Today is all about decorating Trees and Wreaths! Time is ticking away till Christmas and some of you, I have talked to in the store are already putting out or are all finished decorating! Good for you! It’s great when you can enjoy your wonderfully decorated home for as long as you can during the holidays!
I have been busy busy busy at the store making it look fabulous for Christmas! A huge part of decorating is all the trees and wreaths. I have talked with some customers that put up multiple trees in their home. I think that’s great……especially if you are partial to a whole bunch of different looks. You can create a different theme for each tree! That is so much fun! I have done the same at the store. We have so many different looks that we want to showcase……….so what better way to do that, than decorate a tree! Some of them include:
In one window I have a rustic, cottage like look. This includes, big red “Santa I can Explain” signs, ice skates, wooden tags, dried brown leaf garlands, woven red birds and some woven ornaments. Its really important to try and use different materials when decorating your tree and also varying the scale. The big red signs are a great element in amongst all the smaller items! It really makes a great statement! I love the way garland looks in a tree! Especially when it is something really different and textured like the dried brown leafy one that I used in this particular tree! It may not be absolutely noticeable, but if I were to remove it……..the tree definitely would not look quite so finished!
The other window in the store showcases a very shimmery, elegant cream and glass look. I have chosen lots of really big glass balls with shimmery patterns on them! They make the tree look so sparkly! Its also nice to add sprays! They don’t just have to be for a vase or wreath…put them in your tree. They create a whole other element that is very interesting. You don’t need many. The ones I chose for this tree are elegant looking with a matte cream berry. This completely is a contrast to the other shimmery decorations on the tree, however they work and provide another layer of interest. In conjunction with the sprays and balls are lots of really really shimmery items such as: ice skates, snowflakes, pine cones (they are fantastic) and birds.
Right as you walk in the front door you will see a great tall tree that is filled with pewter, silver and gold! I absolutely love this combination! I have never really mixed these colours before, but it works so well! Again, I have chosen to add big scale by using the gold and silver traditional signs that say: Joy, Noel and Peace. If you decide you don’t want them on your tree you can always hang them on a door knob, on a wall or on your front door! I have also put in sparkly gold feathers! They are just so effective, you wouldn’t believe it! …..and very inexpensive! Ohhh and one of my favourites is these big over sized wiry gold flowers. You simply just stick the stems right in the tree and manipulate the flower top until you have it just right! So, in order to balance out the interesting shapes and sizes of some of the decorations, it’s a great idea to also have some traditional balls. In this case, I used large mercury, pewter balls with a slight diamond pattern on them! They are so fabulous! For the smaller items there are: small acorns, birds and mistletoe! I love the way this tree is so shiny and glamorous!
Towards the back, by the big rug rack…..I placed a big flocked tree up on a table. It is adorned with red and white! Its such a classic look and really bright and cheerful! This tree has a combination of matte white acorns and walnuts (which I think are my favourite thing in the whole store) flocked mittens and toques, red glass hearts and balls and some really fun balls with red and white tiny pom poms! Oh, and also some really classic white balls with a little bit of ribbing on them. I choose mostly ball shaped ornaments for this tree of varying sizes, but it’s important to remember to use different textures as well!! I really like the way the glass looks with the flocked, matte element of the tree. You could also add some larger “sign” like ornaments to this type of tree or a great red matte or textured garland! The sky is the limit! Just use your imagination!
Also, really important: when decorating your tree at home, make sure you stand back from it every so often. Its a great way to really know if the tree is balanced with ornaments and if you like the placement of everything!
I have also done up some wreaths around the store. What I usually do is take a really great simple bare green wreath and add lots of different items to it. This completely transforms the wreath and you can really personalize it to be your own style. I have decorated one really big wreath that is already pre-lit (which is a big plus). I used red orchid clips. I have to say…..using clips is so great, simple and easy! I also used silver sparkly feathers and these great pics that have a cluster of really glamorous silver balls. The wreath was completely transformed into a show stopper! Great for above your mantle or sideboard..etc…..Same tips apply to wreaths as they do to trees…use different sizes, shapes, textures and colours!
Other clips I used in some wreaths are the silver and gold dragonflies! They are very effective! A couple of wreaths I did also include weaving a garland throughout the outside greenery to add more bulk and texture and also using sprays to get the same effect! We also have wonderful berry wreaths that I altered with some green sprays! They look great with or without the greenery!
I hope you are all eager and ready to tackle some of your decorating! …and maybe even try some new decorations on your tree this year? I am always available to help decorate your home or offer some advice at the store. Remember to enter your creations in our “Ultimate Decorating Contest” and win up to $1000 just for submitting a photo of your decorating. There are 16 categories to enter- check it out here if you haven’t already. You have until Dec 24th to enter!
Happy decorating! Don’t forget our Open House on Sat Nov 28. Starts at 9:30….live music, delicious food and great prizes! The Sidney Parade is also on the same day! Be sure to come out and see us!
