Rainbow Christmas Tree

Did you have one of these ceramic lighted trees as a kid? We did and it might be my favorite Christmas decoration memory from childhood. (Well that and an odd stuffed Christmas mouse in clothes that hid under low slung furniture? Mom???) I looked forward to organizing those little plastic bulbs all year long! It was the Lite-Brite, another childhood OBSESSION, of holiday decor. Of course, I wanted my kids to have the same exact experience (parents are so weird) so I found one of these vintage Atlantic Mold trees when they were babies and now my kids look forward to popping in the colorful pegs every year too. Weird mission accomplished.

My daughter rearranged all the little bulbs and birds in rainbow order a few years back and it was like an explosion of 80’s nostalgia all rolled up in one little tree. Rainbow isn’t usually my thing, but now this is the only way we decorate our lighted tree. For those of you looking to light up a ceramic tree of your own without going vintage, good news! They are making a comeback and everywhere from Amazon to Target is carrying them! About time, because finding these trees vintage can be a job. They are always the first thing to be scooped up at estate sales. The one below is my favorite but this all pink one is pretty great too. I was reminded of all this when I saw this perforated little tree at Target recently – I don’t think is meant to be used with bulbs but it would look amazing with some glowy balls or even crazy birds! And battery powered!Now you know I’m a bit of a Christmas minimalist, but there remains one Christmas decoration on my hunt list to eventually take the place of my more traditional tree. The ever elusive 60’s ultra-modern ceramic light up tree. Like this. The best, right?! Unwilling to pay ebay prices, I’ve been waiting for 10ish years to find one “in the wild” with no luck. Send me good scavenging wishes for the new year!