Today I’m sharing how I decorated my kids whimsical Christmas by purchasing one low cost decor item!
Decorating for Christmas has always been a happy memory of mine. When I was young, my mom spent a number of days creating “Christmas Magic” with lights, ceramic house neighborhoods, garland and bits of Christmas in every corner of our home. My brother and I each had our own tree we got to decorate and keep in our bedrooms. Even my dad had a small tree in his study full of coffee themed ornaments.
Our first apartment as a married couple was so cozy in the winter with its beautiful dark wood trim and built in cabinetry everywhere. I loved decorating every inch of the 700 square feet that I could! We left the city for a 1980’s build in the suburbs that had the same amount of charm and character as a white piece of printer paper. Christmas decorations brought excitement and shine to even our home, the most basic house on the street.
We lived on the first floor of our home for the first 5 years of living in it. The lower level needed a lot of work and we just didn’t have the means to do it all. After years of doing projects here and there, when we could, we finally finished the last big project this past summer! It was perfect timing with our two kids who are just starting to be independent enough to have a space of their own to play, watch movies and make memories together. I wanted to create that same “Christmas Magic” for my kids that my mom made when I was young and add a tree to our new space.
Use what you already have
Through the years, I’ve inherited a number of Christmas decor items. One of which were my Grandma Margarete’s glittery gold and silver sparkled Christmas tree bulbs from the 1970’s. I’m 90% sure they are made from styrofoam with the most wear resistant glue I’ve ever seen on a piece of Holiday Decor. Nothing is getting the glitter off these bad boys. I’ve tried them on our main tree through the years but the look just hasn’t been quite right – but it is perfect for a “fun” kids tree. Anticipating that I’d one day decorate a colorful tree, I purchased some colorful bulbs from IKEA last year at a very low cost. They looked so nice on the tree but just weren’t enough to stand out.
Use something inexpensive that can make a big impact
That’s when I stumbled on a 40% off ribbon sale at Hobby Lobby. I snatched up some traditional soft red velvet ribbon. Next, I added pink and blue to the mix to create a light and whimsical feel. The colors matched my IKEA bulbs perfectly – and really brought out the fun colors. At this price, adding ribbon was a very inexpensive and impactful way to change the entire feel of the kids Christmas tree! I cut long strands of ribbon and let them drape down the tree. Lastly, we doused the tree in silver tinsel! I have never used tinsel before but I don’t think I will let another Christmas pass without it!
We love this tree so much! During the day it has a soft colorful glow. At night, the Tinsel sways and helps the tree shine extra bright!
How to decorate a Christmas Tree with Ribbon?
- Purchase your favorite ribbon
- Cut your ribbon as long as you want your tails to hang down – usually much longer than you think!
- Tie ribbon on the farthest out tips of your tree branches so that the ribbon can hang freely
- Decide if you would like bows or ties for your Christmas tree style – I did ties on this tree but did bows on our main family tree- either style looks great!
Leave a Reply