A Tale of Two Trees
This was the first year we’ve ever had two trees… and I’m loving it. More sparkly white lights? Yes, please. More festive feeling? Absolutely. But decorating two trees might seem daunting… It shouldn’t. Here are some simple Christmas tree decorations that can make any tree beautiful and elegant on a very reasonable budget.
We always have a tree in our living room… And I dress it like I dress my home: mostly neutral, with plenty of texture, and a little sparkle here and there.
I started with leftover gray burlap from my burlap table runner and wrapped rosemary trees. I cut it into strips (great tutorial for cutting burlap here) and wound it around the tree.
With lots of simple silver and gold balls, my chandelier crystal ornaments, and these wonderful tin stars, the tree was almost finished.
I simply added my DIY no-sew ruffled muslin tree skirt and a little faux fur around the base…
And no one will ever know it’s fake. Doesn’t it look real?
It’s actually the Stratford Spruce from Balsam Hill. I love how realistic it is, all decked with twinkling white lights, allowing these simple yet sophisticated decorations shine.
When I decided to channel my inner Parisian and deck the library for Christmas this year, I didn’t think through how I would dress the tree (especially since I had already used most of my ornaments on the living room tree!).
It was one of those late-night inspirations: a glimpse of the tattered antique books peeking out from behind the tree, and the twine I used to wrap them to protect them from baby’s curious hands…
And the idea was born. I hung my book page ornaments from last year…
Added some coordinating glass ones I’ve had for years…
And made book page bunting. Simple triangles hot glued to a long strand of twine and wrapped around the tree.
To top it off, I used my metal stencils on jute to share the most important messages of the season.
That’s it. My tree topper was on the living room tree, so I just grabbed a few jingle bells and twisted some more book pages into a little star of sorts.
Since my library is full and eclectic, the simplicity of the tree seemed the perfect balance. And this beautiful Narrow Fraser Fir from Balsam Hill looks so realistic…
I didn’t need to hide it. Setting it up took about 10 minutes. Seriously… (which is good since I decided to set it up at 10 pm). And by 11pm, the entire tree was dressed and ready to go.
Isn’t it lovely? I’m really enjoying the simplicity of this tree in particular… How about you? Do you cover every square inch or leave the greenery as the centerpiece? There’s no wrong answer!
Disclosure: I received these trees from Balsam Hill at a discounted rate, but as always, opinions are 100% my own.
MORE DIY HOLIDAY DECOR:
Simple Holiday Decorating Ideas
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