The fact that Popsicle sticks have life long after the Popsicle is but a sweet memory is a testament to the human ability to reimagine trash into art. The Popsicle stick bowl and trivet in this week’s fresh to market vintage is a classic example of that. Up until the 1950s-1960s, if you wanted to build something with Popsicle sticks, you had to eat a lot Popsicles, wash and save those useful birch sticks until you had enough to make your build. The introduction of twin pops during the Great Depression made this easier.

Popsicle sticks aka “craft sticks” became an elementary school staple during the 1950s-1960s,  when they were first sold in bulk. A memory from our elementary school days is getting our scoop of paste on a small square of paper and a craft stick for spreading it, although using our fingers and licking them after was the preferred paste method. (If we were not meant to eat paste, it should have not been so creamy and it should not have smelled so delicious. The glue stick generations will never know the absolute pleasure of pasting together construction paper masterpieces.)

The beauty of Popsicle stick creations is that they can be elegantly simple, like the bowl and the trivet, and they can be elaborate, like this lamp in the inventory of prop rental company Acme Brooklyn. The stability of a detailed piece like this after many decades is a full endorsement for the lasting adhesion power of Elmer’s Glue.

If Popsicle sticks are not your thing, we’ve also got the bling this week. And some Aspen history, which reminds us, the Winter Olympics are right around the corner, so we’ve got some vintage Olympics patches you might need to get ready.

Rhinestone Belt/Necklace

It is a belt or a necklace? Yes! If you are creative with your vintage it can be both. This long strand of clear rhinestones set in silver tone metal is long enough to work as a sparkly belt for anything from low slung jeans to a slinky evening dress. It works equally well as a doubled up necklace with the single larger stone dangling down the back of a low cut gown. However you decide to wear it, it will certainly turn heads.

Single Strand Rhinestone Belt/Necklace, $15.95

Pam, Vintage Renude

Popsicle Stick Bowl & Trivet c 1960s

Offering two vintage popsicle stick folk art creations – a storage bowl and trivet that can also be hung as a fun piece of wall art. They were crafted from popsicle sticks interspersed with red, blue, yellow and white wooden beads. The bottom of the bowl is a piece of plastic that is tied in place. It’s likely these works of art were made as a summer camp project in the 50s or 60s.

It was no surprise to me to learn that the popsicle was invented by a kid, but to read that it was in 1905 and that the story didn’t end in fame and fortune for the eleven-year-old inventor brought a tear to my eye. Read more on NPR’s site.

1960s Craft Project – Bowl & Trivet, $65

Linda, Selective Salvage

1950s Aspen Souvenir Plate

Souvenir plates are often kitschy, but souvenir plates from Vernon Kilns are art. This 1950s Aspen, CO plate, with an illustration by Paul L. Davidson, captures the early days of the ski area when it was served by Lift-1, a single seat chair lift that was the longest in the world. The iconic original 1946 Sundeck restaurant is featured at the top of the plate. The brown transferware plate is accented with hand painted colors.

1950s Vernon Kilns Aspen, CO Souvenir Plate, $40.

Laurie, NextStage Vintage

Vintage Winter Olympics Patches

Who doesn’t love a good patch? There are modern and vintage patches available for just about any interest. And here’s a tip, you don’t need super sewing skills to add one to your favorite jacket or sweater or jeans. All you need is a nice sharp hand needle and some thread. If you can figure out how to tie a knot at the end of the thread, you can figure out some kind of stitch that will hold that patch on your garment.

The Winter Olympics opening ceremony for the Milan/Cortina games happens on Friday, February 6, although the schedule cheats and some events (mixed curling, men’s downhill and men’s single luge) start on February 4. How cool would you feel when you hear those first notes of the unmistakeable Olympic theme wearing a cardigan (or a bathrobe, we don’t judge) with one of these vintage Winter Olympics patches sewn on?

Innsbruck ’76 USA ($29.50), Lake Placid 1980 ($17.50) and Calgary ’88 ($35) Patches.

Available from this week’s guest Steve, Heyday Road Trip

Did those patches get your sap running in anticipation of the Winter Games? Us too, so we ferreted out a video of John Williams conducting “Olympic Fanfare and Theme.” We will never compete in compete in luge, snowboard cross or biathalon and we do not delude ourselves into thinking that we could even learn the basics of those sports. But we have to admit, we are devoted watchers of Olympic curling and we like to think that with a couple months of training, we could complete delivery of a stone at least twice. We’re not saying it would make it to the house, we’re saying we could at least launch it.

If you get wrapped up in the Olympics, you might forget to check in on what’s new on Vintage Unscripted. We have a solution for that. Subscribe to our email newsletter and you’ll get one email a week with links to all the posts from the previous week. And rest assured that we would sooner lock our legs in the widest snowplow humanly possible and ski the alpine downhill course (screaming in terror) than ever share your info.