Create a Designer Christmas Tree

Finding Your Style

While it’s not necessary to decorate the tree to match your décor exactly, designer and artist Ellen Bell recommends designing your tree so it reflects your style. “You don’t want your tree to look out of place,” says Bell.

Out With Plastic

This season's styles reflect our need for warmth and security, along with our focus on going green and buying local. Natural materials are the vogue, so retire the tinsel, artificial snow, plastic ornaments and twinkling fairy lights.

That goes for the actual tree, too.  According to Ross Gough, Executive Director of the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario,  the two most popular trees for the 2008 season are the Balsam Fir and Fraser Fir. “Both have soft foliage making it easier to decorate and have a fuller look to the tree,” says Gough.

Go for Clarity

Lighting also reflects the trend towards a natural look. Multicoloured lights, particularly those bright LED lights, have been replaced with white or clear lights. The new generation of energy saving LED lights also have a softer glow giving a more traditional look. Others with bevelled edges catch the light to create a shimmering effect, also much softer than other lights.

Colour Coordinated

The easiest way to avoid a tree that clashes with your décor is to keep it simple. Pick two main colours and stick to them. A good rule of thumb is that gold combines well with almost any other block colour to create a rich and elegant colour scheme. Fortunately, gold is one of the hot colours this season, along with copper combined with either burgundy or red. Silver is a perennial favourite, but keep in mind you will be limited to shades of pink, purple or blue. While blue is a classic holiday colour, pink and purple will be harder to match.

Pick a Theme

Cluttered, “cutesie” trees are also out of fashion. Pick one theme and use one or two key elements to follow through with it. Classic gingerbreads ornaments are a great way to decorate your tree. Making them can be turned into a fun family activity.

Pine cones, bundles of cinnamon sticks, orange pomanders are great décor items as well. http:// Find some holiday ribbon that matches your colour scheme and make ribbons for the tree. It’s a simple way to decorate but can look quite luxurious.

Ornamental Proportions

Glass ornaments are the perfect complement to white and clear lights. Proportions are very important with ornaments; the wrong sized ornament can throw the whole design off. Larger trees need larger decorations. Smaller ornaments will get lost amongst the foliage. The opposite is true as well. You don’t want the ornament to dwarf the tree.

Have fun decorating your tree. Happy holidays. Find out more tips and ideas in our Holiday Guide.

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