Decorating a Theme-Based Christmas Tree
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Dressing a tree for the holidays is like taking a walk down memory lane, where each ornament has a story, a history, known only to you and your loved ones.
But how can you make sure that each piece fits in together with your vision? If you are looking to deck out your tree this year, here are some tips to get the most out of your design: Pick a theme such as sports, north woods, or country — and stick with it, to keep you focused.
You can pull the theme together with a foundation color. I like to use the tree skirt and garland to set the color scheme. Below are some basic tips, and then step-by-step directions for three types of trees: The Beads, Baubles and Everything That Glitters Tree, the Heirloom Family Tree and Dylan's Candy Bar Candy Tree.
General Tree-Trimming Tips
Lights: As for tree lights, figure on about 100 lights per foot of tree. Buy end to end if you are connecting strands. Be sure to test lights before hanging. Your lights should be the first decorations placed on the tree. Start by winding strands around branches from trunk to tip and back. You don't want to see any hanging wires.
Garland: Anything goes when it comes to garland: You can use ribbon, beads and sometimes both. Start at the back of the tree and work your way around.
Ornaments: Larger ornaments should be placed toward the bottom of tree for balance, or tucked deeper into the branches for depth. Allow the ornaments to hang freely. If they are too heavy, hang them deeper into the tree, where they will be more secure.
Beads, Baubles and Everything That Glitters Tree
Interested in a Beads, Baubles and Everything That Glitters tree that is bursting with glittery ornaments?Here are the steps you should use to create the ornaments for this glitzy tree. Hanging Balls with Tassels
• Wooden or Styrofoam balls in various sizes
• Wooden disc/wheel (with hole in the center)
• Metallic, fine glitter
• White glue
• Wire
• Tassel
• Polyurethane spray
1. Start by painting the balls with glue. Thoroughly cover glue with glitter.
2. Then spray glittered balls with polyurethane. Allow the balls to dry.
3. Cut an 8-inch piece of wire, or long enough to thread through balls, tassels and enough excess to hang.
4. Thread tassel onto wire. Twist one end, leaving a long strand for threading.
5. Thread balls with wire and twist excess to secure.
6. Make a loop for hanging.
Jeweled Glass Ornaments:
• Glass ornaments
• Glue gun or very sticky, quick-to-dry glue
• Baubles, crystals, beads, etc.
• Heat glue gun
1. Using clean, dust-free ornaments, glue baubles and/or beads in pattern of choice.
2. Allow the glue to harden, then carefully remove excess strings of glue. (blowing hot air from a blow-dryer will help eliminate excess glue flyaway.)
Jeweled Boxes:
• Papier-mâché boxes
• Gold spray paint
• Fine Glitter and/or glitter glue pens
• Baubles/beads
• White glue
• Ribbon/tassels embellishments/wire
• Polyurethane spray
• Thin cording, ribbon or wire for hanger
1. Paint boxes with gold spray paint. Allow to dry.
2. Glue lid to box by dropping beads of glue to inside lip of lid.
3. Using white glue and a paint brush, brush on glue in desired pattern
4. Sprinkle glitter generously over the white glue, allow to set a few minutes, then gently shake off excess glitter.
5. Or draw design with glitter glue pens and allow to dry.
6. Spray boxes with polyurethane and allow to dry.
7. Add final embellishments: bead/baubles/ribbons/tassels.
8. Glue thin cording to top of box (for hanging).
Heirloom Family Tree
The Heirloom Family tree is very personalized, with pictures of family members hanging on the tree.
Picture Snowy:
•Small glass jar with lid
• Metallic silver spray paint
• Family photos of your choice
• Decorative thin ribbon
• Fishing line/thread or thin wire
• Iridescent beads/or small trinkets
• White glue
• Silver/gold/white calligraphy pen
1. Wash jar, removing all labels. Dry.
2. Spray lid with silver paint. Dry.
3. If photo is digitized you need to shrink it to fit inside glass jar. Make two copies of the same photo.
4. Print, cut and glue photos back to back (be sure to add a thread about 2 inches long between the photos, leaving about 1 1/2 inches hanging out from center.
5. Glue thread onto the inside center of the lid. Put lid on jar and check to make sure photo hangs freely and is able to spin.
6. Add bead or small tickets of choice to the bottom of the jar.
7. Tighten lid. Paint the outer lip of the lid with white glue and add
ribbon.8. On the outside of the snowy, use the calligraphy pen to date and/or personalize.
Photo Nosegays:
• Posterboard
•Handmade paper/fabric
• Photo
• Ribbon
• Ornaments
• Embellishments: beaded garland, etc.
• Double-sided tape
1. Cut a cone shape from poster board (about 6- to 8 inches long). Wrap the poster boardto create a cone shape. Adhere using double sided tape.
2. Wrap the cone with handmade paper and/fabric tucking top ends into cone. Adhere paper if necessary with tape.
3. Cut photo to fit side of cone. Glue onto cone. Using decorative ribbon, glue a border around photo.
4. Attach tassel or beads to bottom of cone. Do that by threading wire/cord into the hole at the bottom of the cone. Glue to secure, if necessary.
5. Fill the cone with bouquet of bulbs, etc.
6. Attach fine ribbon to each side of the cone, tying a knot in the center. This is the hanger.
Dylan's Candy Bar Candy Tree
(Directions courtesy of Dylan Lauren, owner of Dylan's Candy Bar, dylanscandybar.com.)
Step 1: Theming The Tree:
Using your favorite candy to decorate a Christmas tree is a wonderful experience because there are so many different stories that can be told. For instance; you can create an all lollipop tree, a gum tree, a chocolate bar tree (with wrapped bars of course). Or you could use categories such as nostalgic or novelty candy to tell a different story.
Our candy tree is a reflection of what Dylan's Candy Bar stores and Web site portray, a large blend of individual, colorful, wrapped and unwrapped candies, candy as gifts, candy crafts, as well as favorite branded items. Try using an exciting mix of candies based on color, texture and styling. Use ornaments and gifts made from candies as the focus of the tree.
Step 2: Creating the Ornaments & Star
Hang whirly and unicorn pops as well as rock candy "swizzle sticks," which play very well in the light and add color to the tree. You can also use a garland of strung licorice and Gummies for charm and texture. For the larger pieces, make candy gift boxes to be used for ornaments. Place colorful unwrapped candy (such as M & Ms) into small clear plastic boxes in varying shapes such as bells and stars and tie a ribbon around them to hang them with. Fill mini stockings, metallic candy cups and sequined candy-styled boxes with assorted festive candy to hang.
String together colorful foiled chocolates and Hershey Kisses, and attach hooks to real chocolate ornaments such as Nestle Wonder Balls and chocolates molded to look like tree bulbs to create the smaller metallic decorations.
For the star, which is the focal point of any tree, I used vintage candy from our store to create a decoupage of Clove, Beeman's and Black Jack gum wrappers, which are some of the oldest brands of gum on the market. Glue foam cones onto a foam ball to form a star, and then glue the gum wrappers to that. For the points, I again used rock candy sticks to add sparkle and complete the nostalgic look of the tree topper.
Step 3: "Fluffing" The Tree
This step is very important since the actual tree will serve as the base or foundation of the story you are telling. Make sure the limbs are spaced properly and that the tree has the right shape.
Step 4: Applying the lights
Use miniature multicolored twinkle lights as the main lighting for your candy tree. They resemble tiny grains of sparkling sugar and candy. I also accented the tree with a minimal amount of candy style-lights from Dylan's Candy Bar, including starlight mints, candy canes and M & Ms lights.
In order to get the full effect of the lights without the wires showing, it is important to wrap the lights around each individual tree limb and avoid the impulse to just drape the wires from limb to limb.
Step 5: Hanging The Ornaments and Attaching the Star
Although we used no specific pattern, there are a few simple guidelines worth following. The larger feature items such as the large pops, stockings and filled mini gift-type items were hung more from the middle to lower part of the tree and attached as far out on each limb as possible. Do this by wrapping the tree limbs around the sticks and securing with a wire tie. By putting the ornaments out farther on the branches they gain more of a focus. Next, fill in any gaps by hanging smaller items onto the ends of the other branches.
Center a dowel into the bottom of the styrofoam star and affix it with wire to add the finishing touch to the tree.