Vintage Christmas Ornaments: Shiny Brite, Mercury Glass and Secondhand
How to identify vintage Shiny Brite and mercury glass ornaments by caps, marks and boxes, spot later reissues, judge condition and handle them safely.
Decorate · 10 guides
Eco-friendly Christmas decorations
Secondhand glass ornaments, wood, felt and wool decorations, dried fruit, beeswax and LED lights.
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The lowest-waste ornament is one that already exists. Our guide to vintage Christmas ornaments explains how to identify Shiny Brite and mercury glass pieces by their caps and boxes, and what to check in a secondhand listing.
For new decorations, the material is the thing to read. Wooden, felt and wool ornaments covers handmade wooden pieces and Finnish straw himmelis. It also explains how to tell 100% wool felt from acrylic craft felt on a listing. Natural Christmas decorations covers dried orange garlands and pine cones, plus beeswax candles. Keep any candle at least a foot from anything that can burn, as the NFPA advises.
Lighting has its own guide: LED Christmas lights sets out the Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR figures on energy use and where old strings can go.
Wooden, wool felt and straw ornaments
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Frequently asked questions
Are secondhand ornaments a lower-waste choice?
Yes, in the EPA's waste hierarchy: source reduction and reuse rank above recycling and landfill. A vintage glass ornament still hanging after decades is reuse at its simplest. Hang breakable glass out of reach of small children, as the CPSC advises.
Can wooden and wool ornaments be composted?
Pure, undecorated ones can go the same way as the materials on an archived EPA home composting list, which includes wood chips, straw and wool rags. Paint, glitter, glue and synthetic felt change that, so check your local program for mixed pieces.
How much energy do LED Christmas lights save?
The U.S. Department of Energy says LED holiday strands use 70% less energy than incandescent strands, and ENERGY STAR puts certified LED strings at about 92% less.
Sources
- Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management HierarchyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- CPSC Announces Holiday Season Decorating Safety Tips (2006)U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Composting At Home (January 2021 archived snapshot)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- How Do Holiday Lights Work?U.S. Department of Energy
- Decorative Light StringsENERGY STAR
- Candle Safety tip sheetNational Fire Protection Association
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