Mini Christmas BooksTree Ornaments

The previous post introduced tree ornament miniature books featuring Santa. This post continues with mini book ornaments about varied Christmas traditions. All books have a cord for hanging on the tree. Many also have a red ribbon bookmark.


Some, like My Christmas Treasury, have a gift tag space on the back:



My first tree ornament book was a gift from a co-worker. It is titled, Christmas Is a Time of Giving. Made in Taiwan, the illustrations remind of the work of artist-writer Joan Walsh Anglund.

Following is a sampling of the many tree ornament books I have.

A Treasury of Christmas Traditions. Kurt S. Adler, Inc., 1982.

Christmas Memories Book: A Keepsake Book. Kurt S. Adler, Inc.,1989. This 3 ¾ in. x 3 ¼ in volume has space for recording memories and photos.

Christmas Trivia by V. Berry. Made in Taiwan.

Turn of the Century Album 1900-1910. Kurt S. Adler, Inc., 1978.

Christmas Around the World. Kurt S. Adler, Inc., 1979.

During the 1980's Current Inc. published a series of miniature booklets about Christmas traditions and songs. They were offered in their gift cataloges. Each annual group of four booklets presented a different Christmas theme. Each booklet has a hole and came with a gilt cord to hang on the tree.

The first group celebrates the Christmas tree, the poinsettia and the yule log:
The Christmas Tree
The Poinsettia
The Yule Log

Another group shared Christmas songs, among them Deck the Halls and Jingle Bells:

Traditional items used in our holiday décor is the focus of the next group, published in 1985:
The Christmas Stocking
The Christmas Candle
The Blessed Animals

In another post we will look at mini ornament books on Christmas cookery.

I am linking to Mosaic Monday hosted by Mary at Little Red House. Please visit her to see the mosaics prepared by other participants.

Mini Tree Ornament Books Featuring Santa

I am joining Sundays With Santa hosted by Maureen at Yuletide Greetings.

You may have seen these little books amid the many ornaments offered in stores.
These mini books are each about 3 to 3 ½ inches tall and have a gilt cord for hanging on the tree. Each has text with a story and illustrations to delight. The quality of binding and printing varies from quite good to poor. Many are replicas of antique and vintage Christmas books. A few are original text and pictures. Most were printed in Taiwan or Hong Kong.

Santa is Coming illustrated by Linda Graves. Random House, 1994. This is a shaped board book with delightful illustrations of a family getting ready for Christmas and Santa’s arrival.

The History of Santa Claus by Elizabeth Marrafino. Kurt S. Adler, Inc. 1986

Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus and Other Christmas Favorites. Kurt S. Adler, 1982.


A boxed set in a small clear plastic box 2 ¼ inches high, includes Jolly St Nick, Kriss Kringle, and Around the World With Santa Claus. These are 2-inch tall reproductions of antique originals by Merrimack Publishing Corporation. Printed in Hong Kong.

Kriss Kringle. Made in Taiwan.
Around the World with Santa Claus. Made in Taiwan.
Santa’s Surprise Book

Here are two books featuring Rudolph, the most famous of Santa’s fleet of reindeer:
--Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Made in Taiwan.
--Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Starring in “To the Rescue” a comic book adventure copyright R.L May Trust 1981, reprinted with permission of D C Comics, Inc. Kurt S. Adler, Inc. Made in Taiwan.

Santa’s Boys: The Reindeer Team’s Other Season by Philip Snyder. Christmas Reproductions, Inc., 1986.
Here is the entire group:

Thrifted Wood Santas

I am joining Sundays With Santa hosted by Maureen at Yuletide Greetings.

I thought I’d share a few Santas I’ve found at local thrift shops during the past couple years. I just picked out ones made of wood.
This first one is 10-inches tall, one of those elongated pencil style figure. This hand painted Santa holds a fir tree in his left hand.

Another hand painted pencil figure is this 8-inch Santa with a pointed cap

This little 2-inch figure looks like one of those Russian stacking figures, but it is just one solid piece.

Last is a small wall hanging comprising popular symbols: a Santa, a wreath with bow, and ending in a stocking.

Please visit Maureen and see what other Christmas blogs are sharing.

Clement Moore's St. Nicholas

I am joining Sundays With Santa hosted by Maureen at Yuletide Greetings. I am also linking to Deck the Hall Friday with Tammy at Tinsel & Company.

A very strong inflluence on the way Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, is viewed in the United States is due to the poem written by Clement Moore. I would like to share one of my miniature books is an edition of The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore, illustrated by Tasha Tudor, published by Achille St. Onge, Worcester, Massachusetts. The book is 3 1/4 inches high by 2 1/2 inches wide. It has a printed dust cover illustrated by Tasha. The pages were printed in Holland and then bound in leather in France.

I took lots of photos of the little book but could not get clear images to share with you. However, Tasha Tudor’s illustrations are charming and evoke the delights of this beloved poem.

To learn all about Tasha Tudor, please go to the family web site. There you will also be invited to "visit the Tasha Tudor Memorial Website to post your memories of this extraordinary woman and how she touched the lives of so many people."

Santas Around the World Figurines

Well, it’s time for another installment of Sundays With Santa hosted by Maureen at Yuletide Greetings.
There are a variety of Santas Around the World Series. These vintage style Santa figurines depict the gift-giver as originating from various countries. The figures are about 5 inches tall. Each has a year date and the country name. Depending on the set you get, there may be 8, 12 or even more countries represented.

Here is the one from Brazil:
1904 BRAZIL SANTA – wearing a red suit trimmed in white fur, with toy-filled bag over shoulder, holding lantern and toy soldier, with sleeping girl in front of him.

Here is the one from Austria
1904 AUSTRIA SANTA wearing black jacket, hat & boots carrying a Christmas tree with a teddy bear at his feet.

Next is a grouping of five more Santas in my collection. From Left to Right:
#1 1893 HOLLAND SANTA - wearing red suit & hat, bag over his shoulder with toys peaking out. Horn is draped over his shoulder.
#2 1943 USA SANTA - red pants black boots green shirt w/ apron. Has toy soldier & drum at his feet holding vehicle in his hands. Bald head.
#3 1898 GREECE SANTA - wearing green robe w/ red trim & red hat carrying a lamb in right arm & flowers in his left.
#4 1900 BELGIUM SANTA - wearing red coat with tree draped over shoulder holding bells in front of him with teddy bear at feet.
#5 1923 MEXICO SANTA - light brown robe w/ red hat carrying basket in right hand with toys & candy canes in basket.

My France and Switzerland figurines got broken, so I just have for 7 countries currently. My Brasil Santa comes in a box that lists Poland, Canada England, Yugoslavia, Germany, Spain, Sweden, besides the ones above. Do you have any of these Around the World Santas? Do they represent other countries than shown here?

Santas On Display

I am joining Sundays With Santa hosted by Maureen at Yuletide Greetings. It is based on an old post from my regular blog which I shared my Santa collection displayed for the holidays.
I am also linking to Deck the Hall Friday with Tammy at Tinsel & Company.

Christmas is my favorite holiday and Christmas time is the best time of the year for me. I love so many things about the holiday season – the decorations all around, the busy-ness, the festive air, the music, specials on HGTV and Food Network, the various emblems of Christmas...Well,

I Just LOVE Christmas!

One of my book collections consists is of various editions of Clement Moore’s T’was the Night Before Christmas. I have books that are 2” high to oversized ones. Due to a lack of space I cannot display them this year. However a related collection of Santas, my St. Nicholas collection, is on display in the Study.

The bookstand has proved a good display venue since the books are all pushed back to make room on the three shelves.

At top a Santa dressed in white fur-trimmed coat and gold trousers stands in front of the ceramic pine cone finial . The little bootie was a place card at a Christmas party at work. On bootie was made for each staff member by my secretary’s mother. My secretary then put our names on the side with a gold pen.


On the first shelf is a large carved Santa designed by Pam Schifferl. The white ceramic bell was a gift from one of my sisters. The silverplate Santa is also a bell. The star-shape is a trinket box.

These three Santas are all emerging from the chimmney:


I bought one of these stuffed fabric Santas for my Christmas Day-born sister back in 1986. Years later I found this one for myself in a consignment shop.

Three cookie tins. The one on the left reads, “Twas the Night Before Christmas”

I originally bought this for the frame, but decided to keep the interesting scene of Santa resting beside the fireplace. It is titled “Santa’s Nap”

This framed Hallmark reproduction card featuring a 1907 Santa and a child, was sent to me by my neighbors across the back fence. Just below is a paper garland of reindeer, a gift to me from Sweden. The little terra cotta house is a candle holder and has a chimney too.

The footstool displays Santas with Christmas trees in hand. The tallest one is resplendent in his beautiful red coat trimmed in white fur.

On a stereo speaker one Santa holds a candle aloft in a leaf holder. Two small candle Santas and a Santa mug with white peppermint candy canes, completes the group.

Nearby are two delightful stuffed Santas. The smaller one is by Hallmark.

This 2’ tree holds several Santa tree ornaments. The tree is one of two I just got at a thrift store for 50 cents each. It is set in an off-white clay urn decorated with holly. The rim and handles are stained in a soft gold.


This iron stand has a ceramic tile top. Hanging from the legs is a green Irish Santa.

Below is a fabric Santa in a gold wicker sleigh. In front is a stitched canvas Rudolph candy holder made by the mother of a staff member for me. You squeeze the jaw on either side and it opens revealing the candy. My little nephew really loved it. Hearing about this, my co-worker’s mother made him the white cat that is beside it. But when the little fellow saw it, he just said, “I don’t like cats!” and never even touched it! LOL. So, here it remains in his auntie’s home.

These two collector’s Christmas plates are from the Lenox “Victorian Santas” series. I choose these two plates because the scenes include a nativity. The 2003 plate is, “Babbo Natale, the Italian Santa Claus”

The 2004 plate is, “Viejo Pascuero, the Chilean Santa Claus”
Next to the plush Santa’s is a large cookie jar. It is a recent thrift store find for $3.00.

I hope you enjoyed viewing my St. Nicholas collection. Please stop by Oak Rise Cottage again very soon.