Themed trees aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. And, for many years, I wasn’t always a fan of themed trees. I preferred to mix and match ornaments and let my ornaments guide the look of the tree more so than a color or a theme.
I’ve found, though, that you can have both!
Our family room is wall to wall windows and looks out over our front yard which is brimming with wildlife.
We have a small stream that attracts ducks, geese and even a muskrat that lives there. In the early morning, there are typically deer munching on my flowers and bushes and so many birds that we keep a bird-guide close by to identify all the different ones we spot. And squirrels…so, so many squirrels.
Really, this room is a front row seat to nature which has inspired one of my favorite Christmas trees I’ve called the ‘winter woodland’ tree.
We started with a 9’ pencil tree tucked into a corner of the family room. The tree was an incredible deal for only $100 at Target several years ago. The tree was cheap. And, as with many trees that you buy cheap, it looks cheap when you take it out of the box.
Alas, I’m a believer that if you decorate ANY tree right and you put enough Christmas wonderfulness on it, even the cheapest trees can look rich. (I will let you decide if that’s true or not!)
I tend to purchase unlit trees, as I prefer to add my own lights. For this tree, I included a mix of traditional white lights and warm white LED cluster lights.
These cluster lights are my new favorite Christmas splurge. The first strand was purchased at a local nursery after Christmas for 60% off. Even at 60% off, the strand of 768 Lumineo lights (yep 700+ just on ONE strand) was more than $30. Since then, I’ve scored these same cluster LED lights at a local discount store in both 1500+ and 400+ strands for a fraction of the clearance price I originally paid. Online, most of these sets are approx. $100.
The lights have eight different settings, my favorite of which is the ‘twinkle’ setting that gives subtle movement and sparkle to the tree; a great reflection off the nearby windows.
Although I didn’t set out with a clear idea of what this ‘winter woodland’ theme would be, I slowly began to acquire ornaments and pieces that I knew would work.
One of the first pieces dedicated to this tree were large snowball garland lights made by Raz Imports. The 6.5” balls are white and sparkly and almost give the appearance of a fuzzy snowball on the tree.
Next, I used a variety of red, gold and silver ornaments, all of which were ‘extras’ I had purchased and only occasionally used for other decoration. They were the perfect addition. I’ve added more of those inexpensive bulbs, mostly tucked deep inside the branches to really fill the thin tree.
Oversized, decorative wood skis and a sled are wired into the tree and a wonderful hodge-podge of animal ornaments that were purchased or given to me round out the collection. Some of my favorite ornaments still follow the ‘winter woodland’ theme but add a touch of whimsy; like the winter-dressed bear and deer.
The white snow owl was picked up at a liquidation sale at a local craft store. I actually purchased two, but only one made it to the tree. The other resides in my oldest daughter’s room as Hedwig….she is a Harry Potter fan.
Copper colored picks added another beautiful metallic but earthy feel to the tree, complimented by the cascading gold sequined picks….all odds and ends picked up at after Christmas sales for very little.
Filler on this tree were all inexpensive snowflakes and sparkly birds that were purchased in sets of three or six at Big Lots. Glittered burlap and plaid ribbon is the garland, and I stuffed oversized pinecones into any opening I could find.
I believe that no tree is ever really finished. For me, each tree is a constantly changing piece. Even the ‘winter woodland’ tree has had edits since I captured video and photos for this blog, and surely it will change even more next year.
The same theme and combination of outdoorsy or woodsy pieces could easily be replicated on a garland or even a front porch display. For our family, this themed tree is really a reflection of what we see out our windows each day….and we love it!
