New Year's toys of the 90s. Exhibition of Soviet Christmas decorations

In the exhibition center "Worker and Collective Farm Girl" near VDNKh in December-January an exhibition of Soviet New Year's toys. The history of Christmas tree decorations began long before the emergence of the USSR, but it Soviet authority harshly contrasted the Orthodox "bourgeois-noble" Christmas and the Soviet "atheistic" New Year along with all the inherent holiday attributes. But, despite the changed semantic content of the holiday, the connection with the traditions of decorating Christmas tree not lost. So, thanks to the Soviet ideology, an original and original Christmas tree toy appeared, which makes up a bright layer cultural heritage Soviet era. Each series Christmas decorations created under the influence of important historical events, so you can easily trace the history of a great country.

Papier-mâché toys were used to decorate green beauties even before the revolution. Balls with stars, hammer and sickle appeared later, in the late 30s of the last century. Then toys in the form of stars and astronauts, glass corn and even an Olympic bear were hung on the Christmas trees. In general, all the symbols of our history are collected here. The exposition presents Christmas-tree decorations with Soviet symbols: balls with a star, a sickle and a hammer, toys symbolizing achievements in the field of aeronautics - airships with the inscription "USSR". Almost all toys in the exhibition are handmade. They were produced in a handicraft and semi-handicraft way. Therefore, even if they were of the same shape, then all the figures were painted by hand and in different ways, with different colors, with different ornaments. The exhibition, of course, did not do without Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden, Christmas decorations in the form of birds, animals, cones, icicles and glass garlands.

Mounting Christmas decorations of the 1920-50s are made by assembling glass tubes and beads with the help of wire. Mounted toys in the form of pendants, parachutes, balloons, planes, stars. The technology for making mounting Christmas decorations came to us from Bohemia, where they appeared in late XIX century.

Topic musical instruments reflected in the Christmas decorations of the 1940-60s. Christmas decorations in the form of mandolins, violins, drums distinguishes perfect form and unique hand painting.

With the release of the film "Circus" in 1937, all kinds of clowns, elephants, bears and other circus-themed toys gained great popularity.

Christmas tree decorations reflect the world around us animal world- bears, bunnies, squirrels, chanterelles, birds give the Christmas tree a special charm. Issued in the 1950s and 60s of the last century.

Reflected in Christmas tree decorations and undersea world- all kinds of fish with bright tints of color and unusual shape. Released in the 1950-70s of the last century.

At the end of the 30s, a series of Christmas tree decorations with an oriental theme was released. There is Aladdin, and old man Hottabych, and oriental beauties ... These toys are distinguished by oriental filigree forms and hand-painted.

What is the New Year without a snow-covered hut, a Christmas tree in the forest and Santa Claus. Sculptural forms of huts, stylization under a roof covered with shiny snow create a unique new Year mood. Released in the 1960s and 70s.

Christmas decorations depicting household items - teapots, samovars - began to appear in the 1940s. They are distinguished by fluidity of form and hand-painted with bright colors.

Santa Clauses made of papier-mâché and cotton wool in the 1940s and 60s were the base figures of the Christmas tree assortment. They are called coasters because they were fixed on a wooden stand and installed under the Christmas tree. Since the late 1960s, with the development of the production of plastics and rubber in the USSR, base figures were made from these materials in a wider range.

And with the release of the film Carnival Night"In 1956, Clock toys were released with hands set to 5 minutes to midnight.

Symbols Soviet state appeared on Christmas tree decorations in the 1920s and 30s. These were balls with stars, a sickle and a hammer, "Budennovtsy".

With the development of cosmonautics, Y. Gagarin's flight into space, in the 1960s, a series of toys "Cosmonauts" was released. Christmas decorations on a sports theme were released in honor of the 1980 Olympics held in Moscow. A special place among them is occupied by "Olympic Bear" and "Olympic Flame".

Spear-shaped spear-shaped spear-shaped Christmas-tree decorations are connected with the design of military helmets from the time of Kaiser Germany: spear-shaped tops for Christmas trees were made there. Christmas tree toy "Bell" was produced in the 1970s. Thick glass jewelry was made in the first half of the 20th century. Since the glass in those days was thick, with a lead coating on the inside, the weight of the toys is quite significant. Mostly toys depict owls, leaves, balls.

In the early 1950s, Christmas decorations associated with China were released - lanterns stylized as Chinese and with the inscription "Beijing" or simply painted in different variations. Interior items (lamps), nesting dolls and children's toys are also reflected in the form of Christmas tree decorations of the 1950s and 60s.

The Christmas tree decorations presented in the exposition are made using the "Dresden Cartonage" technique, which appeared on turn of XIX-XX centuries. At the factories of Dresden near Leipzig, embossed figures were produced, glued together from two halves of convex cardboard, tinted with gold or silver paint. The Dresden masters were famous for their special variety, elegance and subtlety of work.

Papier-mâché Christmas decorations were made until the middle of the 20th century (papier-mâché is paper mass mixed with glue, gypsum or chalk and covered with Bertolet salt for shine and density). Basically, the figurines depicted people, animals, birds, mushrooms, fruits and vegetables. Glued cardboard toys depict houses, lanterns, bonbonnieres, baskets, etc. They are made according to the following technology: cardboard is cut out along the cutting contour with die-cuts and glued with carpentry glue. Finishing material is paper of different grades and textiles. Flag garlands were very popular in the 1930s and 40s. They were made of colored paper with a printed multicolor pattern.

Cardboard Christmas decorations presented in the exposition are made using the "Dresden Cartonage" technique, which appeared at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. In our country, after 1920, cardboard Christmas decorations were made in private workshops and consisted of two glued pieces of cardboard with a slight bulge in the form of a picture. They were covered with foil, silver or colored, and then painted with a spray gun with powder paints. As a rule, the figurines depicted Russian heroes folk tales"Kolobok", "Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka", "Po pike command...", as well as animals, fish, butterflies, birds, cars, ships, stars, etc. Cardboard Christmas decorations were produced in the USSR until the 1980s.

Toys in the form of fruits and berries (grapes, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, lemons) were made after the Great Patriotic War. In the sixties, during the Khrushchev era, agricultural toys dominated: eggplants, tomatoes, onions, beans, peas, tomatoes, carrots and corn, cobs of all sizes and colors.

The first Christmas tree "traffic lights" of the 1930s were made for educational purposes, exactly repeating the location of the signal by color. But the "traffic lights", which were released in the 1960s, have only a decorative purpose - the signals burn in random order. Silver hoof, three girls at the window, Chernomor - characters famous fairy tales. These toys were released in the 1960s and 70s.

A series of Christmas tree decorations based on the fairy tale by G. Rodari "Cipollino" was released in the 1960s, when the book was translated into Russian. Ruler Lemon, Cipollino, Cipollone, lawyer Green pea, Dr. Artichoke and other characters - these toys are distinguished by sculptural and realistic painting.

Aibolit, Bumba the owl, Chichi the monkey, Oink-Oink the pig, Abba the dog, Robinson the sailor, Karudo the parrot, Leo are the characters of the Aibolit fairy tale. Issued in 1930-60s.

2017 will mark the 100th anniversary of the revolution that ended Russian Empire. Now few people can imagine, but for almost 20 years in our country we did not celebrate the New Year at all. Already in 1918, the Council of People's Commissars banned this holiday as an attribute of the old world, and January 1 became an ordinary working day. Few people continued to decorate the Christmas tree, and those who did not want to deviate from traditions were forced to make Christmas decorations with their own hands from improvised materials. Of course, they stopped producing toys for the disgraced holiday.

In 2017, one can also note round date holiday revival. 80 years ago, in 1937, the party and government issued an order "On the celebration of the New Year in the USSR." At the same time, the first official Christmas tree of the USSR took place in the Hall of Columns. The holiday has its own new traditions. The Christmas tree in the Hall of Columns was decorated with a red five-pointed star. Soon, such stars adorned the tops of the symbols of the New Year in most Soviet homes. Moreover, at the first Christmas tree of the USSR, Father Frost first appeared on stage with the Snow Maiden. He had no assistant before.

It is not surprising that this year collectors and simply lovers of antiquity arranged real hunt for toys from the times of the October Revolution and the Stalin years. The first ones are now in great demand and rarely reach the exposition on the Internet.

- pre-revolutionary and soviet toys differ fundamentally, - tells Life antiquary Alexander Kuznetsov. - Still, they used to celebrate Christmas first of all. Hence the theme of toys - these are Christmas grandfathers, angels, figurines of children. Glass toys are most valued - very few of them have survived. I recently visited a woman to evaluate a 19th century slide. The slide itself was typical for that time, in average condition, I wouldn’t give more than 20 thousand rubles for it, but inside I saw a collection of porcelain toys from just the pre-revolutionary time - children on sleds. As a result, I bought them for 50 thousand. The buyer was already found for 200 thousand. But the antique market is fraught with risks. The price is largely determined by demand and there are no clear prices. A person can sell a rare toy for 500 thousand if he finds a collector.

While pre-revolutionary toys are still rare, almost everyone can now afford to decorate a Christmas tree with real balls and figurines of the Soviet era. Prices start from 500 rubles and reach several tens of thousands. Not only factory toys are sold, but also homemade toys. For example, figurines of animals and birds cut out of cardboard - hares, cockerels, piglets - can be bought for an amount from 200 rubles to 5 thousand. That is, Soviet toys now cost about 10 times more than modern ones.

“Among the most expensive are toys from the 30s and 40s,” says Yana Taran, director of the largest specialized store Soviet Porcelain, to Life. - For example, a Chukchi on a deer can cost 8-12 thousand rubles, depending on the condition, and simple vegetables - from 500 rubles. The price, by the way, depends not only on the degree of preservation, but also on the rarity.

According to Yana Taran, at that time - from the 30s to the end of the 40s - there were very few glass toys. Basically, they were made of cotton wool, which was treated with a special adhesive, and porcelain faces were already inserted into it. The simplicity of the toys was associated with the war. But in the 50s and 60s there were a lot of glass figurines. People wanted a holiday, everything bright and shiny.

In the 60s there was a fashion, for example, for cartoon characters. Then among the toys appeared Tsar Dadon, the Golden Cockerel, Chipollino. After the flight into space of Yuri Gagarin in Christmas decorations, it became very popular space theme- stars, satellites.

- In the 70s, toys became more primitive, - continues Yana Taran. - In the 50s, faces were better drawn, hands were more natural. In the 70s, toys began to be made more streamlined, with less noticeable details. Among the characters are Pencil, Samodelkin, Snegurochka, but they are simple in shape - they look like nesting dolls. But in the 80s they began to make more balls.

Now in the assortment of "Soviet Porcelain" there are several thousand toys from the times of the USSR. Most sold copies of the 50-70s. By the way, in recent times modern replicas also appeared on these toys. But they are not in demand. As market participants say: the faces are not the same, the painting is not the same, it is clear that it is a remake. So true connoisseurs still prefer to buy originals. In addition, unlike Soviet times, now Christmas decorations are not at all in short supply.

And these guys were probably supposed to symbolize the friendship of peoples))

Snowmen seem more modern. Maybe new job maybe updated :)

Cucumbers pleased with natural coloring))

Also, until about the middle of the twentieth century, papier-mâché toys were popular.
I'm a little confused which toys are wadded and which ones are made of papier-mâché, they look quite similar. So who will be able to distinguish on their own - well done))

I think the chicken is still made of papier-mâché.

Large figures up to 1 meter, usually depicting Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden. They were called coasters, because they were fixed on a wooden stand and placed under the Christmas tree. It was these large figures that turned out to be real centenarians among cotton toys. A few decades after the cessation of their release, Santa Claus in a fur coat made of cotton wool, but already with a face made of polyethylene, could still be purchased at New Year's markets.

They also planted Santa Claus and Snegurka on the Christmas tree))
There were also cardboard toys, they are two convex pieces of cardboard glued together. They were covered with silver or colored foil, and then painted with a spray gun with powder paints. Such toys depicted the heroes of Russian fairy tales, as well as animals, birds, butterflies, ships, stars, etc. Cardboard toys were produced in the USSR until the 1980s.


The lion is just voluminous :)

Birds in the nest.

Sister Alyonushka.

In the 20-30s, symbols of the state appeared on Christmas tree decorations - balls with stars, a sickle and a hammer, Budenovites.

Assembly toys of the 20-50s are made by assembling glass tubes and beads with the help of wire. Mounted toys in the form of aircraft, parachutes, pendants, stars. The technology for making mounting Christmas decorations came to us from Bohemia, where it appeared at the end of the 20th century.

With age, there is a desire to remember childhood, to plunge into nostalgia, to touch associations that will awaken bright and pleasant emotions. For some reason, the New Year in the style of the times of the USSR remains a bright and welcome holiday in the memory of those over thirty, despite its certain simplicity, scarcity and unpretentiousness of dishes. holiday table.

The trend to celebrate in the manner of yesteryear is only growing. And a party in the American style no longer inspires contemporaries so much, I want to dress up fragrant needles with old Christmas tree decorations, and place cotton wool, nuts and tangerines under it.

Christmas tree variety

The Christmas tree was decorated with an abundance of assorted ornaments. Particular attention is drawn to the old Christmas decorations on clothespins, allowing you to place them anywhere on the tree, even at the top or in the middle of a branch. This is Santa Claus, and the Snow Maiden, Snowman, Squirrel, bump, month or flashlight. Toys of a later version are all kinds of cartoon characters, funny clowns, nesting dolls, rockets, airships, cars.

Icicles, cones, vegetables, houses, clocks, little animals, stars, flat and voluminous, beads, together with cotton wool, flags and garlands of small light bulbs, created a unique festive composition. A considerable responsibility fell on the one who decorated the Christmas tree - after all, a fragile product shattered into fragments with the wrong movement, therefore, to dispose of the preparations for new year's eve was a privilege.

From toy story

The traditions of decorating the New Year's tree came to us from Europe: it was believed that edible items - apples, nuts, sweets, placed near the Christmas tree, were able to attract abundance in the new year.

Vintage Christmas decorations from Germany, like the current ones, form a trend in the field of Christmas decorations. In those years, fir cones covered with gilding, silver-plated stars, brass figurines of angels were very fashionable. The candles were small, in metal candlesticks. On the branches they were placed with a flame outward, and lit exclusively on Christmas night. In the past, they had a huge cost per set, not everyone could afford them.

The toys of the 17th century were inedible and consisted of gilded cones, objects in foil based on tin wire, cast in wax. In the 19th century, glass toys appeared, but they were available only to wealthy families, while middle-class people decorated the Christmas tree with knocked down cotton, fabric and plaster figures. Below you can see what the old Christmas decorations looked like (photo).

In Russia, there were not enough raw materials for the production of glass-blowing jewelry, and imports were expensive. The first were ancient Christmas tree athletes, skiers in funny jerseys, skaters, pioneers, polar explorers, magicians in oriental outfits, Santa Clauses, traditionally with a big beard, dressed "in Russian", forest animals, fairy tale characters, fruits, mushrooms, berries, easy to make, which were gradually supplemented and transformed before another, more cheerful variety appeared. Dolls with multi-colored skin symbolized the friendship of peoples. Carrots, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, pleased with their natural color.

Grandfather Frost became a popular long-liver for many countries - a weighted figure made of cotton wool on a stand, which was later purchased at a flea market, with a face made of polyethylene and other materials. Gradually, his fur coat also changed: it could be made of foam, wood, fabric or plastic.

In 1935, the ban on the official celebration was lifted, and the production of New Year's toys was launched. The first of them were symbolic for some depicted state attributes - hammer and sickle, flags, photos of famous politicians, others became a reflection of fruits and animals, airships, gliders, and even the image of the Khrushchev era - corn.

Since the 1940s there have been toys depicting household items- kettles, samovars, lamps. During the war years, they were made from production waste - tin and metal shavings, wire in limited quantities: tanks, soldiers, stars, snowflakes, cannons, airplanes, pistols, paratroopers, houses and what you just can not find, taking out a bag of old Christmas tree decorations from the attic.

At the fronts, New Year's needles were decorated with spent shells, shoulder straps, made from rags and bandages, paper, burned out light bulbs. At home, old Christmas toys were built from improvised means - paper, fabric, ribbons, eggshells.

In 1949, after the anniversary of Pushkin, they began to produce figurines-characters from his fairy tales, to which others were subsequently added. fairy-tale heroes: Aibolit, Little Red Riding Hood, Dwarf, Little Humpbacked Horse, Crocodile, Cheburashka, fairy houses, cockerels, nesting dolls, fungi.

Starting from the 50s, toys for miniature Christmas trees appeared on sale, which were conveniently placed in a tiny apartment and quickly sorted out: these are cute bottles, balls, animals, fruits.

At the same time, old Christmas decorations on clothespins were now common: birds, animals, clowns, musicians. Sets of 15 girls were popular national costumes promoting the friendship of peoples. From that time on, everything that could be attached "grew" on the Christmas tree, and even sheaves of wheat.

In 1955, in honor of the release of the Victory car, a miniature appeared - Christmas decoration in the form of a glass machine. And after the flight into space, astronauts and rockets glow on the needles of the Christmas trees.

Until the 60s, vintage glass bead Christmas decorations were in fashion: tubes and lanterns strung on wire, sold in sets, long beads. Designers are experimenting with shape and color: figurines with relief, elongated and snow-covered pyramids, icicles, and cones are popular.

Plastic is actively used: transparent balls with butterflies inside, figures in the form of spotlights, polyhedrons.

From the 70-80s, toys of their foam rubber and plastic began to be produced. Christmas and village themes turned out to be dominant. Updated cartoon characters: Winnie the Pooh, Carlson, Umka. In the future, mass production of Christmas tree decorations became the norm. A fluffy snowball has come into fashion, with the hanging of which it is not always possible to see the rest of the decorations on the Christmas tree.

Closer to the 90s, bright and shiny balls, bells, houses are leading in production, and they feel more like a fashion trend than movement human soul like before the 60s.

There is a possibility that in the future faceless glass balls will fade into the background, and the old ones will acquire the value of antiques.

DIY cotton toys

Pressed factory cotton toys were produced on a cardboard basis and were called "Dresden". After they improved somewhat and began to be covered with a paste diluted with starch. Such a surface protected the figurine from dirt and wear.

Some made their own. When the whole family gathered, people created Christmas tree decorations using a wire frame and painted them themselves. Today it is not difficult to recreate such old Christmas toys from cotton wool with your own hands. This will require: wire, cotton wool, starch, egg white, kit gouache paints with brushes and a little patience.

First, you can depict the desired figures on paper, draw their base - a frame, which is then made of wire. The next step is to brew starch (2 tablespoons per 1.5 cups of boiling water). Disassemble the cotton wool into strands and wind it on the frame elements, wetting it with a paste and fastening it with threads.

Without wire, with the help of cotton wool and glue, you can make balls and fruits, and also use a paper base instead of metal somewhere. When the toys are dry, they should be covered with a new layer of cotton wool and soaked in egg white, which allows you to work with thin layers of cotton wool, penetrates into inaccessible areas and prevents the base material from sticking to your fingers.

The layers of cotton wool need to dry well, after which they are ready for painting with gouache, you can draw details, accessories on them, and insert faces from the pictures. This is exactly what the old Christmas tree decorations made of cotton wool were like - light enough to hang them on a threaded thread or put on branches.

Snowman

Everyone is familiar with the old Christmas tree toy Snowman made of cotton wool of the 1950s, later already produced from glass and representing on this moment is a collection value. Retro style clothespin decoration - great gift At Christmas.

But vintage wadded Christmas decorations in memory of past years, as already mentioned, can be created independently. To this end, first make a wire frame, and then wrap it with cotton wool, periodically dipping your fingers into the glue. The torso is first wrapped in newspaper or toilet paper, also impregnated with paste or PVA. Wadded clothes are attached over the paper base - felt boots, mittens, fringe.

To begin with, it’s a good idea to dip the material in water with aniline dyes and dry it. The face is a separate stage: it is made from salt dough, fabric or in another way, after which they are made convex, glued to the figure and dried.

Toys created by yourself will give the Christmas tree unforgettable flavor, because they are valuable not for beauty, but for originality. Such an item can be presented as a souvenir or complement the main present with it.

balls

Balls in old days were also popular. But even those of them that have survived to this day, albeit with dents and hollows, have a unique charm and still attract admiring glances: they concentrate the light of garlands in themselves, thanks to which they create a fabulous illumination. Among them there are even phosphoric, glowing in the dark.

Clock balls, reminiscent of a New Year's dial, were placed on a Christmas tree in a prominent or central place. The arrows on them always showed five minutes to midnight. Such old Christmas decorations (see photo in the review) were placed just below the top, after the most important decoration - the stars.

The old papier-mâché Christmas decorations were also extremely good: these are balls of two halves that you can open and find a treat inside them. Children love such unexpected surprises. Hanging these balloons among others or as a garland, they add an interesting twist and make for a fun mystery or gift discovery event that will be remembered for a long time.

A papier-mâché ball can be made independently using napkins, paper, PVA glue, having first prepared a mass for its layer-by-layer formation. To do this, the paper is soaked for a couple of hours, squeezed out, kneaded with glue, and then applied to the balloon in half. When the layer becomes dense to the touch, it can be decorated with ribbons and beads, painted with paints, and various applications can be pasted. But the most interesting thing is a gift hidden inside a kind of box without a lock. Both a child and an adult will be truly delighted with such an original packaging!

beads

Ancient Christmas decorations in the form of beads and large glass beads were placed on the middle or lower branches. Particularly fragile specimens still have their original appearance due to the fact that they were carefully stored and passed on to grandchildren from grandmothers. Bicycles, airplanes, satellites, birds, dragonflies, handbags, baskets were also made from glass beads.

A series of toys with an oriental theme, released in the late 40s and retaining its popularity, represented such characters as Hottabych, Aladdin, oriental beauties. The beads were distinguished by filigree forms, hand-painted, reminiscent of Indian national patterns. Similar decorations in oriental and other styles remained in demand until the 1960s.

Cardboard toys

Embossed cardboard decorations on mother-of-pearl paper are wonderful Christmas decorations according to the old technology, made in the form of figures of animals, fish, chickens, deer, huts in the snow, children and other characters on a peaceful theme. Such toys were bought in the form of sheets in a box, cut out and painted on their own.

They glow in the dark and give the Christmas tree a unique charm. It seems that these are not simple figures, but real "stories"!

Rain

What kind of rain was used to decorate the Soviet Christmas tree? It was a vertical flowing sheen, far from the voluminous and fluffy like contemporary specimens. If there were gaps between the branches, they tried to fill them with cotton wool, garlands and sweets.

Some time later, a horizontal rain appeared. Under the Christmas tree, it could be partially replaced with foam plastic.

paper toys

Many old do-it-yourself Christmas toys - plastic, paper, glass - were created by hand, so they looked very cute and charming. To repeat this masterpiece, you need very little time and materials.

A cardboard ring (for example, left after scotch tape) is decorated inside with an accordion made of colored paper, and outside with sparkles and snow. The harmonica may be different colors or with inclusions, tabs, for which you should bend a rectangle of paper of a different color and place it inside the ring.

You can make embossed balls from holiday cards according to the following scheme: cut out 20 circles, draw full-sized isosceles triangles on them from the wrong side, each side of which will serve as a fold line. Bend the circles outward along the marked lines. Glue together the bent edges of the first five circles with the right side outward - they will form the upper part of the ball, five more - similarly to the bottom of the ball, the remaining ten - the middle part of the ball. Finally, connect all the parts with glue, threading a thread through the top.

You can also make tricolor balls: cut out of colored paper and stack circles, placing two colors side by side, fasten them around the edges with a stapler. Then glue the edges of each circle as follows: the lower part with the left "neighbor", and its upper part with the right one. In this case, the plates from the stack will straighten out at the connected points, forming a volume. The ball is ready.

Toys made from other materials

The following materials open the field for fantasy:

• figurines made of cardboard and buttons (pyramids, patterns, little men);
• felt, the solid edges of which allow you to cut out any details and bases for toys;
• used discs (in independent form, with a photo pasted in the center, in the form of an element - a mosaic crumb);
• beads, which are collected on a wire, give it the desired silhouette - a heart, an asterisk, a ring, complement it with a ribbon - and such a pendant is already ready to decorate the branches;
• egg tray (moisten, knead like dough, form and dry figures, color).

To make ball toys from threads: inflate a rubber ball, smearing it with a fat cream, dilute PVA glue in water (3: 1), put the yarn of the desired color in a bowl with glue solution. Then start wrapping the inflated balloon with a thread (it can be replaced with a thin wire). Upon completion, leave it to dry for a day, after which the rubber ball is gently blown off and pulled through the threads. You can decorate such a toy with sequins to your taste.

Of course, the most uncomplicated, but interesting way creating and transforming existing balls - decorating them with artificial or natural materials: wrap the ball in fabric, add a ribbon, paste over with acorns, wrap it with a cord with rhinestones, put it in a wire with beads, attach beads, tinsel stones with a syringe with glue.

Where to buy vintage toys

Today, you can find old Christmas toys made of cotton wool or tinsel in the manner of past years at city flea markets. As an option, you can consider online auctions, online stores offering products from the era of the USSR. For some sellers, such jewelry is generally antiques and is part of the collection.

Today you can find old Christmas decorations in almost any city (Ekaterinburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, etc.). Of course, many distributors will offer products of the past, recreated according to modern technologies, but among them there are specimens capable of surprising.

On New Year's holidays, you should pay attention to the exhibitions of old Christmas decorations, which are often organized in museums. The spectacle looks like a hall with a huge Christmas tree covered with Soviet-era toys from top to floor. On the walls there are stands with New Year's copies of the past, on which you can track the entire history of their transformation and even take a picture. During the New Year holidays, admission to some museums is free.

And when there is a living Christmas tree in the house, decorated with Soviet-era toys, lights are shining and garlands are hung or candles are burning, all that remains is to turn on your favorite film "The Irony of Fate" and sit around the festive table with the whole family, as well as present your loved ones with New Year's souvenirs of your own making.