Design Formula Friday – Christmas Tree

I am back with another edition of Design Formula Friday, where I break down the steps of decorating specific, sometimes tricky spaces. In the past I covered entryways, accent spaces, and making those countertops look styled, not cluttered. Today, is a special edition for the Holiday season, simple steps for a gorgeous Christmas Tree.

Family Room Tree using design formula

Dining room tree using design formula

Since we will be hosting parties in our new lower level, I wanted to trim a tree without breaking the bank! And guess, what?! I was able to do just that, and it turned out even better than I imagined. I first decided on a color scheme, looked at what I already had that would coordinate, and then purchased a few items to fill in. Since our lower level is mainly greens, blues, and whites, accented by golds and blacks, that’s the palette I went with.

DESIGN FORMULA:

FLUFFED TREE + RIBBON + BEADED GARLAND + PICKS + ORNAMENTS + TREE SKIRT = GORGEOUS TREE

Since we don’t have a ton of wide open spaces (cue Dixie Chicks song), I went with a cute, yet tall (7.5ft) pencil tree. I do have to say that I was very impressed with the variety of colors and textures and ease of assembly for this particular, especially for the price.

Step 1: If you have a real tree, you get to skip this step, but don’t forget to add those twinkle lights. For those of us with family members we may or may not call “bubble boy” due to allergies, don’t feel bad about a faux tree. Assemble your allergy-friendly pre-lit tree and FLUFF! You’re probably anxious to get to the fun part, but this step is so crucial, albeit tedious. Pull those branches apart!

Step 2: Select a wide wired ribbon. Cut the ribbon in 12-18″ sections, preferable with a V-Cut to make the ends pretty. You are going to place these pieces in the tree starting from the top at a downwards at a diagonal. I usually secure the middle of each ribbon piece with the tree branch.

Step 3: Add beaded garlands. I love adding natural wood textures to any space and the tree is no exception. These wooden beads can serve as garland now and then as table or shelf decor after Christmas. Again, place in a downward diagonal.

Step 4: Add Tree Picks. These fill in the tree and add sparkle, color, or texture and are super easy to work with. I happened to have these white rose picks and then added a few new ones to serve as the tree topper. Place these wherever the tree isn’t as full.

Step 5: Add your pretty ornaments. I found these simple black and white ones and then looped and hot-glued coordinating ribbon to act as a hook. I did the same to three boxes of ornaments I scooped up at Homegoods.