gingerbread theme Christmas tree

i have always enjoyed using what i have and mixing it up differently

to create new themes & looks each holiday season.

and while i don't have nearly as many bins of ornaments & elements as i once did

(over fifty JUST for Christmas! now it's about 10)

i still pull from my stash each year and then make / makeover some elements.

continuing the 'Gingerbread Holiday' theme this year,

 the tree in my studio is decorated with elements and materials on hand

to tell the story of a snowy gingerbread village.

keep reading to see how it all came together

and a few of my tree decorating tips...

.

first up, let's talk about tree SIZE... 

they don't have to be BIG to make an impact!

using a smaller tree and placing it on a table or pedestal to raise it up higher

is not only easier on your back during setup and decoration,

but they look just as festive and 'Christmassy' in most rooms.

my 4' tall white tree gained two and a half feet of height

by placing it on a vintage shopping cart that i've had for years.

(i actually store my vintage linens in it in my bedroom!)

the plastic feet on the tree slipped perfectly into three spots on the top of the cart,

holding the tree securely.

once the base section of the tree was secured into place, i added the upper part.

one of my vintage white tablecloths drapes around the base,

hiding it and the contents of the cart.

bonus: a light tree skirt also amplifies light from the tree lights!

this tree not only yellowed in the box, but the lights went dead. so i cheated. 

i took one 150-light strand of white icicle lights and swirled them through the tree.

it's good enough, and that's all i can do this year!

ps: don't forget my number one easy lighting trick that will make your tree sparkle 

after the tree was secure and i had working lights,

i started adding in the white and bronze/brown elements chosen to fit my gingerbread theme.

i always begin with the largest elements: 

vintage German glass glitter-covered metal tree branches,

which were left anonymously on my porch in 2012 and i painted brown last fall,

add contrast and dimension to the tree, as well as a wintery feel.

next up, the top of the tree:

 i've hardly ever used just one single thing on top of trees...

creating a 'collage' or 'assemblage' of elements is more my style.

and when i'm decorating trees,

decorating the top is done before ornaments are placed on the rest of the tree.

(i know, this isn't a big spotlight 'put the angel/star on the tree' finale' moment...

but tree toppers are hard, and it's MUCH easier to get them right

when you don't have to worry about your ladder smashing into ornaments as you work)

there are NINE different elements in this tree topper!

1 brown German glitter-covered branch, 3 white felt snowflakes, 

2 white vintage satin ornaments, 2 brown resin ornaments, 2 white candy canes

1 metal 'gingerbread man' cookie cutter, 1 white snowflake cookie cutter,

2 brown paper stars, and 1 paper gingerbread house.

all of those elements repeat throughout the rest of the tree,

and were placed by size from largest to smallest:

first, simple paper village houses perch on top of branches - with lights tucked inside.

(i've included a simple tutorial for those houses at the end of this post.)

next up, a few white felt snowflakes tucked into the tree branches, followed by

medium and large metal gingerbread men & women cookie cutters.

brown/bronze resin ornaments and white satin vintage round ornaments came next,

evenly spaced around the tree (i'm a stickler for this!)

along with some brown paper stars that look like cookies sprinkled with sugar.

i raided my stash of 200+ white candy canes to add more sweetness to the tree,

placing them evenly around the tree on the ends of branches.

i wrapped two white boxes with brown ribbon and trims as the final touch:

the smaller box is wrapped in vintage brown velvet ribbon,
with a snowflake cookie cutter detail.

the larger box was wrapped with thick brown ribbon,
then large white rick rack trim was added.

(yes, i do love it when the wrapping matches the tree decor! am i weird??!) 

the style is decidedly minimal in comparison to other trees i've decorated.

i like it, though... it feels a bit airy and sparse, like winter time in the woods.

if minimalist isn't your thing, it would be easy to expand the baking theme

by adding small wood rolling pins + wooden spoons, vintage spice tins, measuring spoons, 

vintage and/or new ornaments in the shapes of sweet treats, 

favorite recipes printed or handwritten on recipe cards,

and yummy brown ribbon winding its way through the branches.

 if you'd like to make your own versions of the paper houses,

here's my  tutorial for that...

i used matte brown construction paper and shiny white photograph copy paper,

but any kind of cardstock or crafting paper would do!

i measured and cut ONE house from the paper, then used it as a template in two ways:

i traced it seven more times to create eight total house forms.

those were cut out and folded at each corner and the top & side tabs.

with a craft knife, i carefully cut out windows on each side of the house, and a door.

then i used the house form with those cutouts as a template

 to trace the shapes and placement on every other house form.
(except for two, which got a round window and rounded-top doors on the front side)

finally, i cut eight rectangles from shiny white photograph paper,

gave them a quick scalloped 'snowy' edge, and folded them in half for the roofs.

assembly is just as easy:

i folded the form into a square, and used a glue stick to attach the side tab

to the end of the form (tab on the inside). then i let it dry before moving on to the roof.

tip: this part is easier if you sit the roof and house upside down on the table.

put glue on the tabs at the top of the house form, then sit the house onto the roof.

use a pencil to press the tabs to the roof - just insert it into the house from the bottom,

then press down on the tabs and the upside-down roof.

let the glue dry before picking up the houses.

oh, and then there's this lil' tidbit:

i had planned to add white paint around the windows and doors. i forgot.

i honestly didn't realize it until i was editing these images.

 things don't always go according to plan around here... but it's okay!

i think they look very charming just the way they are.
but please do go ahead and add details to yours with a paint pen or puff paint!

frankly, discovering the wreath and tree discoloring 
then the weather turning cloudy and gray, leaving me no light in my north-facing studio
have resulted in MANY hours of MASSIVELY editing every photo you see here.
i'm exhausted. and i'm glad it's done LOL!

y' know, this is all making me hungry for some gingerbread cookies

and a cup of coffee with some gingerbread liqueur in it!

stay tuned for a sweet little nativity scene in my next post...

related content:

vintage metal tree branches 2012

rainbow ornament garland on white tree 2020 

diy lampshade frame Christmas tree!

small tree on a table for height

deb's Christmas tree light trick

shared online:

funky junk interiors | new upcycled ideas #657

thank you for featuring my project, Miss Donna! 

creatively beth | creative crafts linky party #124

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