How Chrissie Decorates The Christmas Tree

Hello, friends! I've put posting on pause while I re-cooped from this cold that has gotten me down this week! I'm so glad you stopped by to see how I do my trees. Every one turns out different, and I take a lot of time doing them. Last year we had a five foot tree, and I used up all our ornaments, and the tree was packed! This year our tree is a seven footer, the poor tree looks a little barren in comparison! I always seem to have other little 'irons in the fire' as I'm working on projects, and so seemingly small tasks stretch out to long tasks. But, with a final push this weekend, after feeling so much better, *vbs*, my house is fully decorated. I'm ready to roll!

Here is an idea that either I heard of or it just came to my head - I'm not sure which, but I remember being tired of going round and round the tree, and I remembered I had a big Lazy Susan I hardly use tucked in my cupboards. Sure enough, it saved a lot of bending over, and going in circles. I just sit in one place and twirl as I go - it's so much easier on the back! But I'll have to tell you, the taller the tree, the heavier it is, and it's no piece of cake to get that tree on the thing. Well, I didn't have anyone to help me, and, well, you guessed it! The tree fell over, and though it was not harmed, one of my little house plants that I worked so hard to keep alive all year, lost a whole branch of new leaves. Bummer. Anyway, this may turn out to be, 'what not to do with your tree'! Haha!

Well, I began by setting out all my ornaments from large to small all around me so they were easy to reach. Then I took all my hooks and put them in a big box so they wouldn't be scattered all over, and began systematically putting the big ones on the bottom portion of the tree, medium around the middle and smaller on the top. :) I begin with all the ornaments that shine - plastic or glass - as long as it reflects light, it goes in my tree. Most of the plain ones go towards the center, because I want the tree to glow from within. That way, it'll look like I have more ornaments and lights than I actually have!

Some ornaments began to look so worn over the years, with lost paint and luster, that I simply spread glue all over them and doused them with glitter, and they are now some of the best reflectors I've got!

I have a few ornaments that don't reflect too brightly, but they give a gentle glow. These are nice to have - not too many, but just enough to keep the tree from looking too boring. Here's an idea for the bride that wants to do a Christmas wedding! Dear friends of my family gave these lovely favors at their wedding a couple years ago. They had the most beautiful Christmas trees decorated with white lights, and they were packed with these ornaments. If I were to do a theme tree, that would be the way I would do it! Oooohhh!

Then I thought it would be a good time to pause for doing some dishes, letting the dogs out, doing some laundry and cleaning my stove top. Don't believe what your read on that can! It was not fume free, and I nearly froze while I had every window downstairs open to get the smell out! Aaaahhhh! Breath! I want to breath! So I worked on the tree looking like I live in the Klondike! *vbs*

Time to start putting up the pretty ornaments!

I stepped back and took this picture....

All I could say was, 'Bleh'. It needed more ornaments! So, I pulled some of the ones from the bottom and inside and spread them out a little more, and then popped to Wal-smart to get some of their $2.00 ornament packages, and came home in time fix Hubby's dinner and wrap things up for the night. I had to wait to finish the job. Hmmmm....Would she be able to pull it off? Could it be pretty as past Christmas trees? Would she feel like giving up and starting all over? Stay tuned for our next episode of: How Chrissie Finishes the Chrismas Tree!

To be continued.....

God bless you dear friends!

Chrissie