I tend to be a little obsessed with design trends of the 60s and early 70s and one of my favorite motifs from this era is the aluminum Christmas tree.

They are a gorgeous, sparkly symbol of the space age and in fact, at one point, they were frequently referred to as "Space Age Christmas Trees" by manufacturers. The predominant color for sale was silver, of course, but trees in other colors were made too -- pink, red, green and blue. Today, pink aluminum trees can be somewhat elusive and they can command some big bucks on Ebay.

The first aluminum Christmas tree made its debut in 1959. It was originally manufactured by the Aluminum Speciality Company, but the style was quickly adopted by other manufacturers and they were a huge hit with the public. The aluminum tree maintained its popularity well into the 70s.

Today, vintage aluminum Christmas trees are highly sought after by mid-century and space age enthusiasts, as well as those who collect vintage Christmas decorations and other vintage collectibles.

Decorating an aluminum Christmas tree calls for some care, especially if it is vintage. It's not like decorating a real tree or even your usual artificial tree. So here are a few tips for trimming your aluminum tree:

1. Don't string lights - lights present a fire hazard with an aluminum tree and the branches are too delicate to hold them anyway. The aluminum is naturally sparkly anyway, and will look gorgeous in a room with some soft lighting.
2. Get a color wheel - to enhance the sparkle of your tree safetly, pick up a Christmas color wheel. Usually made up with three or four lights of different colors, you can place this on the floor in front of your tree and watch the tree's colors change before your eyes as the lights revolve. If you can't find a color wheel, a halogen light set on the floor and pointed at the tree will make it sparkle nicely too. Just don't place it too close.
3. Use lightweight ornaments - the tree branches themselves are made of steel, but the "needles" are paper thin strips of aluminum, so you want to hang lightweight, individual ornaments gently. Avoid using garlands as they can damage the tinsel.

After Christmas is over be sure to pack up your tree carefully so it will be ready for next year. Most aluminum trees come with individual wrappers for each branch. It is a pretty good idea to use them for keeping the delicate branches protected while your tree is in storage.

Enjoy your Vintage Christmas!