GET WEIRD WITH YOUR TREE

[how to think outside the box when decorating your tree]

Once Thanksgiving is over and you’re off to the woods to get your tree, and up to the storage room for your decorations. STOP – be creative and this year make it different. Yes, you can reuse all your memorable ornaments and items from your past, but mix it up and just know the options are virtually unlimited.

I love themes, but not in my trees-it can just be just too limiting. A red and white candy cane tree is just that, red….white….and candy canes (snore). Don’t make it about one theme – let your tree speak volumes about you.

Decorate your Christmas tree to be your very own creation- one of the following changes may inspire you for years to come.

Here we go…

1_Gifts that people have given you can be great in a tree. My aunt Janet gave me a Santa years ago that was handcrafted and I always have it somewhere in the house over the holidays- it’s big, but has topped off my tree nicely!Just tuck it in and wire one area in.

2_Pictures of favorite times, events, people or pets in chunky holiday frames are great. Since my dad has passed away, a picture of him is always front and center on one of my trees, it makes me smile.

3_Speaking of pictures- my family of dogs over the years are always represented on the trees as well.

4_A pillow that a friend gave me after a fun time in my life read “Santa – I can explain”. Where else should that go besides in my tree.

5_Every time we travel we try to remember to grab something in a shop – don’t think ornament- I have a miniature Eiffel tower sculpture from Paris that I donned a tree as an “ornament”, a miniature pineapple from Hawaii, a bird from Sturgis (yep, I was there), a mask from New Orleans, and from Jamaica, a coffee cup, a piece of redwood, a rock, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, you get the picture, right? It gives us the “ahhhhh” every year when we do decorations and our tree. It takes us back to the trip and beats a cellphone photos in my opinion – (but use those too).

6_I often wire in baskets and put smaller presents inside the baskets. It expands the shape of the tree and is a fun and interesting twist.

7_I have a tiny upholstered chair that is marked with the date I opened Lee Douglas Interiors- it instantly takes me back every time I put it on my tree or garland.

8_Wire a book that touched you or one about the holidays into the tree.

9_Wire in sheet music.

10_I have wired in lanterns, and used battery operated candles (with remotes- yep, we have those too at Lee Douglas, and they aren’t the cheesy ones- they look like real candles- worth the money).

11_Attach old jewelry or pins from relatives.

12_Tie in ice skates, hanging by the shoelaces, old skis up through the center,or a sled balanced on the floor and wired to the outside.

13_Antlers adorn a tree beautifully, just wire in tightly because they can be weighty.

Bottom Line: go through your memorabilia and use it on a tree. It gets it out of a box or chest and lets you enjoy the memories for a brief time throughout the year.