Decorations were sparse and consisted mainly of handmade items. Popcorn was strung with a needle and thread and used as a garland. Sometimes pinecones were used and paper decorations made with crayons or "colors". Paper garland was made by cutting “tablet paper” into small strips and using “flour paste” to glue the strips together making a linking chain. Lights didn’t come along in this family until much later, probably in the 50’s. My grandmother had a few Christmas decorations that were used for many many years. One was a red crepe paper fold out bell that was hung over the kitchen table each Christmas.
The first lights that I can remember on our tree at home were medium sized colored lights. One bulb could go out or become loose and the whole string would go out. Bubble lights were special too and I may be wrong, but seems like they made a little tinkling sound. We also used angel hair sometimes and this would give the lights a beautiful soft blurry glow. Icicles were gold, silver and sometimes blue and were saved from one year to the next. Sweet gum balls were sometimes painted gold or silver, or wrapped in scrap pieces of tin foil and hung on the tree. Paper decorations were used, but we had advanced to construction paper now. Popcorn was strung and sometimes cranberries if they could be purchased. We did have a few glass balls, but not many.
Santa Claus came always on Christmas morning. He might make a rare visit on Christmas Eve if the family was away. My dad remembers getting an apple and orange, maybe some candy. On one occasion he remembers getting a rubber ball. My mother in law also remembers an apple and orange, candy, pecans and english walnuts. Occasionally they would get a small plastic toy such as a ring or watch. Stockings were hung on the mantle with nails and were socks of the tallest, largest person in the family, usually the dad! Toys would be tucked in the sock, then followed by fruits and candy. The Christmas mornings I remember were the ones when Tiny Tears arrived one year and another when Santa left my treasured Daisy pump action B B gun.>
Then one year, along came the most beautiful tree I had ever seen. A silver tinsel tree with a color wheel. This tree was gorgeous. It was put together quickly and the color wheel assembled easily enough. The color wheel had a light bulb behind the color plate which turned and changed the tree from a beautiful blue, green, red to yellow. The tree was placed in front of the “picture window” for anyone driving by to see. I can still remember the quiet hum the wheel made with its changing colors.  
“Puttin up the tree” is an age old family tradition. Doesn’t matter if you use a real, plastic, or aluminum; or whether you have priceless ornaments or ones made with construction paper and colors. Creating traditions with the people you love is the important thing. Merry Christmas!
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