Lisa Frank stickers (left); A Lisa Frank-inspired tree (right); Sticker images courtesy of VintageStickerLove
Yesterday we focused on the sleek white and metallic Christmas decorations of the 1980s modern variety. Keeping the palette monochromatic provided a stark yet sparkly take on Holiday decor that was perfect for clean-lined dwelling spaces. Today we throw subtlety out the window with a child-friendly Christmas tree inspired by designer Lisa Frank, whose creations decorated many a school supply and sticker in the 1980s.
Known for her vivid colors and shiny images that seemed to jump off the surface, Frank utilized a rainbow array of hues and a toy shop collection of shapes that included animals, hearts, balloons and candy. The stickers above (left) come from Etsy shop VintageStickerLove, a Mirror80 favorite. We were quite taken with the candy cane ribbon pattern of the cat-themed sticker (top left), as well as the vibrant coloring of the flamingo-themed sticker (bottom left).
A Lisa Frank-inspired Christmas tree
To create our Lisa Frank-inspired tree, we followed a few simple steps:
1. Start with a white tree. Not only is white the perfect backdrop for color standouts, it helps evoke the “whiteout” effect created in ’80s media (remember those blank music video backgrounds from the early days of MTV?).
2. Wrap the tree with candy cane ribbon. We chose red ribbon with green accents, but any color combination will do.
3. Decorate with colorful ornaments. We mean the really colorful kind! Hot pink,purple, orange, turquoise, and bright green are not out of the question here. Take your inspiration from the sticker sheets at the top of the post. Continue the “sweets” theme established by the candy cane ribbon as you add a dash of mint or gingerbread man ornaments. We chose small round peppermints!
4. Top the tree with a heart. Or a rainbow. Or a balloon. You get the idea!
The vibrant color and motifs give this Christmas tree a whimsical ’80s vibe, which is perfect for the young, as well as the young at heart. A special thank-you to VintageStickerLove for inspiring us with Lisa Frank collector’s items!
Aw, cute stickers! Now I got some inspiration for my tree, thanks!
: – ) I love the pinks and oranges–I wouldn't have thought to add them to a Christmas theme, but they definitely work here!
Cute. I love vintage Lisa Frank. I used to have all the stickers, Trapper Keepers, school boxes, and all of that… wish I still had it. I loved the yellow dog, the brown bear, and the blue unicorn the most.
I already have a few Christmas trees up, but I might have to make a Lisa Frank one too. I wish she made ornaments with her 1990s designs on them to top it off.
Thanks for the comment! I'll have to hunt down some cute creature ornaments to add to the tree.