize this paper in the future.”
I never saw it mentioned anywhere till there. Can you show me where?
BTW: On the request page I provided relevant information for this paper the best possible if that will be of any help down the road in the future. Hopefully sooner rather then later when I’m 80. I’m 38 and don’t want to have to wait till I’m 80 for it to happen.
Jenny, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle had added archives from the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s recently and now they disappeared. When and will they be coming back?