White Christmas Tree

When white Christmas trees began to show up in stores about 5 or 6 years ago I thought, how perfect.  Visions of a Whoville worthy tree danced in my head.  But then suddenly doubt and fear crept in as they sometimes do.  Nobody I knew had a white tree.  I worried, what if I spend a bunch of money on it and then it just looks tacky?  Later my sister and I went shopping to find her first artificial lighted tree and the moment came where I had to decide did I want to go for it and spend $200 to buy the big beautiful white tree I saw before me or not.  Well, I chickened out that day but I could not get the thought out of my head.  I could just envision it festooned  with lively lime green and red ornaments.  I have learned that if I just can't get something creative out of my head then I should probably give in and just go for it.  I decided instead of the fine quality tall $200 tree I would swing for the $25 four foot Walmart tree and sit it on top of the table in my foyer.  What harm could there be in that investment if I did not like it. Well I guess you have already figured out what happened.  This little tree has become my families favorite.  I still have a green tree in my living room but the wintery glow of this tree welcomes you to my home, ushers sleepy little one up to bed, and has found a place in my families heart. 

White trees have a beautiful glow when lit.  I pile a variety of hats under the tree for easy availability for picture taking which has  become a family tradition for our lively bunch.  The space under the table is perfect for all the presents. 

 Like other design jobs trimming a tree is all about layering with a variety of shapes, textures, materials, and color.  Here's what I did.

Layer one: ornaments in the colors to match your chosen color scheme.  Place them on the tree being sure to spread the colors around.  Don't these red striped and dotted ball ornaments I found have that Whoville feel.

Layer 2: add something bigger and chunkier that can add a pop of color, fill in holes that tend to come with real trees, add texture, movement and dimension. These were great because they were wired and you can shape them as needed.

As you can see the last step added much needed depth to the tree but something is still missing.

 Layer 3: adds a garland that will draw your eye around the tree and provide light reflection. That sparkle effect.

Here you can see how the three layers all work together.

So that is the story of the beginnings of my little white tree. I hope my story will encourage you not to be afraid to follow where your creativity leads. Trust those urges even if you have to buy a $25  tree.

 Happy Decorating - Marianne