Christmas Wreath Decorating Ideas

December 8, 2014 Jennifer Davenport

Ready to Make a Fabulous Wreath?

Here are some Christmas wreath decorating ideas to help you make a beautiful wreath for the holidays. Whether you want to make a traditional wreath, or a fun and whimsical wreath, you have stopped by the right place!

The first Christmas wreath I want to show you how to make is a country/traditional wreath. For your supplies, you will need a twig wreath, Christmas greenery sprigs, red berries, Christmas floral stems, burlap ribbon, pine cones, and a hot glue gun.

This is a twig wreath. You will find it located in the same aisle as the grapevine wreaths.

Take your Christmas greenery sprigs, and cut off some small branches. Hot glue them around the middle of your twig wreath like shown.

I love this floral, but I did not use the red berries. What I liked about this floral stem was the frosted pine sprigs.

Trim the floral stems into smaller pieces and hot glue them under the darker greenery that you just added. It is okay if it sticks out longer than the twig wreath.

Next, hot glue some small pine cones in the center of your wreath.

Now you are ready to add the little red berries. Pull them apart, and glue them sparsely onto your wreath.

To finish off your wreath, make a burlap bow and tie it onto the top of your wreath. Make sure to cut your bow tails at an angle. Beautiful!

More Christmas Wreath Decorating Ideas

These colors may not be your tradition holiday colors, but they just make me smile! All of the ornaments are shatter-proof.

I found ribbon with all the right colors. I added pretty picks around the shatter proof ornaments. A glue gun is a girl’s best friend.

Whimsical Wreath Make Me Happy!

This is my fun little Sock Monkey wreath. I love lime green and red together!

To make this wreath, you will need a sock monkey, colored ornaments, matching ribbon, colorful sprigs, and a unfinished wood letter you can paint.

Make sure all of your wreath accessories go together. Keep the colors similar.

Attach your sock monkey with thin floral wire. Attach him in more than one spot on his little body to hold him secure to the wreath. I attached my little monkey at the neck, and waist. No animals were harmed during this procedure.

This ribbon is so fun! I love how it looks great on both sides! Make a simple loop bow for your wreath.

Using hot glue gun add your ornaments in sets of three.

For even more whimsy and character, I add a painted wood letter. I painted it red with acrylic paint. To make a perfect circle dip a pencil eraser or a small hot glue stick into the paint, then dab onto your letter.

Just a touch of elegance…

This wreath too absolutely NO TIME to make! Promise. Check out the video below and learn how I made this wreath in under 30 minutes.

Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

December 8, 2014 Jennifer Davenport

Christmas tree decorating ideas always get me excited and ready for the holidays. Decorating for Christmas should be a fun and nostalgic memory every year. BUT, I’ve spent many a Christmas ready to throw my tree out the front door. I’ve had a real tree that wouldn’t fit in a tree stand. I’ve had a fake tree you could throw a softball through and never hit a branch. I’ve had lights that won’t work; ornaments missing hooks; crooked trees– I really could go on. I hope I’m not the only one that has had “Grinch” moments.

Now, I usually stick to the the same design for my tree every year. I may change to a different ribbon color, or use mesh ribbon , or I will add a few unique greenery picks. Changing just a few things helps me stay within my Christmas budget.

So, below are the steps to great Christmas tree decorating ideas; and hopefully it will be without a lot of stress.

Christmas Tree Decorating Step-By-Step

You can get so many Christmas tree decorating ideas from magazines, and t.v. shows, and the web. I keep a small folder full of pages that I have ripped out of magazines.

The key to a really beautiful Christmas tree is having a uniform look all the way around, and really filling the tree with plenty of trimmings and ornaments. It is easy to quickly get your tree looking like a mismatch mess. It is all about accessorizing with a finished and designed look in mind. Take a photo of a tree you see in a store that your really like, and duplicate that look at home.

Now, before I go on, if you have children or grandchildren, or special childhood ornaments with a lot of memories, sometimes a “designed” tree doesn’t fit with all of these different ornaments. You can have a smaller tree that has just your special ornaments and make it your “memory tree”. You can also hang them with ribbon from windows, or run a ribbon in front of a pretty mirror, thumb tack it to the wall, and hang your ornaments that way. It really is a pretty way to display them.

My mother has given us adorable children’s Hallmark ornaments for years, so we have many of them. I love them, and hang them on a ribbon in my bonus room. It fits the theme of that room, and you really can see them up close. I love it!

I do not have a pre-lit tree. I do not trust that they will last more than a few years. Every year after Christmas I will buy extra Christmas tree lights when they are on the clearance rack. That way, the next year if a strand isn’t working, I am not going to spend an hour looking for that one bulb that isn’t working. Blood pressure remains down, and all is well.

After you have all your working lights on your tree, the next layer is ribbon, garland or, grapevine. I love using grapevine. I buy a wreath and pull it apart. This does make a huge mess, but it really gives the tree fullness, and brings in natural elements. I reuse the grapevine every year, and store it in a new trash bag.

Next, I put ribbon around the tree in even rows. Stores are now carrying the really wide mesh ribbon. This ribbon is great to work with and adds a lot of color. Just remember after you have your rows evened out, go back and twist and tuck your ribbon, so it doesn’t look like you just threw it on the tree.

After that it is time for Christmas picks, or large flowers such as poinsettias, or hydrangeas. These are a hoot to shop for and so easy to use. I love the Christmas picks that have little glitter balls attached, or little presents. Just start putting them in your tree, and space them out evenly.

Next, you’re ready for your ornaments and then your tree topper. I use the Christmas picks with little glitter balls on the top of my tree. Then I make two large bows out of two different types of ribbon. I tie one ribbon on at a time, tying them back to back. Then the tree topper looks like one large ribbon. After that, I stick the glitter ball picks in the top, and I am DONE! Decorating your Christmas tree can be stress-free if you have a plan!

How do I decorate my tree with ribbon?

There is a difference in making your tree look like you either threw the ribbon on the tree, or got frustrated and stuffed it in the branches everywhere. Been there done that! I had a wonderful salesperson at Trees-n-Trends show me how to decorate my tree with ribbon. She was so helpful, I can’t thank her enough!

This is how my tree turned out thanks to her help! I have written a whole page with detail step-by-step photos on how to decorate your tree with ribbon. Once you get the hang of it, it really isn’t that hard at all!

I’ll have a blue Christmas

Christmas tree decorating ideas that are different from the traditional decorations can really add some fun and whimsy! I decorated this tree for a college student. Her room was already decorated in teal blue, so I thought it would be fun to carry those colors into her Christmas tree.

Cheap Christmas decorating idea!

I found these large glass balls at the craft store. They hang above her bed. Another cheap decorating idea that looks great!

After I am done with all of my holiday decorating ideas, I turn the lights off, sit quietly on the couch, and reflect. There is nothing like a beautiful Christmas tree to bring joy to everyone. I hope some of these Christmas tree decorating ideas help! Good luck, and enjoy your season! Please visit my other Christmas decorating ideas pages to help with all of your holiday decorating!

Christmas Tree Ideas – Need some inspiration?

December 8, 2014 Jennifer Davenport

Looking for Christmas tree ideas for inspiration for your tree? Does your tree need a makeover? Or, maybe this is your first time to decorate a tree. Well, you have stopped by the right place! These photos will help you with deciding on a great Christmas tree theme!

You can never go wrong going with a white Christmas decorating theme. Purchase a flocked tree, or add your own snow. You can purchase faux snow in a spray can at your local craft store.

The simplicity of this tree is stunning. Decorating live trees with ornaments and decorations sparingly, allows for the beauty of the tree to be the focal point.

Gone are the days of traditional red and green for Christmas tree themes! Many homeowners are giving their tree a splash of pink! I love it!

This is a tree I decorated for a client. Her main colors were maroon, a very light teal blue, and silver. I made a large bow, and added silver sprigs coming out from the top. One of the key elements in creating a gorgeous tree is learning how to work with ribbon. When adding your ribbon, be sure to “tuck and twist” your ribbon when weaving it into your tree.

Besides using the silver ribbon around the tree, I then paired the silver and maroon ribbon and let it flow from the top of the tree all the way down the sides.

What I love about this idea from Country Living is putting the tree in a basket in order to give it more height! This idea can save you money, as well as creating a really unique Christmas decorating idea.

How about decorating a tabletop Christmas tree? Do you have a table in your entryway where you could place a tree? What about on a dresser in one of your bedrooms?

This is a photo of a tree I decorated for a child’s room. All the ribbon and decorations were red, green, and white. Aren’t the little white pom-poms cute?

Here is a fun tree I decorated for a college student’s room! Her room was already decorated with a teal blue theme, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate the same color into her tree!

The Christmas ribbon design is peacock feathers! I used wide gold, and thin teal blue ribbon to coordinate with the peacock ribbon. Green and blue ornaments completed the look!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Enjoy every moment. Don’t let the crazy rush steal the joy of the season.

“With the past, I have nothing to do;
nor with the future.
I live now.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Christmas Table Setting Ideas

December 8, 2014 Jennifer Davenport

Create a Gorgeous White Christmas Table

I like finding Christmas table setting ideas that won’t break my holiday decorating budget. You don’t have to own Waterford crystal glasses and Lenox dishes to make an impressive table for the holidays

This table was really fun to put together, and I saved money by using some things I already had. Some of the decorations are from Target, one of my favorite stores. I love the variety of holiday tableware available at affordable prices from Target.

I love being a frugal shopper. My water glasses were a flea market find for $12!

I decided to keep my French linen table runner instead of using a more traditional holiday runner. Because I am decorating in white, I really liked the subtle beige tone of the runner.

These are gorgeous napkins and napkin rings I found at Target!

I already had glass hurricane candle holders, so adding a little sparkle was all that was needed. I decided to use silver ball garland because it is cheap and lightweight enough to use around the candles. I just cut all the little balls apart, and then dropped them into the hurricane candle holder.

To keep a delicate soft look, keeping color at a minimum is necessary. By adding silver balls instead of colored balls, it added sparkle and interest without taking away from the white theme.

I really have a passion for trying to create stunning centerpieces. Many times I visit discount home decor stores and just shop for different ideas. These unique Christmas ball ornaments really stood out to me. The embellishments are really visually interesting and extraordinary. Texture is key when decorating in a monochromatic theme.

Flanking the large ornament bowl, are two graceful reindeer nestled in a bed of artificial snow.

One of my favorite table setting ideas is using chargers. They are inexpensive and make a world of difference. These silver chargers have a beautiful scalloped edge and really make the plates stand out.

Decorating for the holidays shouldn’t empty your wallet. It takes a little more effort to figure out inexpensive decorating ideas, but I usually find relying on your own creativity helps you come up with impressive and unique ideas!

Christmas Table Setting on a Budget!

December 8, 2014 Jennifer Davenport

I want to share with you a beautiful Christmas table setting created with items from Target, Wal-Mart, and Hobby Lobby! You can create a stunning table on a budget! So, let me show you how I created this table setting.

This year I decided to go with an elegant table setting using black and gold as my primary colors.

Black napkins found at Wal-Mart were paired with gold napkin rings from Target. An easy way to place a napkin into a napkin ring is by placing the napkin flat on the table, pinch it in the middle, then pull through the napkin ring.

I already had the gold plate chargers, and found the black plate chargers from Hobby Lobby. Since the black chargers were smaller, it looked perfect on top of the larger gold chargers. Next, I added silver lined white dinner plates, and salad plates with gold and silver stars from Wal-Mart.

Here is the perfect marriage; these beautiful Christmas tree plates are from Wal-Mart, and the small gold bowls are from Target.

These two dishes were made for each other!

I love making my own place cards. And, when having a dinner party, having place cards for guests makes things much easier when it comes time for seating everyone. I used black card stock, and wrote the names with a gold pen. Next, gold leaves were hot glued onto the top left corner of the place card for added elegance.

Two gold deer nestled in real greenery became the focal point for the Christmas table setting centerpiece.

Christmas Table Setting Centerpiece Idea

For the centerpiece I found a gold rimmed mirror from Hobby Lobby, and three glass candle sticks different sizes. Black candles continue with the black and gold theme.

I found a box of small black and gold ornaments, and tied them together with gold ribbon. After tying them onto the candle stick, I needed to add a little hot glue to keep them in place. When using taper candles, I purchase a candle ring also know as “Bobeche”. This keeps the candle from dripping down the candle stick and onto the table.

This is a very elegant Christmas table setting that looks like it cost hundreds of dollars! Not one item that I purchased was over $15.00, either because I purchased it on sale, or used a coupon. The most expensive items were the deer and the small gold mirror. The adorable Christmas tree plates from Wal-Mart were $3.

Well, I’m off to go figure out a menu now. Have a happy holiday!