If your holiday decorating style secretly peaked around 1987, you are very much in luck. A full-on ’80s Christmas rewind is happening, and the pieces coming back are big, bright, and unapologetically nostalgic. Here are 10 specific decorations from that era that are making a huge return, plus how you can work them into your home without feeling like you never left your parents’ living room.
1. Light-Up Reindeer Statues
Light-up reindeer statues are trotting back into front yards, and you can thank their unmistakable glow for it. Recent rundowns of ’80s decorations making a comeback point to these wire or molded deer as a defining outdoor look, especially when they are clustered in herds. Designers call out how that soft, twinkling outline instantly reads as vintage, even if the lights are updated LEDs instead of the hot-to-the-touch bulbs you grew up with.
When you set a few reindeer in the yard, you are not just filling space, you are signaling that your house is part of the neighborhood light tour again. For families, those glowing shapes become a landmark kids look for on the drive home, the way you once scanned for the brightest house in town. The trend also nudges homeowners to invest in reusable, durable pieces instead of disposable inflatables, which matters if you care about both nostalgia and waste.
2. Oversized Tinsel Garlands
Oversized tinsel garlands are back to drape over everything that will sit still long enough. In classic ’80s holiday movies highlighted in lists of nostalgic Christmas films, you constantly see thick, shimmering tinsel wrapped around banisters, doorways, and even TV consoles. That over-the-top sparkle is exactly what decorators are leaning into again, especially in metallic silver and bold primary colors that catch every bit of tree light.
Using tinsel this way changes the whole mood of your space, because it shifts the focus from minimal, curated ornaments to a more maximal, party-ready vibe. You can run a chunky strand along a stair rail, then echo it on a mantel or around a doorway so the shine leads your eye through the room. The comeback also reflects a broader push away from ultra-neutral decor, giving you permission to have fun with color and texture for a few weeks a year.
3. Hand-Blown Glass Ornaments
Hand-blown glass ornaments are quietly reclaiming prime tree real estate. Designers spotlight these delicate pieces in roundups of vintage decorations worth reviving, pointing to their intricate painting, metallic finishes, and old-school shapes like teardrops and finials. Instead of buying a boxed set that all looks the same, you are encouraged to mix inherited ornaments with new artisan-made ones so every branch tells a story.
That shift has real stakes for how you shop and decorate. You start valuing craftsmanship and longevity over quick, themed trends, which supports small makers and keeps fragile heirlooms in rotation instead of in storage. It also changes how you treat your tree, because when you are hanging glass instead of shatterproof plastic, you slow down, adjust the lights, and actually pay attention to the ritual instead of rushing through it.
4. Giant Fabric Bows
Giant fabric bows are no longer just for mall displays, they are back on your front door and fireplace. Lists of Extra Large Size holiday accents point to oversized bows measuring 79 by 47 inches as the kind of statement piece you simply cannot miss. That scale feels very ’80s, when bigger was always better, and it translates perfectly to today’s porches, garage doors, and even large picture windows.
When you clip or tie one of these onto a wreath or railing, you instantly dress up the architecture without adding clutter. The look is especially useful if you live in an apartment or condo and only have a door to work with, because one bow can carry the whole theme. It also reflects a move toward reusable fabric instead of single-use stick-on bows, which is kinder to your budget and to the recycling bin once Christmas is over.
5. Animated Window Clings
Animated window clings, especially anything with reindeer or Santa in motion, are having a serious throwback moment. Vintage listings for Christmas Rudolph Window Static Cling Decorations describe “Vintage” sets with multiple “Sheets NEW,” labeled as an “Item” from the “Brand” “Cleo,” and that exact 80 vibe is what people are chasing again. In classic films, glowing silhouettes in bedroom windows signaled that Christmas magic was close, and you can recreate that feeling with updated LED backlighting.
Putting clings on street-facing windows turns your home into part of the neighborhood show without needing a full light grid. Kids love rearranging the stickers, and you can swap scenes between rooms as the season goes on. For renters, static clings are a low-commitment way to join the ’80s revival, since they peel off cleanly when January hits and your landlord never has to know Rudolph was there.
6. Ceramic Snow Village Sets
Ceramic snow village sets are back on sideboards and console tables, and they are more detailed than you remember. Designers calling for a return of Holiday rewind decor point to those tiny houses and shops as a snapshot of what Christmas looked like in places like Louisville in 1982. Each little building, from the church to the toy store, glows softly when you flip on the bulbs, turning a dark corner into a miniature town square.
Setting up a village is not just about aesthetics, it becomes a family project where everyone claims a building or arranges the figurines. That ritual can be especially grounding if your holidays feel rushed, because it forces you to slow down and fuss over tiny details. The renewed interest also keeps older collections out of thrift stores and in circulation, which matters if you care about preserving the visual history of how people once imagined the perfect Christmas Main Street.
7. Metallic Ribbon Wreaths
Metallic ribbon wreaths are looping back onto doors and walls, bringing that unmistakable ’80s shine with them. Roundups of shiny holiday trends from the decade highlight how wired metallic ribbon was twisted and fluffed into full wreaths, sometimes without a single piece of greenery. Today, you are seeing the same idea in gold, silver, and even holographic finishes that catch headlights and string lights alike.
Hanging one of these instead of a traditional evergreen wreath instantly signals that you are leaning into retro glam. It is also a smart move if you live in a warm climate where real greenery dries out fast, since ribbon holds up to sun and wind. For crafters, the comeback is a chance to raid discount bins of ribbon and create something custom, which can be more affordable than buying a pre-made wreath every year.
8. Felt Santa Stockings
Felt Santa stockings are back on mantels, complete with fuzzy beards and stitched-on names. In many of the ’80s movie living rooms, you can spot simple felt stockings hanging over the fireplace, often clearly handmade. That cozy, slightly imperfect look is exactly what people are craving again after years of matching, monogrammed sets that feel more catalog than family.
When you hang felt stockings, you are signaling that Christmas is about personality, not perfection. Kids can decorate their own with fabric paint or sequins, and you can add new ones as your family grows without worrying about an exact color match. The trend also supports small makers who sell custom felt designs online, shifting some holiday spending away from big-box stores and toward individual crafters.
9. Vintage Ornament Hooks
Vintage ornament hooks are getting more attention than you would expect for such tiny pieces of metal. Designers who champion classic tree styling point out that older hooks were often sturdier and more decorative, with twists and curls that helped heirloom glass balls hang straight. Using them today is not just about function, it is about respecting the original way those ornaments were meant to sit on the branches.
Switching to better hooks has a real payoff if you display fragile pieces, because it reduces the risk of a favorite ornament sliding off and shattering. It also subtly upgrades the look of your tree, since you can adjust height and angle more precisely. For collectors, hunting down original hooks becomes part of the thrill, turning even the smallest detail into a link between your current holiday and the way someone else decorated decades ago.
10. Bubble Light Strings
Bubble light strings are bubbling back to life on trees, mantels, and even bar carts. You will often see Wooden Retro Ornaments Cutouts of a Girl, Snowman, and Reindeer Christmas Decor for Xmas Tree, Home styled with them. That pairing captures the exact ’80s mix of motion and whimsy, with each tube of colored liquid perking away once it warms up.
Adding bubble lights to your setup changes the whole energy of the room, because they introduce movement instead of just static twinkle. Kids are mesmerized, and adults get an instant flashback to grandparents’ trees where these lights were the star. The renewed demand also encourages manufacturers to keep producing replacement bulbs, which helps long-time collectors keep their original sets running instead of tossing them when a single tube fails.
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