I discovered my friend Eartha Kitsch 2 or 3 years ago on Flickr. She is the true epitome of the Southern kitsch lifestyle and you can follow her on her blog, Ranch Dressing with Eartha Kitsch to see just what I’m talking about! Her photos along with her amazing narratives always make me laugh (and sometimes even cry). Check out her blog and her photos on Flickr. You will be in for a treat! Without further ado, here’s Eartha!

I want to thank Alexa for giving me this opportunity to do a guest post. When she asked me, I was super excited! Holiday kitsch is one of my favorite things and I’m really happy to share some of mine with you. We’re going to focus on Christmas tree ornament kitsch in this post – specifically, the vintage handmade kind.

One of my favorite times of the year is when the thrift stores start putting out their Christmas decorations. I absolutely love getting elbow deep in those big bins of who-knows-what with the glitter and garland flying! One of my favorite things is to find a little handmade holiday trinket from the past. I love to preserve them and to imagine the people who lovingly created them as I display them.

I’m going to highlight some of my favorite genres here. These are some of the most common genres, but their diversity never fails to amaze me!

First up, we have the Santa Claus genre. Ho! Ho! Ho!

These are just a few of the many types that you may find. The Fun Fur Santa with googly eyes. The Ornament Santa made from a common ornament with a head attached along with Fun Fur beard and felt accessories. The other two are of the Crocheted variety – which are also often found in pin form to jazz up your Winter coats!

Next up, Snow People!

Here you’ll see two of the fun felt variety (the first of which my husband calls “Boot in the Mouth Snowman” though I’m pretty sure that’s a pipe!) and also a rather impressive snow lady made from cotton balls. I love her little handmade braids and apron!

Now it’s time for the Fun Felt parade!

Here you see a mitten complete with pom-poms along with a tiny stocking and a glittery tree. In the back is a hobby horse of the cross-over-genre variety – he goes over a candy cane! There is a whole other category of ornaments that are made to go over candy. I’m always left wondering if I should preserve the integrity of the ornament OR get new candy! Note: Never eat candy from Eartha’s tree, just to be safe.

And here is a little grouping of some other genres:

Here you’ll find: The Sugar or Bead Covered Ornament. In this case, the deer is covered in beads that look like sugar. Double bonus points! The Fun Felt animal – Snoopy in this case. Finally, the Pom-Pom Critter. He gets triple points in my book because not only does he have googly eyes but he’s also in a handmade basket!

Finally, I’d like to show you a genre that is a little rarer as the supplies required don’t really set them up to stand the test of time.

That’s right! That Pasta Ornament! This little guy is unlike any that I’ve ever seen. He’s an angel made out of pretty much every kind of pasta that the crafting laws allow. Doesn’t he look downright alien with that open mouth and wings that are nothing short of Mothra? He came missing his eyes, so I added some googly eyes. Note: I’m not against sprucing up those ornaments that come broken or missing pieces. I think that it adds to the homemade appeal and allows the love to keep flowing down through the years.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this tour of just a few branches of my Christmas kitsch tree (lovingly known as “The Kitschmas Tree”). I also hope that you all have a beautiful holiday season where you’ll be visited by the ghosts of Christmas Crafting past, present AND future!

Thanks Eartha for sharing your ornament goodness. I can always count on you for a hearty laugh!!

Until next time Swellions!