Christmas Trees Don’t wear just tinsel anymore!
Christmas is just around the corner. At my house, we just managed to get our tree up. It’s a great tree this year, tall, green, pretty symmetrical and best of all, it has a flat bottom so it hasn’t tipped over once. That in itself, makes for a very Merry Christmas at our house. I am pretty sure it has tipped over, fully decorated at least every other year. Between the dogs, cats, kids and dogs chasing both of the latter, our tree takes some abuse. For that reason, we don’t hang delicate glass baubles or giant porcelain ornaments. Here are a few ideas for family-friendly tree trimmings:
My favorite Family-Friendly Tree Trimmings:
- Tinsel: I remember putting this shiny silver stuff in gobs all over our tree when I was a kids. More was better, in my opinion. My mom always re-did it after we went to bed. We don’t use tinsel in our house. The cats think it’s a delicacy and it does a number on their digestive system if they eat it. Our dogs wouldn’t eat it on purpose, but we are not taking any chances.
- Beads: We use red beads on our tree. They are simple to hang, virtually indestructible, fun and come in many colors. I use red, but they come in many colors. If one strand does come apart, be prepared for the “who can pick up the most beads” game with your kids.
- Garland: Growing up, more bling was better on the tree. We used tinsel and garland: big, fluffy, gold garland. I find it takes up too much room on my tree, so I save the garland for decorating around the house. I prefer the green, artificial tree-type garland.
- Popcorn and cranberries: This classic popcorn and cranberry string of wonder is a fun thing to do with your kids. It takes patience and will power so you don’t eat all the popcorn and go crazy looking at the clear fishing line that you string it on. Obviously, I don’t use it at our house, not only because I don’t have the patience, but the dogs may eat the tree in a day.
- Ribbons and bows: Hanging color-coordinated ribbons and bows instead of beads and garland is all the rage these days. When my beads have lost their appeal, I plan on using ribbon instead. I do use red and gold bows on the tree, the velvet and/or shiny ones. They are easy for little hands to put on and of course, unbreakable.
- Silk flowers: Poinsettias are the most popular Christmas flower. They look beautiful on the dark green boughs of your tree. Any silk flower would work. They are easy to manipulate, pretty, and, of course, unbreakable.
- Pine cones: This free accessories are overlooked by many people. I have a few pine cone ornaments but never have used them to trim the tree. They are easily painted, if you like, and easily attached to the tree with wire even twist ties.
- Handmade ornaments: These are the highlight of our tree. How can you not hang the cute kindergarten masterpieces, year after year? It is so much fun to hang them and talk about how much your children have changed since then. I also have many that family members have made for us. I love it when they have the year so we can do more reminiscing.
- Paper snowflakes: Each year we fold plain white paper and cut out unique and fun flakes for our windows. (stay tuned for directions in an upcoming post) They will make a great addition to any tree. They can be quickly made, recycled or even saved for the next year. I would use any colored paper that matches your decor, except maybe yellow.
- Lights, lot of lights: The more light, the better. What better way to light up your room than with 10 strands of lights on a 6-foot tree? Of course, those new artificial trees come pre-lit. That takes all the fun out of untangling them, wrapping them around the tree and trying to find the missing bulb. (I have to confess, i don’t look for the missing bulb, those strands of lights go right in the trash.)
Have a very Merry Christmas! Please let me know your ideas for a Family-Friendly Tree Trimmings.