With a little thought and care – plus the inspiration of these lush holiday table settings of yore – you can create unforgettably nostalgic Christmas table settings that will be remembered for years to come.
parties
This exceptional Bacardi rum cake is a pudding cake baked in a ring pan, and flavored with Bacardi dark dry rum. You may be surprised at how easy it is to get an elegant cake – perfect for the holidays!
Get seven sassy snack mix how-tos from yesteryear, including the granddaddy of them all: the original Chex mix recipe!
A shrimp Christmas tree appetizer is a scene-stealer and a real buffet beauty, certain to cast a special charm over any holiday party – yet so easy to do! Here’s how.
If you need 1980s costumes for a cosplay event, a 1980s themed party, or for Halloween, check out the ideas we’ve rounded up!
Try not to be too creeped out by this collection of vintage Halloween party ideas spanning over a century!
Back when cheap Halloween party decor was a distant dream, people had to make their Halloween decorations the old-fashioned way: by getting creative. Ghoul School 1919 is now in session!
These festive Halloween cupcakes are decorated in a variety of fun and creative ways — including a pumpkin, a witch, a mummy, two spiders, a jack-o-lantern and a wolfman.
After launching their career in the ’60s, in the early ’70s, Sonny and Cher turned to television, and to everyone’s surprise, they were a huge hit – leading to adventures both good and bad.
Step back in time with a fun look at vintage cracker brands, from cheesy Cheez-Its to buttery Ritz, and relive the tasty, crispy and crunchy nostalgia through old-school ads and photos!
Having a retro party for the holidays? Here are lots of crazy kitschy vintage Christmas appetizers you may want to serve… at your own risk.
Although the popularity of the fondue recipe has waxed and waned over the years, it is still — and likely forever will be — enjoyed as a delicious communal meal that brings people together.
The party favorite – more fun than throwing custard pie! Wham-O Silly String shoots a plastic stream of plastic string 1/4 mile long!
What could be cuter and easier for your tailgate or Super Bowl party than these clever mini football Rice Krispie treats?
Want to have a holiday get-together with a little retro charm? Check out these creative and colorful 1960s Christmas party decor ideas!
A box social, sometimes called a box supper social, was an old-fashioned way for communities to connect, share a meal and raise money for local
If you’re having a party, consider these 12 cheese ball recipes! These tidbits provide a good color, taste and texture contrast to other foods, and can be made ahead of time, too — even several days ahead to suit your convenience.
Toast the season’s riches with this snappy pinecone-shaped cheeseball! Formed in a nutshell of crisp, crunchy almonds, its flavor is so scrumptious, your guests will go simply nutty.
What could be better to get a holiday party rolling than a creamy, festive olive cheese ball? This recipe comes from the 70s, which was pretty much the golden age of cheese spreads.
Whether you need 50s costumes for a themed party, Halloween party, or a cosplay event, here are some ideas that are perfect for the era.
Want to host a throwback celebration, with ideas straight out of the early 1900s? Here’s a menu describing each of the fourteen courses served at a formal dinner party, plus other hosting tips for an event with true Edwardian style.
How did people celebrate the spookiest holiday many generations ago? Look here for some very vintage – but hauntingly creative – old-school Halloween party table decor ideas & menus!
A room to relax in, to revel in, to play games in – when have we had a room precisely for that? This 1960s party room could do all that and more.
Weddings have changed a lot in the past century – and so have the parties for the bride-to-be! Here’s a look back at some sweet old-fashioned bridal shower ideas from the first decades of the 20th century.
Anyone obsessed with vintage Strawberry Shortcake probably dreamed of these pieces of sugary sweet delight featuring their favorite gal – dolls and toys, of course, but also bedding, wallpaper, roller skates and more.
Natural materials like wicker and rattan have an almost magical ability to create a tropical feel year-round, indoors and out. That was certainly the case with this lounge setup, seen here back in the mid-1950s.
Full of candy colors, this cheerful open-air bubblegum pink sunroom from the 70s was set up to make it easy to have a little party any time.
This retro 70s party-friendly family room could easily host guests and after-dinner coffee — it was a family room (or living room) with definite pizzazz.
A frame of sunshine colors softened the view of the sliding glass doors in this poolside party room without impeding either the view or traffic to the terrace.
Straight out of the 70s, here’s a superb year-round party room, keyed to Pineapple Gold, a winter hospitality color, against Designer Hector Grant’s green and white background.
This 1960s living room made from a terrace space was filled with bold contrasting animal print patterns that filled nearly every surface, but combined to create a luxuriously exotic tent-like atmosphere.
There are so many recipes for appetizers to serve at game day football parties — but what about the main course? You can score with this old-fashioned football-shaped meatloaf, inspired by two vintage recipes!
Raise a glass, retro-style! Get Glacier highball, Christmas sparkler, Kris Kringle punch & vintage holiday punch and classic cocktail recipes for a holiday party
Here are 38 different classic punch recipes to try — none with alcohol as an ingredient. The fruit juices and different varieties of carbonated waters and ginger ales will satisfy the palate, and cool you off in a most refreshing manner.
Originally called a jeweled cheese ball, this retro-style cheddar-brandy cheese ball is so easy to make! It only takes a few minutes to mix and shape. Here’s how.
The best way to gift-wrap a bulky or odd-shaped kitchen appliance or utensil is – don’t! Give it a fanciful shape, instead – with Christmas paper, ribbons, ornaments and more.
These nutty chocolate caramel bars feel a lot like a creamy, dreamy, frozen Snickers bar — perfect for any festivity where fans of candy bars cluster.
What were hostesses with the mostesses setting up on dining tables 40+ years ago? Here’s a look back at some beautiful vintage ’70s table setting ideas!
‘Magic Touch’ vintage metal ice cube trays were hugely popular in the ’40s, ’50s & ’60s because they let you easily release your ice without smashing it up.
Starting back in the ’50s, women were encouraged to start their own businesses, hosting Tupperware parties, and demonstrating how to use those popular plastic containers. Here’s a look back!
These flavorful and colorful gelatin sugar cookies need just a few simple ingredients. Best of all, one base dough can make up to five different flavors – you choose your favorite jello mixes to stir in. Then just refrigerate, slice, and bake a fresh batch anytime!
Looking to get a ’60s-style party going? Here are some old-school toasts to raise, and some vintage ’60s drink recipes, so you can say cheers with a savvy retro flair!
In the past, a few products – like Borden cheese – made it so their glass jars could be reused later as party or hostess glasses. Since people collected them, it was a smart use of double-duty packaging.
Jolly Time popcorn is an American company that got its start in 1914. Ten years later, they hit on the idea of selling their popcorn in cans to seal in the freshness so every kernel would pop.
To the average American girl, between the ages of, say, 10 and 17, slumber parties are as important as pizza, add-a-beads and Judy Blume.
How can you decorate store-bought cakes you got from the supermarket freezer? Here are six great ways to customize them – making an ordinary cake into an extraordinary dessert.
Hot buttered Cheerios – a quick, easy snack made with Cheerios cereal. Make a bowl right now, and you’ve got Hot Buttered Os – plus 5 variations to try.
This fresh and zesty raspberry champagne punch is a fruity cocktail that is easy to make, tastes delicious, and looks gorgeous. Here’s how to do it, with a recipe from the ’80s!
Retro paper plates, napkins, placemats, cups and more – all affordable and all disposable – were new and popular in the ’60s. Here’s a look back at some of the products & patterns available then!
Are you ready for Halloween? A look back at some old-fashioned Halloween party tips from 1910, in the days when the holiday was more about gatherings than candy collection.
Cottage cheese — like that used in this creamy cottage cheese dip recipe — is a little lower in fat and calories than sour cream, and just as delicious.
From the 1950s: Sweet Virginia Dare Pink Wine adds the extra sparkle and elegance that makes the difference between just another evening and a good party.
Here are a couple recipes for petits fours – along with ways to make the frosting, fondant and decorations for these tiny cakes, all in the ’50s style!
A wonderful play of taste and texture, this Holy guacamole recipe combines avocados, savory herbs and spices, and just a dash of imagination.
This creamy chicken salad mold is a tantalizing mixture of chicken, mayonnaise or salad dressing, broth, gelatin, seasonings and lemon juice.
Except for the silvery cones atop the towers, this fantasy ice castle cake is completely edible, built with rich cake, paved with icing and rock candy.
A Victorian garden party may extend from afternoon into evening, or it may be entirely an evening affair — and here were the best ways to set everything up.
Take these vintage centerpiece ideas from the ’50s, ’60s & ’70s, and put your own spin on them for a modern-day retro-inspired holiday or party table!
Here are a few ways to make a happy Easter surprise — cute vintage Easter cakes, using ideas and recipes from the fifties & sixties!
Here’s a retro jelly bean carousel cake that’s cute and creative for a child’s birthday. Anyone who loves jelly beans (doesn’t everyone?) will love it.
This choco-mint party cake recipe starts with a pre-made angel food cake, and adds a flavorful colored frosting that oozes out from between the layers.
Here’s a retro recipe for a pink raspberry-angel food dessert that’s super easy to make with marshmallows and gelatin, and requires no baking.
Holiday punch takes on a whole new dimension when you spark up the brew with deliciously fizzy drinks like ginger ale, 7-Up and Sprite!
Christmas goes to the dogs! Here are 8 adorable antique Christmas postcards with dogs, plus a tale of how some boys got together and gave their pups their own holiday party.
Here’s how to make that classic m&m cookie recipe loved by generations — and just as tasty today as ever.
Aren’t they fabulous – these tissue paper poufs from the 1960s to cover your presents? They said, ‘We’ve never seen a more exciting gift wrap idea, or a more impressive one.’
What can you serve in the punch bowl? Some society ladies of Southern Mississippi offered these 21 fruity vintage punch recipes in the summer of 1969!
If you’d like to celebrate an proper Edwardian-style Christmas, here are lots of ideas for you! Get inspired by these recipes, decor tips, vintage images and lots more.
A bewitching black Midnight Cake is just the thing for Halloween. Try this vintage recipe for a strikingly dark and chocolaty dessert here!
From the 1950s, here’s are two fruity, cheesecake-style dessert pizzas. You serve them like a pizza… you eat them like a pizza… tastes like a flaky party pie!
Hot dog shapes turn plain food into party fare – and fun! Here’s how to make your hot dog turn into a fun edible treat, plus ways to stuff them with cheese and other wonderful stuff.
Here’s a retro recipe for a cute Teddy Bear cake made of the nicest things you could imagine. And you can make one easily.
Here’s an old-fashioned favorite perfect for a child’s birthday party: ice cream cone cupcakes! We have the vintage recipe right here.
When the outside of you is cold, the inside of you likes something that makes you warm. And winter rum drinks are some of the very beverages that warm you when you are cold, just as rum can cool you when you are warm.
While we can imagine a Christmas without snow and without presents, it’s almost impossible to envision the holiday without the main meal. Here’s what a traditional Victorian Christmas dinner was like.
This retro recipe for a cold glazed baked ham is coated with a version of chaud droid, then decorated with pimiento, green pepper and olives.
Philly cheese bells are a shaped creamy cheese spread made from Philadelphia Brand cream cheese and spreadable Cracker Barrel cold pack cheese food.
Get three retro pumpkin dessert recipes from the ’70s — including an easy no-bake pumpkin pie and delicious pumpkin muffins!
Need some cute cupcakes that are easy to decorate and won’t take too much time (or money)? Get some great cupcake decorating ideas here from 1995!
Here are four retro recipes for easy appetizers and snacks made with envelopes of Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix!
Teen guests will swing at a party of food, fun and favors that a young hostess can make herself. Greet your invited ghosts and goblins with a Halloween party!
Here’s a creative pineapple treasure chest filled with a delicious fresh fruit salad. It’s easy to make this stunning party centerpiece! Here’s how you can do it.
Even in the 70s and 80s, making beautiful party cakes wasn’t something just for professionals! See some pretty vintage Wilton cake decorating ideas here!
Make these brilliant harvest desserts – Halloween Jello recipes! Whip up a glittering pumpkin parfait. A sparking new way to serve grapes. Or a glowing harvest moon salad.
Trimmed with good-to-eat Oscar Mayer tidbits stuck on with cocktail picks, this Christmas tree with meat ornaments is sure to be the center of attraction at any holiday buffet.
What do newly-engaged couples really need to know? Quite a bit! Here are ideas from 1921 for telling your close friends, suggestions for formally announcing your engagement, tips for selecting a ring and more advice.
Here’s an honest-to-goodness family meal that tastes like a Sunday treat — franks and beans. Here are four ways to serve them, including a franks ‘n’ beans casserole.
Midsummer night’s dream: A party menu plan for Juliets in search of Romeos This strategy works like charm. Invite lots of boys and wear your ruffly-est ruffles. Great food. Great fun. And no more lonely Saturday nights.
For the boat, the beach, around the pool, or just a quiet drink on the porch, you’re invited you to try these summer rum drinks! Salud!
’60s dinner party with fondue — the fun party dish! Everyone will have a ball the moment the dunking begins. These exciting party foods show you’re really with it. Plenty — and then some — to feed a crowd. Here’s how!
What can you eat with your fingers? What needs a fork? Get the answers to these and other questions with etiquette tips from the ’20s!
This easy cake with a cute retro checkerboard cake is shown here in pink and yellow, but you could make it with any two-color combination
This zesty horseradish dip recipe gets its zing from both radishes and horseradish, smoothed into a savory sour cream and beef soup mix base.
You make it in a flash. Just pour an envelope of Lipton onion soup mix into a pint of sour cream. Stir it with a fork… chill. You’ve got it.
Summer parties and entertaining duties never cease — there are always garden fetes, weekends, luncheons and bridge suppers to be planned and executed.
Festive ribbons for your curtains Carry a decorated-for-Christmas look to a window treatment with colorful satin-tone gift-wrapping ribbon. Loop the ribbons over the draperies and
The season of St Valentine is always full of novel ideas for the hostess, and there will be card parties galore at which hearts will be played in every way that a bright woman can devise.
Make-ahead dazzler: Philly chocolate cheesecake – the retro 60s recipe This chocolate thriller is just one of many Philly desserts that you can make days
