Easter is a time of new beginnings, renewal, and hope. And for those who are fans of vintage decor, what better way to celebrate this holiday than with a hint of old-fashioned style? If you want to incorporate vintage Easter decor into your home, read on. In this blog post, I will provide a list of 28 old-fashioned Easter decorations for a nostalgic celebration. I gathered these retro Easter pieces (including DIY projects) from across the web, so make sure to visit the amazing featured blogs for inspiration!
The history of vintage Easter decor dates
back to the early 20th century
when families celebrated Easter
with homemade decorations,
such as hand-painted eggs, dried flowers
and paper garlands.
There are countless ways to incorporate nostalgic Easter decor into your home, both indoors and outdoors.
Let’s take a look at some of the popular retro Easter decor ideas.
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Source: Craftberry Bush
Vintage and antique birdcages are one of my home decor favorites. Old birdcages can be repurposed in so many ways, and in this case they can serve as the perfect enclosure for showcasing floral arrangements featuring Easter eggs and Spring flowers like hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, or pansies. Make a couple of vintage birdcage Easter vignettes and hang them inside and but also outside (by the entrance, in the garden, patio). Or, if you live in an apartment, on the balcony or by the front door.
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A wreath is an indispensable piece for many holidays including Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and of course, Easter. For a vintage Easter wreath, it’s best to go with dried flowers and herbs, twigs, pastel-colored plastic eggs, burlap, and/or moss.
Most vintage Easter wreaths I’ve come across were kitsch and tacky, but I really love this DIY vintage Easter wreath idea by Regina from Saved From Salvage. It’s unique and romantic and carries with it a delicate Easter vibe:
Source: Saved From Salvage
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One of the most affordable vintage Easter decor ideas is to make a garland or bunting using illustrations from old children’s books. Cut out bunny shapes from old-fashioned book pages or music sheets, then string them together using twine or ribbon.
You can also add vintage fabric scraps to the garland for a pop of color.
Source: Le Cultivateur
Old children’s books can be found on online marketplaces, but you can also look for free vintage Easter banner templates, like this one from Ella Claire.
Source: Ella Claire
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Nothing heralds Spring and Easter like fresh Spring flowers such as daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, or pansies. Plant your flowers in vintage pots found at Goodwill or on online marketplaces such as Etsy or Facebook Marketplace. You can also use DIY vintage flower pot tutorials like this one from Saved From Salvage.
Source: Saved From Salvage
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Historically, during the medieval period, people would adorn their tables with fresh flowers and greenery to celebrate the arrival of Spring and new life, coinciding with the Easter season. Over time, this practice evolved, and the use of elaborate Easter centerpieces became more widespread during the Victorian era.
Victorians, known for their love of elaborate decorations, popularized the use of intricate floral arrangements and symbolic elements like eggs and religious symbols in their Easter centerpieces. So, an old-fashioned Easter centerpiece is a must!
Source: Pinterest
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Old illustrations or paintings of bunnies, rabbits, chickens, lambs, and Spring flowers will provide a wonderful vintage backdrop for your vintage-inspired Easter decor. Using digital downloads is an affordable way to create a DIY vintage Easter gallery wall.
Source: Charlotte’s Vintage (Etsy)
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Vintage dinnerware featuring whimsical motifs like bunnies, chickens, and lambs is historically tied to Easter traditions.
“In the early 20th century, the Arts and Crafts movement
inspired a revival of interest in handmade and artistic tableware.
As Easter gained popularity as a time for festive gatherings,
manufacturers embraced the trend by producing dinnerware
adorned with playful depictions of springtime animals.”
Source: Entertablement
The mid-20th century saw a surge in popularity for such themed pieces, reflecting a post-war desire for nostalgia and celebration. Every vintage-inspired Easter table should have at least a couple of retro dinnerware with bunnies, chicks, or lambs. The great thing is that it can be mismatched (even more charming).
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Source: @old_porcelain_passion (Instagram)
Speaking of vintage dinnerware featuring bunnies, lambs, and chicks, English transferware is next in line. Vintage English transferware comes in a variety of lovely color combinations, such as blue and white, purple and white, green and white, pink and white, and more.
Source: Vibeke Design
For a nice old-fashioned accent to your vintage Easter decor, I’d go with pastel purple, pink, or green, or a mismatched combo of all three.
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Source: My Weathered Home
Vintage candy and chocolate boxes are undeniably associated with Easter. If you don’t have any grandma-style candy boxes tucked away in the attic, your best bet is Etsy.
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Source: Magnesium Blue
The tradition of Easter egg dyeing has ancient roots, dating back to various cultures and civilizations. Early Christians in Mesopotamia are believed to have dyed eggs red to symbolize the blood of Christ. In medieval Europe, eggs were often colored and given as gifts during the Spring season.
“The practice off egg dyeing
gained further popularity in the 19th century,
with German immigrants bringing the tradition
of decorating eggs to the United States.”
Color faux eggs or egg blowouts using natural dyes to achieve a vintage look.
TIP #1: Use black coffee to speckle light colored eggs for an extra vintage twist.
TIP #2: Before dipping the eggs in dye, mask them with lace or vintage-pattern stencils
to reveal a lovely pattern afterward.
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Source: Born On Fifth
Ever since Judy Garland’s 1939 blue and white checkered dress in the The Wizard of Oz,
the gingham pattern has been a staple in many American homes.
Complement your Easter table with gingham napkins or a gingham tablecloth or placemat for a quaint nostalgic atmosphere.
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Source: Pinterest
Spring flowers in vintage vases always look good! For a romantic, rustic feel to your vintage Easter decor, get a couple of small vintage vases and place from three to five daffodils, tulips, or narcissuses in each.
Hang a couple of old-fashioned floral prints right above the bouquets using wooden laundry pegs and a piece of string for even more vintage charm.
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Hand-painting Easter eggs dates back centuries, with origins rooted in ancient pagan rituals symbolizing fertility and rebirth. A famous art of Easter egg decorating is the Polish pisanki with intricate designs created using wax-resist techniques.
Source: The Wallflower Blog
Hand-painted eggs are a foolproof way to add a vintage touch to your Easter decor. You can look for Victorian patterns online and trace them onto your eggs.
The options are to:
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Source: Pinterest
To hold your flowers in place, you can use:
Top your teacup flower arrangement with a small egg nest, a vintage bunny or chick figurine, lace, fake moss, or any other vintage Easter decor item that you think will go well.
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Source: The Crowned Goat
Not everything on the Easter table has to be Easter-themed. In fact, old-fashioned linens made from natural fabrics should only be adorned with romantic patterns for a delicate and elegant nostalgic touch.
Look for a vintage linen tablecloth, runner, and napkins. Vintage linens that aren’t suitable for the table can be repurposed as Easter bunting elements. Cut them into smaller pieces and mix them up with other vintage Easter ornaments to create a rustic banner.
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Source: Pinterest
Old sheep figurines can be found on Etsy, eBay, and plenty of other online shops. Scatter them around the house – place one or two on a stack of pastel-colored vintage books, on the mantelpiece, or under a glass cloche.
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Source: Vintageousbeauty on Etsy
Pastel hues, symbolizing the arrival of spring, renewal, and new life, became popular in Easter celebrations during the Middle Ages. In the 18th century, the use of pastels gained further momentum with the Rococo movement, influencing art, fashion, and interior design. Pastel-colored Easter decorations, such as eggs and textiles, became widespread in the 19th century, and the tradition continues today.
A pastel tea set together with some vintage or antique silverware will look stunning on a vintage-inspired Easter table, and it’s a definite must.
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Source: Fawn Prints
What other rabbit is more iconic than Peter Rabbit? Published in 1902, The Tale of Peter Rabbit‘s connection to Easter is reinforced by Beatrix Potter’s beautiful watercolors of the mischievous rabbit and his adventures in Mr. McGregor’s garden.
If you already own a copy of Peter Rabbit, chances are you won’t want to rip it apart just to create some seasonal decorations. Thankfully, the character has become so popularized that you can buy Peter Rabbit-themed prints, figurines, buntings, and lots of other decor items in plenty of online shops. Another option is to download images from the web and print them at home or using an online printer like Printful, Office Depot, or FedEx.
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Easter equals eggs, and the best way to display them on the Easter table is using old-fashioned egg cups.
Source: French Vintage Retro on Etsy
Since their beginnings in 18th century England, France, and Germany, egg cups have served a both functional and decorative function. Vintage holders can either be matchy-matchy or eclectically mismatched and they will look good either way.
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Source: So Much Better With Age
Bell jars, or cloches (“cloche” is French for “bell”), scream 19th century decor. Anything placed underneath a bell jar immediately takes on a vintage look. Create a vintage Easter tablescape using old books (preferably green, yellow, pink, orange, or a mix of all four), a bird’s nest, and a vintage bunny or chick figurine.
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Source: Our Tiny Nest
The art of découpage originated in 17th century France and was initially used to embellish furniture and household objects. I think we can all wholeheartedly agree that decoupage carries a rustic and vintage feel to it.
There are a ton of tutorials on Pinterest and YouTube on how to decoupage Easter eggs, but I found this one from Our Tiny Nest and this one from A Wonderful Thought pretty simple and straightforward.
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Source: Pinterest
Vintage or antique bunny figurines are reminiscent of Alices Adventures In Wonderland and they’re a must on your vintage-inspired Easter table. White, cream, or gilded ones are usually the most common, but you can go for any color that matches your vintage Easter decor. You can look for authentic old bunny figurines or find something that is stylized to look vintage, and that’s okay too!
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Source: JanieDMattern on Etsy
Depending how you feel about it, kitsch is unfortunately or fortunately one of the main key components when vintage Easter decorating. If the retro Easter decor you’re aiming to recreate is closer to the 1940s-1960s, then tacky handmade paper decorations are the way to go.
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Source: Cindy on Flickr
Just like bunny figurines, vintage chick figurines are a must when vintage Easter decorating. A retro chick figurine can be placed just about anywhere – on a stack of old pastel-colored books, under a cloche, or play a part in a vintage Easter vignette on the coffee table.
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Source: Welch House 1900
The tradition of using chocolate bunnies on Easter takes us back to 19th century Germany. A little history lesson from Chocolate Fetish:
“Chocolate bunnies were initially created in Germany in the mid-19th century.
They gained mass appeal in 1890
when American shop owner Robert Strohecker
created a five-foot-tall chocolate bunny
as an Easter promotion in his drug store.”
Today, faux chocolate bunnies can be bought online and delivered straight to your home, or, with the help of creative people like Kate from Southern Home And Hospitality, you can make them yourself.
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Source: Vibeke Design
The use of Easter postcards has been a longstanding tradition, dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this period, the exchange of postcards became a popular means of sending Easter greetings and well-wishes. Sprinkle vintage Easter postcards around the house and/or use them to make an Easter garland.
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Source: Love Letters Upcycled on Etsy
Antique or antique-looking silverware (also flatware or cutlery) will beautifully complement the vintage transferware and a vintage tablecloth and other textiles.
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Source: Leigh Anne Wilkes
Mason jars or old-fashioned glass containers are a great way to create an effortless vintage Easter display. Fill the glass jars with naturally-dyed pastel-colored eggs or egg blowouts.
To further explore the topic of old-fashioned Easter decorations, let’s answer some of the most commonly asked questions on the topic.
Vintage Easter decor typically refers to decorations from past decades that were used to celebrate the Easter holiday. This can include items such as vintage Easter cards, antique egg cups, vintage table linens, and other Easter-themed items that were popular in past years.
You can find vintage Easter decor at antique shops, thrift stores, and flea markets. You can also search online marketplaces like eBay and Etsy to find a wide variety of vintage Easter decor items.
Popular vintage Easter decor items include antique egg cups, vintage Easter postcards, old-fashioned Easter baskets, vintage table linens, bunny and chick figurines, kitsch paper decorations, retro garlands and buntings, jade cake stands, and more.
You can use vintage Easter postcards as decorations, display vintage egg cups on a shelf or in a shadow box, use vintage table linens for your Easter brunch table setting, or use vintage ceramic bunnies and chicks as part of your Easter centerpiece.
Vintage Easter decor is not only a beautiful way to celebrate the holiday, but it also carries a rich history and cultural significance. I think it’s fascinating to see how these vintage pieces have stood the test of time and continue to be cherished and used by generations. Let’s embrace the beauty and tradition of vintage Easter decor and make our celebrations more meaningful and memorable.
