4 Easy Steps to a Themed Christmas Tree

By Jennifer Landers

Themed Christmas trees are big this season. Themes are fun to create and gives your Christmas tree its own distinct personality. But if it’s your first time to veer from the traditional hodgepodge Christmas tree, you may feel overwhelmed and clueless as to where to start.

Here are some helpful hints to making a personality-filled tree you and your guests will love this Christmas season. Warning: your traditional tree will be envious of the new hot shot taking all the attention.

1. Choosing a theme

The first step is to select a theme. Your theme should coincide with your personality. You may generate your theme from anything personal, such as:

• A hobby
• Your career
• An existing collection
• A favorite color or
• A personal interest

Think about what makes you original to create the most unique theme that reflects your individuality. Do you have a shoe and purse fetish? Obsessed with Elvis? Utilize your quirks to make a one-of-a-kind tree that’s so you.

Coordinating your theme to your personality results in a tree you will adore and allows you to showcase to your guests what makes you, you.

2. Start with the foundation

Start your theme at the bones, (or rather, the branches), of your tree. Spray paint the tips in a color that makes your theme pop, or add lights in the color of your choice. Even better, make your own lights by covering bulbs with lanterns made from materials related to your theme. Just be very cautious what you are using is fire-resistant. If you have any doubts, call the fire department. Better to be safe than sorry. Once you are in the clear, you can create an unexpected light source to make your tree pop.

3. Ornaments that Wow

Ornaments are the most critical aspect of your theme. They are what make your tree have a theme, using ornaments with the same motif.

The key with ornaments is to think outside the box. Some of the most creative themes do not have a single ornament that was manufactured with the purpose of decorating a tree. Car lovers can hang small car parts and tools, gardeners can use (new) gardening tools and silk flowers and grillers can attach barbeque sauces and grilling utensils.

Think outside of pre-fab figurines to make your theme original. If you want some standard ornaments to maintain some of the look of a traditional Christmas tree, or if your theme lacks cohesion, incorporate small, sold-colored ball ornaments.

4. Topping it Off

Too many people neglect the top of the tree, putting all their focus into the ornamentation and leave the peak bare. Topping the tree is a perfect opportunity to put your creative mind to work. Since a topper must be open at the base in order to rest on the pointed tip of your tree, it can be somewhat difficult to think of a clever solution.

You may be able to find a pre-fab topper to suit your tree, but designs are somewhat limited. If your theme has nothing to do with stars or angels, you are probably better off finding an open-based item, or get crafty and make your own topper.

Hats are simple toppers that add whimsy and fun. There are many varieties to choose from: baseball caps, chefs hats, tuxedo hats and more. Although it’s a fun element, a hat doesn’t always fit your theme.

To make your own topper, roll a piece of thin cardboard into a cone shape and decorate your cone to match your theme. Not crafty? A simple backup that still gives your tree a finished look is to tie thick ribbon in a coordinating color to the top. The bow should be large and its tails should cascade down for a dramatic effect. Topping your tree will make it look polished and complete.

If you want to impress your guests this Christmas with something out of the ordinary, creating a theme is easy and fun. Choosing a theme that reflects your personality makes for a tree that is all your own. By starting from the base and thinking outside the lines, you can make a stellar themed tree to adorn your home.

Once you see how simple and fun themed trees are, you’ll want to make more and more to fill each room in your house!

Learn more about Christmas Tree decorations at ChristmasTreeForMe.com.