Show us your Santas

Our tallest Santa. Rather gaunt, but has character, don't you think?

Kinda strange Santa, rather like a creation of Tim Burton.

Santa with a surprised look!

Hope you enjoyed the Santa parade. Merry Christmas to one and all!

Doc those are great Santa's, what wonderful antiques.
Hoosier,WOW what a collection. Very much enjoyed the tour.
This is my oldest Santa, I've had this set as long as I can remember probably around 50 years old. They are candle holders there is a cup in the back that would hold a taper candle.

I love these Santa faces. I call them Santa Moons. This is a X-stitch I did years ago.

Hoosier...........great santa collection. Holly........have not seen a Santa Moon X-Stitch in my travels. Your's was a first.

I had one more I had thought of dragging out. Lordy Lordy you should see how deep that sucker is burried in one of my stacks. LOL Maybe next year if I think to make it easier to get out of the stack.

Doc, Your Antique Santas are wonderful.

Hoosier, I'm really glad that you shared your wonderful collection with us. Lots of unique ones, with quite a bit of character.

Holly, those family treasures evoke lots of memories.

I only have a few Santas and didn't put all of them out this year. Here's my skating Santa.

These Santa Candle holders are about 14" tall and were gifts from my niece and nephews, a number of years ago.

This is my favorite Santa. He is about 30" tall.

Oh they are all just beautiful. I just love the skating Santa. That bear is cute, too.
This Santa is a lantern with a wire handle and holds a tea lite. I bought several of these on the cheap to give as gifts, and ended up keeping one for myself.

Here are the last of my Santa's. They are cute little things. Santa's of all Nations. They were a promotional item at Boscov's years ago. Every week they put one out and you could buy it for a few $$. My Mom got me a complete set running down to Boscov's every week. Here is England, Mexico and China.

Sweden, Italy and Germany. Well that is all I have other than ornaments.

Those are really cute, Holly. Over the years, I've given lots of Christmas things away to the younger set as they are setting up their first apartments and $ are tight. I have still held on to all of my grandmother's and some of my mother's items. There are good memories associated with them and I don't want to risk the kids disposing of any as they tire of them.

Really neat santas--so much personality.

Off topic stromyla, I have a brick fireplace, I see one in your photo with the tall santa. Do you have a mantle over it? I am at a loss with accessorizing my mantle and what to do with the 'seating area' at 18 inches off floor around the fireplace.

Yes, Sally. I have a stone mantle and also a large seating area about 18' off of the floor. Mine is tiled and has a checkerboard in the center tiles.

This is always a neat subject. There must be thousands of variations out there waiting to be discovered. Just look at these. No two alike.....everything from made yesterday to a hundred years old.

A neat subject for next year if someone can remember would be Santa on cards to advertising posters.

There likely is no single subject outside of religious things that attracts more attention.

Oh I would so love to have a mantel to "dress". Sally there are a lot of books and magazines on how to dress a mantel. You don't have to buy them go to the local library and go thru a stack of mags. I know you want a mix of tall items and smaller items and if you have a pic or mirror hanging over the mantel you don't want it hung too high. It's best if you make it part of the arrangement lower on the wall or even sitting on the mantel instead of hanging. There is so much you can do with a mantel. Not to mention how much I would love a fireplace. Sigh..............

Santa must rank among the most universally recognizable figures, even in different styles. A beard, a warm robe style outfit, a hat...

oh Holly, you remind me I was working on a mirror idea last winter. Then spring came--no more mantle crap for me if I can go outside.

Sally, There are lots of nice mirrors for sale in thrift shops and flea markets. Sometimes, they are very cheap if they need a little bit of touch up on the frame. I prefer a round one.

I always like candlesticks on the mantle too. Try them on either side of the mirror as well as two together off to one side. If you have a big one, just using one is OK too.

Then put an object or two up there. Try them all different ways. A flower pot with or without plant, a figurine, a box of some sort, a tea or coffee pot. Try a bunch of different things, vases, pitchers, books with some nice bookends. Keep rearranging them until you find a combo that you like. I change the stuff, except the mirror and a clock, on my mantle seasonally.

So many different versions of Santa and all of them very precious.

For many years I've had this one standing outside the front door each Christmas.

RRR, I'm surprised PETA hasn't come by and told you that your Santa should be naked! LOL I mean abusing reindeer and wearing fur all in the same season. Ric

Roses, Your Santa looks like a visitor from Lapland. He needs that fur up in that climate!!! He looks like he's held up pretty well for having been outside.

What a wonderful array of Santas. It's fun to learn how they came to be in your collection. They are a history in themselves. There's hardly a one of mine that I don't recall where I was or what made that particular Santa so attractive. One Santa did get away, though. We were on vacation in Bar Harbor, Maine in August. I saw a fabulous carved and painted wood Santa standing outside the front door of an adorable shop. He was perhaps two feet tall, wearing a yellow sou' wester and one of those hats like the Gorton Fisherman, smoking a pipe, and holding a trident in his right hand. The hang tag on his arm said $50 (Sale!!). That seemed like quite a bit of money at the time, so I reluctantly passed by. I wonder where he is today. I think I was secretly hoping that one of you had him in your collection. Aren't you glad you got them out? I am. Thank you so much for sharing.

I painted quite a few ceramic Santa's over the years and gave them all away. I would keep forgetting to take my camera and get a few shots of those that are in the family. This one I painted for my son Josh. It was done years ago, He's a tall skinny Santa and you could use him as a candle holder if you wanted. I should have gotten a better shot so you could see his basket full of goodies.

That's very nice, Holly.

Hollyann, Very nice. I guess it's time to put them away for another year. I think I'll wait until Monday.

Mine never get put away before the 10th. I was so late putting them up this year, it may be the 15th. I like the warmth the Christmas colors bring to the decor. The house seems warmer with those colors.

Somewhere around the 27th, I bring out the hearts and use some of the red glassware still out from Christmas.

Well here is another of my Santa's. I painted several of these ceramic music boxes. Santa's top turns round and round to the tune of Jingle Bells. I gave this one to my daughter Jen.

That's really cute, Holly. Those Santas in the background are nice too.

This has been fun. I guess next year we'll have to do angels, snowmen, animals or dolls etc.

That is at my daughter's house and those Santa's in the background are candles and they are cute. Sorry no good pic of them. I am hoping that Julie will bring down the Santa I made for her. She borrowed something of mine and I was thinking she might bring down the Santa when she returns the other item, so I can get a pic of it. Hers is very different than Josh's and Jen's Santas.

I could support a Old Dolls and Toys thread. Someone might have to tip me onto the thread when it activates.

Gotcha Doc!!

My oldest daughter Julie came tonight for dinner, she brought along the Santa I made for her. It's a ceramic Teddy Bear Santa that I painted years ago. You can see them peeping out of his robes. She use to have a small collection of Teddy Bears.

That's really cute, Holly.

I took ornaments off the tree and saw that I have two very old Santa blown glass ones. I'll try to get a pic soon