14 Vintage Christmas Ornaments We'd Love to Hang on Our Tree

Originally sold as window decor, kugels (which means "spheres" in German), appeared on the scene in the early 1800s. They were the first iteration of glass ornaments (a style that has now persisted for decades), and it's rare to find originals with the color still vibrant — many pieces have worn over time.

$24.99, etsy.com

From the 1880s to the 1910s, Dresdens — ornaments named after the German city in which they were created — appeared. Delicately handcrafted out of paper, they're now the most expensive vintage ornaments on the market today. Even this not-so-festive (but beautifully made) moose will run you several hundred dollars.

$650, bettybell.com

This unique Dresden jester is even more intricate. Thanks to its excellent condition, vibrant colors, and rarity, its price tag is hefty.

$1,350, bettybell.com

These Victorian eraprovided another early look at the very first iterations of the trends we love today. Here, glass ornaments (which we'd likely see solo now) hang together to make a patriotic garland.

$240, bettybell.com

Lauscha, Germany was known as the glass capital of the world, from the turn of the century through World War II, and turned out impressive sculptural pieces. This pretty peacock is an example of a figural (which inspire the glass character and animal ornaments of today) made in the 1920s.

$248, bettybell.com

Santa came in a variety of iterations, and and provided a very festive take on the glass ornament explosion.

$45 - $400, bettybell.com

These soft, hard-to-break ornaments filled Christmas trees from the1890s to the 1920s, and were created from cotton batting. Children even continued to play with them after the tree was taken down — something that you definitely couldn't do with glass. You may remember these from a much later decade, too — collectors clamored for them again in the 1980s.

$24, bettybell.com

Many of the cotton ornaments made to resemble people (often Santa Claus) had faces made of porcelain or wood.

$62 for set of three, etsy.com

Patented in the 1930s, bottle brush Christmas trees became popular. Here, a modern take puts a tree in the middle of an embroidery hoop.

Get the tutorial at Made In a Day.

Taking a cue from the Victorian age people in the1950s loved a modernized take on glass balls. Found in the shapes of teardrops and spheres, the baubles were often a poppy pastel colors — to match their aluminum Christmas trees.

The indented ball also had a resurgence in the middle of the century. Originally meant to reflect the candlelight on Christmas trees in Victorian times, they felt delightlfully retro even decades ago.

We can thank Europe and Japan for starting this nifty trend. A hollowed-out ornament (like this vintage-inspired piece) will showcase a festive scene, snowy landscape, or other seasonal element.

$24, etsy.com

This shiny, alternative Christmas tree topper made a big splash in the 1960s. Do you remember owning one?

$17.50, etsy.com

This little trio was a part of a 1980s Kurt Adler set of bottle brushed ornaments — he incorporated small wooden figurines: A clown, Santa Claus and snowman.

$12 for set of three, etsy.com