A White Christmas Every Time

I'm not sure if I'll ever get tired of our white Christmas tree. This is it's fourth Christmas up after my MIL found it at a garage sale one summer and gifted it to me. I've got pink, gold, and red vintage ornaments on it this year instead of also using the aqua and silver bulbs. I'm hoping to get those on our aluminum tree if I can find a spot for it. 

The star collection in the corner were all thrifted, I made the curtain from upholstery fabric found WAY on sale, and you can find a DIY for the felt tree skirt here. I made the pom-pom garland using the set of pom-pom makers from Clover (found at Michael's) and just made a ton from three skeins of yarn while watching shows on Hulu. I left the yarn that wraps around the middle long and then tied each one on a long piece of yarn. I trimmed most of the ties but left some long for effect. I also scrunched them all really close together to get a more substantial look. It was a time-consuming project but I know I'll use it every year now. 

I'm having a really hard time decorating our mantle for some reason. It's the thing I was most excited about at this house because we've never had one and I have been waiting so long to do one up for Christmas! Now I just feel a little intimidated. Pressure to get it right or something. Ha! I think I just need to get started, try something out, make some adjustments and move on to enjoying the holidays instead of worrying about my decor. I have issues with not being done decorating until right before Christmas but that leads to opened boxes of bulbs and twine and tinsel all over the dining table the whole month. Family dinners? You can find us at the coffee table. Yep. It's not pretty.

What kind of tree do you have (if you have one at all)? Is it already up?

-Rachel

Comments

[Jana]

My goodness it looks SO good! I love the pink, red, & gold. So happy and festive and vintage!!!

We put up a fake tree that I found at the dump 2 days ago!! Prior to that, we had a real tree that I thought needed to be put up on November 15th....

It worked out perfectly though, because we threw that one out since it was totally dead haha, and put up the fake one! I looked up the brand of the fake tree, and turns out, it's worth $650!! Super awesome Christmas find :)

XO --

Jana

[Heidi]

We have a fake 7.5 ft Oregon Pine Tree. It's our first year with it, having gotten for free courtesy of my parents' attic . It is already up and decorated! I may have gone a little overboard with the decorating... there are exactly 1000 lights on it! And I could have put more!! It's insane. Our ornaments are a mix of salt dough homemade ones, bulbs from the 99Cent store, a couple of hallmark ornaments, and a ton of bulbs that I snagged for free that were leftover from our Company Holiday Party decor last year. Clearly, the theme for our tree is CHEAP or FREE! There are already presents gift-wrapped under it, as well. Clearly, I am a woman with no children, or this wouldn't be happening. :-)

[Cathy]

Your tree is AMAZING! I love the color scheme, especially with the curtain. We're getting a small little one for our small little living room! Eek, Christmas is so near! x

Cathy
Turquoise Flamingo
http://www.turquoiseflamingo.com/

[candace]

Love your color scheme, looks so cheerful! I'd like to make a pom pom garland like yours - it looks like flowers all bunched up like that.
I've got a cute little 4 ft silver aluminum tree that I found in an antique shop last year...it's up, but not lit or decorated yet. I'm making some cute crocheted ornaments in sparkly yarns, adapted from this DIY: http://www.purlbee.com/snowflower-ornaments/

I also put on Hulu while I work :) I find podcasts are more conducive to productivity for me though, so I don't have to look up at all.

Have fun with the mantle. It's a good spot to put Christmas cards, if nothing else!

[paula.strong]

You and I would get along wonderfully I too have vintage ornaments that Ive thrifted and do decorate just like you. Merry Christmas

[Tiffany Joan]

Love the pink hues. We don't do a tree, but for winter I decorate with blue and white normally. This year I added bright pink to the color scheme on my mantel. It's a great combo.

[Kimbercrafts]

Your tree is gorgeous! After a few years of fruitlessly searching for a secondhand white tree, I caved and ordered one online (got a really good deal). It's arriving on my doorstep tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited! Our ornaments are a mix of handmade, sentimental, and vintage ornaments passed down from my grandma - lots of pinks and turquoise. :)

[Theresa]

Gorgeous! I love everything about in these pictures! Love the pink color theme and the pom pom garland on the window, the wreath with the merry christmas logo on it in your DIY tutorial! Such wonderful things!

Theresa
http://bomamma.blogspot.com

[irene wibowo]

white christmas tree.. so pretty :) http://lovesimplegreen.blogspot.com/

[beetree]

I love your white tree and pink shiny brights! So pretty! We have a big fake tree with pine cones that my aunt gave us a while back- it was a blessing since it's one of the nice ones. We also have a small aluminum tree with vintage ornaments. Our mantle has the nativity scene, white lights and white feathers on top of the lights- I love how it came out! Our stockings are a muted charcoal and sparkly silver, so it's a good contast to the colors of the tree...can't wait to see how your mantle comes together!

[Sarah Lu]

Love your choice of color!

[Gina f.]

Your Christmas decorating is so beautiful!! I am loving cream and gold this season with a dash of pink and a touch of red so I fell in love with your white tree when you did your tree skirt tute! I used your tute to make a tree skirt which I hope to finish up tomorrow. We have a fresh tree and it smells so good! I hang our stockings from our mantel and have a Christmas subway art print and add some greenery then add pieces from there. I would love to come across some vintage Christmas ornaments one day. Can't wait to see what you do with your mantel!

[Adventures in Dressmaking]

So so pretty!! Love the DIY tree skirts, too. I finally got my dream white Christmas tree this year (bought it last January for cheap) but am still working on decorating it. Trying for pink and red! Pic here... http://instagram.com/p/SdVqZuFZV2/

[Joy]

My mantle is full of stuff, but not set up. We bought our tree tonight and will probably set it up tomorrow. So excited!

[Toni]

We've always had real trees for Christmas but every year I feel a little heartbroken when we have to dispose of it. So I am toying with the idea of getting a fake tree this year and have a clean conscience when I just have to put it back in its box in Jan.
Loving your white tree... makes me feel all christmassy :)

x

[Cate O'Malley]

Oh man, I've been debating about getting a white tree and you're not making it any easier - gorgeous!

[Skye]

Oh my gosh, I love your color scheme and everything looks amazing! I can't wait to see what you do with the mantle. In my last apartment that was actually the only area that I felt like I was good at decorating, haha. I still haven't taken down my fall decorations and replaced them with winter ones... thanks for the motivation!

[amanda (simplemittens)]

we always go to a Christmas tree farm and cut ours down, but this year my mother-in-law found a vintage white tree for me. I'm bummed that I have to wait until next year to us it, but I'd like to use both a real tree and the white one. I love the pink on yours!!

[Joy]

I have a silver tinsel tree that I decorate with red and silver ornaments. I love it. This year my live-in boyfriend asked, "next year can we get a real tree?" and I thought... hmmm a real tree does sound like fun... we should do it! Then he said, "I mean, it doesn't have to be real, just green..like a real tree." Ugh! Boys! He keeps calling out tree a fake Christmas tree... but not because it isn't a real tree, just because it isn't green.

[Lindsay @ Daily Doily]

I always LOVE your tree!!! I have a white tree, but it has some stains on it from being in the attic. I'm thinking I could probably spray paint it. What do you think? or would that be a fire hazard with the lights? haha. A mint green would be cool. This year we went with a real tree. I just LOVE the smell. I'd like to get a silver tinsel tree too. I know what you mean about wanting a mantel. Our stockings are hung on our bookshelf/tv center. I'm sure you will come up with the perfect decorations for it!

[Jimmy]

That's a really cool tree, and totally fits in your space. I think my preference is the traditional look, so it took me a minute to adjust to seeing something so different than my usual tastes. But it won me over.

We just got ours Sunday. A two-and-a-half foot tall tree from an elementary school tree sale a few blocks from our place (small apartment, low ceilings, had to carry it back ourselves - hence the very tiny tree). It isn't decorated yet, but it smells lovely.

[Deb]

It's too difficult for me to drag the tree up from the basement so this year I hit on just using the top part. (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I have to adjust accordingly.)It took one box of ornaments and one antique garland to decorate and some skill with adjusting the screws in the base so it stayed upright and didn't tilt. "OOOh! Too far to the south!" I still haven't found a small set of lights so half of the 11 foot strand I have is wrapped about the base. Once I got it up, I admit to ceasing to look. A friend suggested the Dollar Store.

It works for me. One cat sits on one side and the other sits on the other side.

[ruthie]

I love that tree. So fresh and airy! We always have a fake tree and a real tree. And a tree for each kiddos room... it's a bit Christmasy here. I agree with the mantle. I did mine, but I keep wanting to take it down, or... something. Can't put my finger on it. I can't wait to see yours! Your house is looking like a Christmas magazine spread :)

[Shauna Dieter]

I absolutely love a white tree. It looks so good with the pink and gold ornaments. This year we got a real tree, since our old fake tree broke when we tried to set it up. We went with brown, red, and nature decorations.

http://dieterfamily.blogspot.com/2012/11/our-christmas-tree.html

[Liz]

this is my first year with a mantel too and i always wanted one for christmas too.. but i just got a bunch of vintage christmas stuff and put it up there. i feel it needs a garland or something else. i really love your tree! and the way you color coordinated! i wanted a tinsel tree but the vintage one i found was $200 and that seems too steep for me. and then i like picking out a tree with my peeps.. and the christmas tree smell. im thinking if i find a cute tinsel tree after christmas for sale then i'll put it up next year. the year flies by fast anyway :)
xo

[Stephanie]

So I totally already commented on one of your Instragram photos with this, but then I realized perhaps that's not the best platform to communicate since you get like a million comments and can't possibly read all of them. So if you've already read this or have seen it I apologize, but when I saw this DIY on Purl Bee I immediately thought of your tree! It's the same color scheme and everything.

http://www.purlbee.com/twisted-felt-garland-necklace/

Anywho, I love your decorations from last year and this year. You've really got a great eye. It's inspired me to start collecting Shiny Brites for when I one day have my own white Christmas tree! Happy Holidays Rachel!

[Shelby A.]

I love everything about this...it all looks so good together! I'm just wondering if you made the pink curtain? I'd love a tutorial if you did :)

[Casey]

I need to get a Pom Pom maker stat! Our tree is small, and I made it 2 Christmas's ago. It takes no time to set up and put away, which I love! ...seriously, gonna make those Pom poms for some fall decor next year!

[Emily]

I never thought I'd like a white tree, but your's is lovely! Now I'm intrigued. We have two trees, one three feet tall and one two feet tall. I think we need a third one to fit all of our mini ornaments, and then we'll have a little Christmas forest!

[dyna]

waking up to this must really put a smile on your face! oh so pretty!!!