For various reasons that I might have the courage to write about next year, this is shaping up to be the worst Christmas ever for me. So naturally I’ve been tapping into memories of more innocent Christmas seasons. If your late December could also use a pick-me-up, or if you just enjoy retro style, join me in this look at one specific holiday season, 1959.

Because I was not quite four years old that year, my memories are a little thin, but I imagine it being a very happy time for my family and me. My dad, a pretty sappy guy at Christmas, used his limited artistic talent to build lots of yard decorations and silk-screen homemade Christmas cards. Here are several family photos from that 1959 Christmas, the front and inside of our family cards, a picture of our house, and a close-up of some of the wooden elves my dad had skating back and forth on a mechanical track. Click on any image to get a larger version.

The rest of the images in this column are from a 1959 special Christmas edition of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

It seems that everyone had more time in 1959 than today -- most of the articles are about how to make things. I do remember many Christmas seasons spent making ornaments, and even a couple of gifts, but I don’t recall them being nearly as clever as some of the ideas presented by Better Homes and Gardens. Here are the results of craftwork using ribbons, spools, and egg cartons. I still see ribbons and egg cartons, but when was the last time you had spare spools sitting around?

And who would have thought you could make such beautiful things as these from toothpicks, yarn, and cotton swabs? Our craft projects consisted mostly of things you could make with Sweetheart soap bars, nylon netting, and hatpins.

If you were so inclined, you could even use old dog dishes and tin cans to make stunning centerpieces and children’s toys.

Go to page 2 for swingin' mantel decorations and aluminum trees.