Reader Mike is wowing his neighborhood — he had a carpenter build and install this U-Bild Santa and reindeer lawn display on his front lawn. Mike used vintage plans he found on ebay, but guess what: We can still get these mid-century plans (and more like them) made new today by the same company — in business since 1948 — 66 years!
Update: Since this story was first published in 2014, U-Bild’s inventory has shifted. Check their website for the latest.
Mike writes:
Background: We purchased our 1950 house from its original owner in the winter of 2010, and within a month of signing the contracts I bought a vintage U-Bild kit (Santa, sleigh, eight reindeer) on eBay for around $50. I don’t really remember how I stumbled upon it or what what prompted the search; I just knew when I saw it that it was the kind of thing that very well may have stood on our front lawn at Christmas 60 years earlier.
U-Bild is still in business today, with many of their most popular vintage plans still available for purchase.
Where to buy plans for DIY holiday displays and more:
Mike’s story:
The kit consisted of high quality paper posters (reindeer done in 5 pieces). Each piece had to be cut out, glued to plywood, cut out with a scroll saw, assembled and varnished.
We had the Santa on our front porch when I was a kid, so it’s very nostalgic to now have the whole set on the front lawn of my own home.
Fast-forward 4 1/2 years, and I determined to find someone to finally assemble this for us. I lucked out when young carpenter Kyle Reckman answered the ad I had placed on kijiji.com (similar to Craigslist). He was establishing his own business and was looking for jobs, and he was willing to guarantee completion within two weeks.
Kyle was very enthusiastic about this unusual project, and he offered to complete every step of it himself: picking up the plans from me, purchasing the necessary construction materials, gluing the patterns onto the plywood, cutting all the pieces out carefully with a scroll saw, assembling everything with screws and wood glue, sealing the finished products with a protective coat of urethane, and delivering them and installing them on our front lawn. The project ended up costing about twice what I had budgeted, but given its scope and Kyle’s terrific execution it was well worth it.
We set it up on the lawn with two strings of old-school C7 lights serving as reins, and two flood lights positioned on the lawn to illuminate it sufficiently at night.
Our neighbours are already raving about it! I plan to purchase one more reindeer kit so that we can add a Rudolph (complete with red lightbulb nose) to next year’s display!
Jingle Bellzapalooza, this is amazing! We’re gonna guess: Not only are the neighbors all along your street jealous — everyone in Retro Renovation World is, too, today. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, Mike — including another great new/old resource: U-Bild. We are already in touch with the company about doing a detailed profile.
carolynapplebee says
GENERAL FOAM!!! my (poor divorced) mom worked at that place back in the 70s, so many nights coming home with foam injection pellets on her shoes. years later my brother-in-law revealed he worked there one semester when he needed a winter coat to survive on campus.
I think we still have our life-sized Santa Claus out in my mom’s shed. employees could buy unpainted products for cheap, so my brother painted ours and I posed next to it for a photo. we also had lots of Halloween and Christmas light-ups, the ghosts holding a pumpkin head were cute.
Deborah says
I was recently researching the Santa I found in my Grandmother’s basement…and this is it! No sleigh or reindeer but I’m happy. Thank you for solving the mystery! And what a great looking yard and decor you have!
nina462 says
Great job Mike! Looks like you’re already to go for the Christmas season.
Another made in America vintage items you might see are nativity scenes from General Foam Products. They make the plastic nativity scenes (among other seasonal items). I have the Mary, Joseph, Jesus and an angel, camel …and just bought a cow. Now all I need are the wise men and a sheep to complete the scene. I usually buy one item a year.
Pam/Kate – you might think of doing an article on General Foam Products.
pam kueber says
Thanks for the tip, nina462, I’ll add it to the list…
nina462 says
http://www.genfoam.com
Heart says
Thanks Nina for the tip re: GenFoam.
Check out: their Christmas tree selection. I wasn’t too impressed till I got to page 32-35. OMG! Talk about Retro! Awesome 😉 Thank you.
Mary Elizabeth says
“. . . just bought a cow.” 🙂 This reminds me of looking all over to find a likeness of a goat in any size or form one year. My dad asked every year for a different animal for a family in an underdeveloped country. He worked through an international organization (not Heifer Project, but another one) that arranged for these farmers to get what they needed. His four children would get together and pay for the goat or flock of chickens or whatever then give him a gift. The sheep were easy to get (creche figurine, ornament) at Christmas time, and chickens and ducks were available, but a goat? Finally we had to have a photo of a goat blown up and pasted it on cardboard, then cut it up into puzzle pieces. I sure wish we could have got those giant foam or wooden figures to put in his yard.
pam kueber says
Once I was invited to a Christmas party in which each couple was assigned to bring a stuffed animal A to Z. They were to go to a day care center. We got Z. Oh my, the search that sent us on… for a Zebra, of course.
Jennifer says
I remember Dad making these – Santa & sleigh – and putting them on the roof! Add the large bulbed lights all around and we had the best house on he block! Think I’m going to have to get these for next year. Thanks for sharing!
tammyCA says
Amazing! So neat the co. Is still making them!
Michael says
I might not be able to wait until next Christmas to add a Rudolph. There are a couple of single reindeer patterns up for sale on eBay right now…I wonder if Kyle could knock off one more before Christmas. 😉
pam kueber says
Go for it — what’s Kitschmas without Rudolph!
Karin says
Incredible job, Mike! Thanks for making my day. Years ago, I had the pleasure of attending an exhibition of the original paintings of the Coke Santa by Haddon Sundblom, the artist who did the original 50s Coke Santa. They were huge beautiful oil paintings, and the colors were still bright after many years. It was great to see the jolly old elf’s smile again.
Mary Elizabeth says
Sounds like you all had fun executing this project. I noticed on the site that there are also plans and figures for creche figures. Great contact information, Pam.
Tim D. says
Holy Happy Holidays! That just makes me smile from the inside out. I live in a tiny little hamlet of thirty home, ten miles from the nearest town and when I moved in two years ago, no one decorated, but my neighbors are coming around. Can you imagine their surprise next year when this covers the front lawn? Ho! Ho! Ho!
Scott says
I can’t resist… OH DEER! 🙂
If this doesn’t take you to your happy place I don’t know what will. It’s heartwarming to not only see one of these again (it’s been decades!) but to find out they are still available.
I’m also getting a real kick out of seeing I’m not the only one who likes to carve their scrubs into upside-down gumdrops! Yes!