this year's Christmas tree in our house is OMBRE'!
the ornaments are all of the SAME ones we used last year:
i used all of the colored balls & figural ornaments and fabric poinsettias.
i didn't use the ribbon or the clear glass or paper ornaments that we used last year.
it's a completely different look for the tree - and we didn't spend a cent on it!
the ornaments used are white, ivory, gold, pale copper/rose gold, copper,
orange, tan, brown, and bronze.
i like the way the color gradient is dark at the bottom - like the floor -
and light at the top - like the ceiling.
it seems to make the tree feel even more grand and statuesque.
so.... now let me tell you the story of this theme!
that's LAST year's Christmas tree...
i had fun creating paper ornaments and pulling together a new look
for the first year in the new house -
which was a more neutral palette than my Mom has ever had on a tree before.
we pulled gold from her holiday decor stash,
and white, ivory, and browns from my holiday decor stash,
then we bought some new ornaments to add to the mix - copper and orange.
(orange is our accent color here at home)
it all came together beautifully in a lush, full decor style - see more of it here.well.... me being ME, i just can't do the same thing twice. ever.
.so as i was thinking about this years' tree, i remembered a tree that my friend Michael created
now, i love that idea! it's fun, it's happy,
and from a design standpoint, it's a standOUT idea.
but it isn't ME. ...however.....
i realized that if i took all of the ornaments we already HAVE (sounds familiar, right?!)
and used them in gradient bands on the tree,
i could replicate the idea without using the same colors.
make the idea my own, so to speak.
which is what i hope the ideas i share here will do -
inspire you to tweak them so they work for your style, your life, your home.
so, i showed that photo of Michael's tree to Mom, told her about my idea,
and asked if she was game to TRY it - with the promise that if it looked horrible,
she could tell me that, and I'd UNdecorate the tree and re-decorate it another way.
she agreed.
so I did it. and it worked! (and Mom LOVES it!)
(i am also happy that i don't have to dismantle it and redecorate)
a side-by-side comparison:
Michael's tree is cone-shaped, while ours is a skinny tree - so ours looks kinda' funky.
i wish i had larger ornaments on the bottom part, but all in all i am happy with it!
i wanted to share this project with you so that perhaps you will
look at the holiday decor elements and tree ornaments you already have
and be inspired to think about them in a new way...
maybe doing an ombre' tree is not your thing, and that's fine.
perhaps using only one color, or a new combination of colors,
would be a fun way to make things feel 'new' at your house
without spending anything!
