As with many of our current Christmas traditions, we have the ever inventive Victorians to thank for baubles, though it wasn’t until the 1870’s that these decorations hit our high streets when Woolworths started stocking them (oh Woolies, how we miss you)
Material Girl
They’ve had many a facelift over the years - starting with handblown glass, the O.G baubles were almost jewellery-like in their style and depicted fruits, nuts, animals and flowers. Naturally the advent of mass production meant plastics and metals were then used, though it’s fair to say that these are now just as sought after for their kitsch charm. These days we’re in rather a wonderful place for Christmas decorations since it seems all tastes and budgets are catered for: mass produced jewels sit happily alongside handmade treasures. Wood, lacquer and fabrics a.re just as likely to be used as metals and glass.
Treasure Chest
Baubles are so much more than their history and their design though aren’t they? They are trinkets that we look forward to unwrapping from their tissued hibernation each and every year. They are jewels that hold memories of past Christmases or that remind us of loved ones. And for many of us, they are that joyful purchase just for ourselves each Christmas…what a treat. Check out our full bauble collection here as well as our decorations and wreaths and garlands
Joy wrapped up
This year at Rose and Grey we’ve only selected baubles that bring us JOY. Stripes in zingy palettes, handprinted florals in bold tones, big fat red bows and then, of course, our smile-inducing disco range. Mirror ball pickle anyone? Because the Christmas trend this year is feeling like a kid again, it’s for reaching for what makes you say wow! And it’s for selecting treasures that you’re already looking forward to using again next year.
We asked some of our team at Rose & Grey HQ to tell us a story about their oldest, most loved decoration and to choose which new bauble they will be adding to their collection this year.
Laura
When I first moved out I couldn’t really afford any decorations so I made loads of paper ones and stuck on old buttons and sticky dots to make them sparkle. It was very makeshift but quite lovely in it’s own way. This is the plastic tag that was attached to my very first Christmas tree that I bought myself, which I also turned into a decoration (left).
Lyndsey
I picked this paper mache bauble up at a Christmas market many years ago in Brussels. My boys were still little and every year I hang it on the tree all of those lovely travel memories come flooding back (right)
Nora
I picked up this vintage Habitat bauble in a charity shop when I first moved to Manchester - I’m always hunting around for treasures, I love that it’s got a second home (left).
