Christmas tree themes
Christmas tree decorating has changed a lot through the years. Trees of old were decorated simply with items that were readily available - popcorn strings for garland with ornaments of pine cones and natural fruits like apples. In the '60s, most trees had lights, tinsel garland, glass balls, and the entire tree was covered with shiny icicles. Today's Christmas tree is likely to be decorated with a theme in styles that run the gamut from old-fashioned vintage to shiny contemporary, from western to Victorian, from rustic to classy formal and everything in between.
How do you select a theme for your tree? Think about what you enjoy … a hobby, a place, a decorating style, a favorite of just about anything can be used as a theme.
- Do you love to sew? How about a tree with a measuring tape garland, spools and thimbles for ornaments, and a hoop filled with fabric for a tree topper? Vintage sewing tools would be a great addition.
- Is the beach your favorite vacation? Sea shells and sand dollars might fit the bill. Avid skiers might prefer a tree with lots of snowflakes, skier ornaments, even old lift tickets.
- If your decorating style leans toward rustic, try using natural materials like pine cones, dried flowers/grasses, strips of homespun fabric tied on the end of branches, and a rusty star for the topper coupled with rusty stars and hearts for ornaments.
- Do you collect something? Consider ways to use some of your collection. A collector of birdhouses might decorate with birds and birdhouse ornaments and use raffia as a garland.
Take a look at some of the themed Christmas trees decorated by Country Lane Crafts for Moundsville's annual Christmas Tree Gala. Each year, we used ornaments showcasing items we carried in our store at the time. Click on any of the thumbnail images below to see a larger photo of the tree with information about that year's theme.
| Year | Theme | Thumbnail |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | An Old-fashioned Tree |  |
| 2003 | A North Woods Christmas |  |
| 2004 | Americana |  |
| 2005 | A Beary Colorful Christmas |  |
| 2006 | Baking Cookies |  |
Want more ideas? Instead of one large tree, consider spreading Christmas throughout your home with smaller trees in several rooms. Cookie cutters, measuring cups and bright red hotpads are perfect for a kitchen tree. Let your children decorate a tree in their bedrooms using small toys or their own homemade ornaments with a paper chain garland. If your bathroom is large enough for a small tree, how about an outhouse theme? Just use your imagination!
Country Lane Crafts
318 Jefferson Avenue
Moundsville, WV 26041
(304) 845-0304