How to Decorate an Elegant Christmas Tree

There's nothing wrong with a traditional tree - that discordant mix of children's craft projects, candy canes and multicolored lights never goes out of style. But at some point in your life - when you get married? when you throw your first Christmas party and invite the boss? - you might want to try for understated elegance instead.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Christmas Tree Lights
• Christmas Tree Ornaments
• Christmas Tree Skirts
• Christmas Trees
• Tree Stands

1. Go through your ornaments and see what you've got and what you need. The key to a classy tree is coherence - so choose a few categories of ornaments and stick with those.

2. Make sure you've got enough strands of tiny white lights - for class, nothing else will do.

3. Buy or borrow whatever you don't already own - and resist distractions as you shop. (Elegance takes discipline and dedication: Coco and Jackie knew this, and you can learn.)

4. Buy a tree and set it up. Try to find something that reflects the mood you're trying to set. A fir or spruce (rather than a rowdy pine) is perfect.

5. Start with the white lights, then add the background ornaments one at a time and by category. Stop in between each category to check for symmetry; rearrange if necessary.

6. Position your highlight ornaments for best effect.

Tips & Warnings

• When selecting your ornaments and decorations, it helps to think in terms of backdrop and highlight. For example, you might pick crystal icicles and small silver and gold glass balls as a backdrop and your collection of handmade shoe ornaments from the Museum of Modern Art as highlight.
• Don't throw your old ornaments away - just let them sleep for a year. You'll love them even more when you rediscover them.

Resources

• Santa Letter
• Christmas Recipes

on 11/22/2005 At age 50, I decided it was time for my "grown-up" Christmas tree. It took a lot of willpower to pack away the ornaments that held so many memories.

The results were stunning. A 7' tree in 2 dominant colors: gold and silver, with deep maroon accents. Tiny white lights sparkled off crystal ornaments. I found the crystal at several antique stores, which were selling mismatched and odd chandelier pieces. The neat part is that the chandelier crystals have a tiny hole... perfect for hanging on the tree!

A can of gold spray paint and a can of silver spray paint turns pinecones from the yard into instant ornaments.

I decorated this tree for under $80. The very first comment I got on it was "It's beautiful! No..it's breathtaking."

on 11/22/2005 I think that a glowing tree is a classy tree. I try to stay away from a lot of colors and keep my scheme more gold, silver and glass. I love to nestle beautiful beaded fruit picks into the branches (both outer and inner).

I think a very dramatic and dressy way to use garland is as a beautiful wired ribbon, cut in long strands, running DOWN the tree instead of around it. Either tuck the top ends under the angel or place them under a bow made from the same ribbon. I also like to use a plain cotton sheet with yards of fluffy white tool for my tree skirt. If desired, place some twinkle lights underneath.

Also remember to stand back and squint your eyes to make sure that your twinkle lights are dispersed evenly.

If you get a tree with an unsightly hole, you can do what my father did one year. Take a branch from another area of the tree that will be hidden and drill it into the trunk. This makes for a perfect looking Christmas tree.

on 11/22/2005 I tie my ornaments onto the branches w/ wide silk french wired ribbon instead of using the wire hangers. They're more secure & it's beautiful!
I also "cluster" ornaments. 3 glass balls of similar color in different sizes, tied closely together & hanging at different lengths on the same branch.
One year I took one of those grapevine wreaths that are flat & the branches stck out all around the edge, spraypainted it gold & wired onto the tree top. Very pretty.

on 11/22/2005 I made a small wreath to fit the top of the tree out of the same ribbon and white poinsettias that I used to spiral around the tree. The small wreath made the tree seem taller and looked very pretty.