When Christi Goodman first made a Christmas wreath using vintage ornaments and a glue gun, she thought, โThat was fun!โ
Her inspiration came from a club that once displayed a wreath made from ornaments. She and her husband, Charles, have collected antique Christmas decor for more than 30 years, so she had the materials to make one herself. Christi started selling her homemade Christmas decorations at the former BJโs Home Accents in Newburgh, Indiana.
For 11 years, they also have been featured at pop-ups and stores like Tickled Pink Vintage. She sells her decorations through her business, Vintage Googie โ a nickname she and her daughter, Natasha, use for each other.
โIt keeps me busy during the winter months,” the F.J. Reitz High School alumna says.
Besides wreaths, Christi crafts candelabras and centerpieces. She also fulfills special requests from families to take their vintage ornaments, passed down through generations, and create something new. Charles helps with the mechanical elements of her decorations, which can range from six inches to three feet. The ornaments โ from the 1950s-โ70s โ are sourced from church, garage, and estate sales and flea markets.
Much of Christiโs process involves rummaging in her basement workspace, envisioning how holiday-centric objects fit together. โI like putting a bunch of random things together and seeing how it all comes together,โ she says. The decor is so popular that some people she meets eventually realize they own something she made: โOh, youโre the one who makes those,โ theyโll say. โPeople are going crazy for vintage Christmas,โ she says.
SOMETHING OLD AND NEW
Find Vintage Googie at Tickled Pink Vintage, 2217 N. Kentucky Ave.
