My favorite thing about Christmas is that you create this magical, beautiful world that you get to live in and enjoy for a few weeks! The softness of the lights combined wit the glitter accents and scent of pine from a fresh tree is heaven in your home.
This year I decorated two trees– one is an artificial simple pencil tree with poinsettias, plaid ribbon and just a few gold ornaments. The other is a fresh tree with a candy land theme.
TREE | PLAID RIBBON | TRIM | ORNAMENTS
PEACE LETTERS | ANGEL | CANDLE STAND & WREATH
For a simple centerpiece I found inexpensive ornaments and ball fillers at Michael’s and put them in a circle tray with a silk floral arrangement I already had in.
I love picking a theme for my tree each year. Although it may sound expensive to buy new ornaments year after year it really isn’t! Make an investment in some good quality ball ornaments in both red/green/white and gold/silver/bronze. These are versatile and can be used for many themes. Shatter-proof sets are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased at the beginning of every season in nearly every store that stocks holiday decor. If you are lucky you may even be able to snag some on sale after the holidays! I have seen really great sets at Kmart, CVS and Michael’s.
Picks, ribbon and other fillers are inexpensive enough that you can repurchase for your theme each year. I throw my ribbon away after the holiday since I cut it for the exact length of my tree and each year we get a fresh one, so size will vary. If you have an artificial tree you can save your ribbon– just store in a place where it will not get flattened. I have a set of picks I like to use no matter what theme I am doing (feathers, beaded, curly) and then I add in themed-picks. This year it was the peppermint balls, last year it was bronze leaves.
CUPCAKE ORNAMENT from above [they are from Fortunoff, couldn’t find them online]… SIMILAR
Ribbon is the quickest way to make your tree look fuller and more festive. I use green pipe cleaners (yep— the kid’s craft kind!) to secure each piece of ribbon in place. Sure, it takes a little extra time but the results are worth it!
Just a note— wired ribbon is BEST for trimming a tree. It will bend easily and allow you to get that pretty “wave” effect that you see in my photos. It is also easier to handle and work with.
Try this order to make tree-trimming easier: Lights, ribbon, picks/stems (these are also great to fill in a sparse tree), decorative ornaments (like my cupcakes above), basic ball ornaments, large filler balls (see above, bottom right hand corner) and finally thin picks or feathers at the top to create dimension.
Mirrors and mirrored furniture will make any space look wider and larger. This gem was a sale find at Pier 1 last year. I will never grow tired of it!
I keep these branches in my entryway all year long. The basin, which you can’t see here, is a copper oversized milk can that I found at a garage sale over the summer. You can use any milk can or vase to hold your branches. The birch and thinner branches are TJ Maxx finds. The glitter branches were $10 each at Pier 1. I couldn’t find them on the website for you but I am sure if you bring this photo into your local store they can help you find them. If you didn’t want to mix the real branches with the glitter you could just do ALL sparkly ones. This is how Pier 1 had them displayed and it was GORG!!!
LARGE BALL FILLER | GLASS ORNAMENT [SIMILAR]
And finally my favorite ornament of the season— a reminder that in 2015 was the year we purchased our first home. Bonus, it fit the candy land theme of my second tree so well!
Wishing you a warm holiday that is filled with love, laughter, light and time spent with those you love the most!
From our home to yours,
The Paradiso Family
STEPHANIE – CHRIS – REMMINGTON
Stephanie Paradiso Blog 