Tree Decorating

[mamica]

We started decorating the Christmas tree today, and I don't know what I do wrong, but my trees always seem to look slapped-together to me. I generally like to buy ornaments here and there, and I don't do "theme" trees, or pick a color scheme. I thought maybe if I would have several of the same ornament, or a few ornaments, it might help pull it all together having them spaced around the tree. But, I never bought enough of one kind to really make a difference....if that is even what would make a difference to me. I'd love to see pics of anybody's trees to help inspire me or figure out what I'm missing. Please post if you would like to share! Thanks!

[newg]

We don't have our tree up yet..........but I have a mish-mosh of ornaments too..........I feel like what pulls our tree together is a bunch of different colored glass balls (different sizes too)...got them at walmart 7yrs. ago and they still look good!...........I also have a pack (12 maybe) of glass icicles that I put all around the tree.

so mostly random with just one or two things to pull it together..................

[jgenie]

What a great idea! I'll try to get a picture tomorrow.

[Tondi G]

do you have any garlands? Sometimes they can really pull a tree together

we do colored lights and white (only mini lights) and then we have a huge assortment of ornaments (more shaped ones than regular balls). People always comment on the neat ornaments we have. We get the boys each a new ornament each year in their stocking typically (something that reminds us of their interest that year... 1 yr was a truck and a nutcracker, the next was a kid doing Tae Kwon Do and a guitar, this year it will be a penguin and a kitty cat).

My neighbor likes to put ribbon on her tree and I think her tree is pretty.

We haven't bought a tree yet or I would be happy to take a pic for you!

[sunshine873]

Ribbon! I put ribbon on my tree for the first time last year and I loved it! It really pulled it all together - I have an array of ornaments too, the ribbon make it look finished. Just start at the top and wrap it loosely around the tree, resting on outer branches.

[dcmom2b3]

http://www.costcophotocenter.com/album/edit_photo.aspx?em=177lpI1xnJiZ_PeU5g3pV2RqY78hiqT K&ea=GBfrXJT4TNNiIwKDiXeauA--

http://www.costcophotocenter.com/album/edit_photo.aspx?em=I7Yi7quHMWagZWlwLgRN2XbXmmF26oY U&ea=CmxEATnMlFdedBxeLwFmGw--
I'm lazy/un-creative: I use a color scheme to pull it together -- either blue and silver/white or red and gold.

I think you're onto something, though, with the idea of having enough of one type of ornament to pull it together. I have lots of glass "icicles" and really cheap glitter snowflakes from Target that I love. They seem to do the trick. Using a ton of lights helps, too as does making sure the dang thing isn't leaning-- something I didn't accomplish last year!

I'll try to post a pic. (Ugh, pictures aren't working, try this: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44413&id=1377160939&l=2351ce6950)

[Melaine]

I think bows or garlands as PPs mentioned really pulls it together. I used to string popcorn, which was really fun but not happening this year.

[pinkmomagain]

Our tree has evolved into a Santa-themed tree...nearly all santa-related ornaments (even a santa topper). But one year I did go out and get red ball ornaments and I think they do help to pull the tree together. We alternate between mini colored or mini white lights....the family takes a vote each year.

[kedss]

we always had a mish mash tree growing up, so I don't mind it so much, but this year my ds made ornaments from the sparkly craft pipe cleaners, and I added a few breakables at the top, some non-breakables so that dd could see them, but not grab them off and candy canes. I'm hoping to get each kiddo and dh ornaments for their stockings this year and start that as a tradition.

[truly scrumptious]

Ribbon! I put ribbon on my tree for the first time last year and I loved it! It really pulled it all together - I have an array of ornaments too, the ribbon make it look finished. Just start at the top and wrap it loosely around the tree, resting on outer branches.

:yeahthat:
My MIL turned me on to using ribbon (I grew up with mish-mosh trees!) After you put the ribbon on, the rest can be a mishmosh, but the ribbon makes it look well pulled-together. It's like magic.
Here's a pic.

[brittone2]

Ditto the ribbon and a color scheme w/ lots of ornaments in those colors. My parents did an ornament a year for me as a child and gave them to me when I got married. DH's mom buys us lots of more "country" themed ornaments (but nice quality). I had some red and gold balls last year for the tree, and then at the end of the season picked up a very large box of red shatterproof ornaments from target for 75% off. They have different textures and shapes and sizes...some swirly icicle type things, some shaped almost like long glass pinecones, and some different shaped balls.

This year having all of those red and gold ornaments really pulled the tree together IMO and the non coordinating ornaments sort of blend nicely into the background. We do a coordinating ribbon wrapped around the tree like a garland to carry the color scheme through.

[DietCokeLover]

I am definitely a color schemer. This year it's silver and blue with white lights. Big silver bow for the topper. Last year was silver and white. My plan is to one day have two trees - one more elegant and one full of our family things.

[Melaine]

My plan is to one day have two trees - one more elegant and one full of our family things.

That's my "plan" too! Don't really have room now though. That's also my plan for how we can buy a real try and still use the fake one to get our money's worth!

[gatorsmom]

I agree with the ribbon and color scheme. First choose a color theme. My theme is maroon. Which means I only put maroon and gold ribbon on the tree- no red or other colors. I do use different patterns of maroon ribbon, but it's always maroon and gold. After Christmas clearance is the best time to buy ribbon because it's so expensive otherwise. Go with the beautiful, 2 inch- wide ribbon that you can find. Velvet is beautiful or a thick brocade with some shine to it makes it rich. Then a long, long time ago when I still shopped at Walmart, I bought 3 packs each of 12 little, half -dollar size plain maroon glass bulbs. And I have 3 packs of silver and gold bulbs. I also have about a dozen plastic, gold sparkly snowflakes. This is the basis of my tree. After that I put on our keepsake ornaments and not all of them match the theme, but I think they make it special and personal.

I chose maroon because my house is decorated in maroons, golds and buttery yellows so the tree looks like it accents the rest ofthe house rather than clashing with it. Also, maroon is a classic color which is always available around Christmas time. hth.

[srhs]

I am definitely a color schemer. This year it's silver and blue with white lights. Big silver bow for the topper. Last year was silver and white. My plan is to one day have two trees - one more elegant and one full of our family things.
That's what I've done, and I have a small house. My nice rotating tree is blue and silver and prelit white. My family kept giving me other ornaments, so we started putting up the junky Dollar Store tree from college and calling that the "family tree". This year, I have no space with the boys' stuff, and I'm afraid DS1 will destroy my nice one, and I have no time to decorate anyway, so I think we are just doing the scrawny one.

[lizzywednesday]

Our tree has mostly "old world" style blown glass ornaments on it because I love them so, but we've also supplemented with a lot of fun resin/plastic ones and a couple we've picked up on trips - like our resin "siesta Santa" and the clay-cutout "Santapelli" that we bought in Sedona (AZ) our first married Christmas, and the resin "Outrigger Santa" we picked up in Hawaii on our honeymoon.

I fill in any gaps with inexpensive glass ball ornaments; I want to get better quality ones this year as the ones I picked up from the grocery store the first year we had a tree aren't cutting it with me anymore.

DH doesn't like garland, and we have an artificial tree so that rules out tinsel (which I actually love, but don't want to pick it off my tree after Epiphany!) so we don't do much more than the ornaments.

Honestly, I love having a mishmash of ornaments, especially ones with stories! (Heck, I still have one that one of my siblings decorated for me when they were in Kindergarten.)

[SnuggleBuggles]

I miss my glass ball ornaments. I really liked how they looked on the tree. Not chancing it with a toddler around.

For ds1's child friendly tree we had some great safe ornaments that were like foam balls wrapped in satiny- thread. They are ones I remember from my childhood. You might know them too.

Beth

[lizzywednesday]

...

For ds1's child friendly tree we had some great safe ornaments that were like foam balls wrapped in satiny- thread. They are ones I remember from my childhood. You might know them too.



Our Kindergarteners used to roll them in glue and then sprinkle glitter on them as part of their Christmas party craft time. (This was at a Catholic school.)

This is the ornament I have that one of my sibs decorated.

[Ceepa]

I miss my glass ball ornaments. I really liked how they looked on the tree. Not chancing it with a toddler around.



They make unbreakable balls that look close to real glass balls. I always see them in Christmas shops in their own display.

[Seitvonzu]

after doing the colored lights, i have a bunch of red ball ornaments (couple of different sizes) and a package of icicles (that probably will be replaced next year) that i disperse throughout the tree as evenly as possible. i also have some other random "sets' of ornaments that i disperse -- and we have TONS of birds (which get dispersed). after that we do the "quirky" ornaments. i think it makes a really nice blend without being totally random. i think the "fun" ornaments are what make people really enjoy looking at a tree, and what make decorating the tree so fun. my mom has done bead garland, wire garland (stars) and ribbon throughout the years, but we were always able to put our quirky ornaments on the main tree. including of course whatever we made in school-- she always put those RIGHT IN FRONT :)

last year was my christmas baby's first birthday, so instead of our traditional tree we had a "golden afternoon" tree a la disney's alice in wonderland. i glittered tons and tons of flowers and feather butterflies of all different sizes, adding googly eyes to some of the flowers so they could "sing." i also used white lights (which i NEVER do!!!). it was GORGEOUS. it was also very easy to make look nice :) quite colorful but uniform at the same time. dh joked that we should "do the tree this way every year!"

as much as i loved that tree, i really liked having our "normal" tree back this year! (even if it was troublesome to find all the ornaments and i'm still convinced some are missing... *sigh*)

[Laurel]

We do white lights with the "Old World" ornaments. It looks put together, but not too matchy. My dream is to have a house big enough to have both a fancy looking tree and a homey/kids tree.

[mamica]

Great ideas and beautiful pics! Thanks so much. I love the ribbon idea. I used to beads as garland, but not loving it so much anymore...and it's too tempting for the little ones to pull off, etc. Keep 'em coming!