Holiday Tips for Trimming your Tree
Ashley Simpson, Marketing Coordinator
I grew up watching Martha Stewart, so it seems second-nature to anticipate decorating for any special occasion. With December quickly approaching, that means it’s time to start thinking of the holidays. This week I am going to look at a few different ways to decorate your Christmas tree. You don’t need to stick with the traditional decorations; there are a million ways you can liven up that artificial (or real) Christmas tree.
First let’s look at a popular trend right now: white Christmas trees. I think a white tree would go great in a modern styled home, like our Aspen II showhome in Riverstone of Cranston (Click here to see the photos). With some metallic whimsical ornaments, a white tree would look perfect in this setting. If you are a DIY person like me, you can even head to your local craft store and pick up some glass ornaments, metallic spray paint, glitter, and sparkles to create your own decorations. Although this tree is aluminum, it’s exactly what I’m imagining:
Another idea I would love to try is gingerbread ornaments. This would a great afternoon activity to do with the kids. To me, gingerbread ornaments would go best on a real tree, since they both won’t last very long (although, I don’t know if you need to worry about your tree being eaten as much as you do with your decorations). First, whip up a batch of your favorite gingerbread dough. Then cut out shapes with holiday cookie cutters, bake and ice. Don’t forget to cut out a small hole to hang them with. Lastly, grab some ribbon, and ta-da...edible ornaments! Alternatively, you could also use sugar cookie dough (Yum).
The next type of tree is kind of a step up from the traditional tree. I think it compares most to what you would see in a movie; the tree looks almost too good to be true! Everything is coordinating, the colors all complement each other and it simply reminds you of the holidays. For this style of tree, a color palette with golds and reds would look very inviting. Uniformity makes this tree picture perfect, so look for only a few different types of ornaments in similar shades. Some kind of ribbon or garland would also look wonderful here...I’m picturing gold with a bit of a shimmer. A tree decorated like this would look stunning in a traditional style home with some gold and red holiday accents throughout! This is exactly what I’m thinking:
The last kind of decorated tree is my favorite. It’s a collection of decorations, some handmade and some passed down from generations. To me, this tree would look perfect in any style of home. Although it does look a little eclectic, it also looks the most fun! Each decoration signifies something different on this tree. It would be great to start collecting ornaments when your kids are born; get a new one each year and add it to the collection. Please excuse my poor picture quality, but here’s a (very) old photo of my Christmas tree growing up:
The angel on the top is from when my mum was a little girl. Many of the other ornaments, although a little hard to see, have been made throughout my childhood or collected from special holidays. The reason this tree is my favorite is all the sentimental memories behind it, not to mention how fun it is to add to every year!
Well I hope you enjoyed my Christmas tree ideas, and it inspires you to try something new this year! Also, check out last year's blog for other great ideas!! For more ideas, check out Martha Stewart’s 25 Trees HERE.
Questions or comments? Let me know in the comments below!
Thanks to Cherry MenLove and Martha Stewart for the above photos
- Ashley