‘Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to amp up the holiday cheer than by decking the halls with not one but two Christmas trees? About five years ago, I decided to dive into the realm of whimsy and nature-inspired magic with my very first Balsam Hill tree, and let me tell you, I love having my classic timeless nature inspired 7’ tall Christmas tree every year without fault! I keep adding those themed ornaments on a yearly basis if I can. And nestled in my cozy library room, featuring wooden shelves and a crackling fireplace, this tree turned my bookish haven into one of those Christmas Harry Potter movie scenes!

Have a glimpse to see how it turned out

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Choosing the Tree

Balsam Hill has been my go-to for my latest artificial Christmas trees that look so real, even Santa himself might do a double-take. Five years ago, I picked the classic pre-lit Fir tree – lifelike needles, full branches, and the promise of a holiday canvas just waiting for my timeless creative touch. It was expensive, even though it was on sale but I can see it last forever. In my Christmassy opinion, so worth it.

THE magical and classical addition of A TRAIN SET

Adding a festive train set made all the difference, it is so traditional and a must for a classic look. It adds an extra layer of enchantment to the room, creating a holiday soundtrack that brings the entire scene to life. With a lego train set that I bought a few years ago around the Christmas tree (that was the first Lego I purchased for our Christmas display). It is now discontinued on the lego website but still available on Amazon at a significantly higher price tag. The train motor would need to be purchased separately here.

I have since added to our Lego Festive collection which we display in our library room every Christmas. I have been purchasing one festive set from the Lego website for our Christmas Eve box every year since (stay tuned for my post coming up on my Christmas Eve box tradition).

And that is our Christmas Eve sorted – building a lego; this has now become our family tradition. You can see a glimpse of our lego Gingerbread house in my YouTube video above.

We also have the lego Santa’s visit house and my absolute favourite the lego Elf house. The lego Christmas sets get discontinued quite quickly so my advise would be to purchase them on the lego website when they get released which is usually around the end of September/early October. They usually remain available from Amazon but sometimes cost up to twice, even three times the original price.

Pastels, PINE CONES and Woodland Shenanigans!

Forget the traditional reds and greens; this year, more than ever, my tree is singing a pastel symphony! Picture this: the glow of a crackling fireplace, serving as the perfect backdrop for a holiday explosion of pastel perfection; a riot of soft pinks, minty greens, and dreamy pine cone colours in perfect holiday harmony.

Because who says Christmas can’t have a little softness and sass? I am all for sustainability and eco-friendly ornaments; how cool to go to my local woods, pick up some pine cones and feel up those spaces in my Christmas tree – love it

And of course, the forest critters! Deer, owls, squirrels – they all joined the library party, transforming my bookish sanctuary into a woodland carnival. It’s like the characters from my favorite tales decided to celebrate Christmas right alongside me.

It may be also worth checking out your local Christmas shops for some great finds – that’s what I did For great deals, make sure you visit them from 23rd December. They usually have amazing bargains from that date

UNTIL NEXT YEAR

As I sink into the coziness of my library, surrounded by the crackle of the fireplace, I can’t help but think this tree, standing tall and proud in my classic haven, has turned my reading retreat into a festive escape.

So, deEr holiday enthusiasts, let your imagination run wild. Grab a Balsam Hill tree, sprinkle some whimsy, and create a holiday haven that fits your style like a perfectly chosen book on a shelf. ‘Tis the season for fun, after all! May your Christmas be as whimsical and wonderful as your holiday décor. Cheers to festive tales and tree-mendous celebrations!

With love,

Caroline

The post 🎄How to decorate a classic timeless Christmas tree 🌟 appeared first on Caro Travels And More.

They have the most beautiful trees which look so realistic, their trees don’t lose their needles so I feel they would last a lifetime – at this price it better be They currently have some of their trees at 50% off for cyber week and this is such a bargain – shop here

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Find out more here.

Now, I’ve got the perfect canvas to unleash my ornament obsession. It’s like the North Pole collided with a Christmas superstore in my house, and I am here for the holiday extravaganza! Let’s deck the halls and why not add a mischievous twist this year and turn it into a Grinch tree that’ll steal the show (and maybe a few hearts)?

Here is my Grinch Tree (the real kicker) so far (with hopefully more ornaments to come – stay tuned). The tree featuring below is the 7′ Silverado Slim tree with the clear LED Fairy lights.

Have a glimpse

FIRST STEP: ADD all the red and white ornaments

First things first, dig out all those ornaments that I have collected for years and leave out all those ornaments which are neither only white, only red nor red and white. Those will give that touch of Grinch’s signature red and white stripes to your tree. They filled up the tree nicely. And for the first time, I decided to make a bouquet topper instead of having a star. I am pleased!

And you know the drill right? Yes, you can have your child helping here but make sure those ornaments are evenly spread on your tree (eventually).

From my earlier selection of ornaments, I also picked those old white/red ornaments that wasn’t making it to the tree anymore, you know the ones which just stay at the bottom of the storage boxes. Let’s see what we can do with those later.

And if you are not like me and are looking to start your red/white ornament collection, Primark (see right picture) has a great range this year.

And so does B&M .

SECOND STEP: ADD those lime green ornaments

Go back to those storage boxes, can you find any lime green ornaments? If not, go directly to step three. If yes, great! you have a better collection than me! Add them to your tree, evenly spread of course.

THIRD STEP: Add a Green Grinchy Touch

Let’s have winter wonderland properly collide with Whoville. Let’s turn those old red/white ornaments grinchy! Love repurposing, we can finally make something out of those old ornaments we have been hanging onto.

Grab some acrylic green and yellow paint. Mix about 60% yellow with 40% green and that should give that famous Grinch hue colour. You could also mix yellow and blue, that should give you the same result. And get painting. Adding a few dots or lines of lime green paint would revive your ornaments and will be a perfect addition to your Grinch tree.

Something else I did was actually pick some of my relatively new ornaments and only added some grinchy paint on one side of the ornaments – future-proofing! You could get rid of the Grinch features in the future by only displaying the side which isn’t painted.

Fourth step: Shop for Grinch ornaments

If like me, you find your tree is not grinchy enough, I am afraid it’s time for shopping around and I did that for you (for those based in the UK).

I’ll be honest, the choices are soo limited. I didn’t think it would be difficult to find Grinch decorations but it really has been. Hopefully more will be released next year.

I found those official Grinch baubles at Typo. They were 3 for £10.

I found this little guy at Costco for £54.99. It’s hand-painted and hand-crafted. So worth it in my opinion, it’s just under 51 cm tall and add the perfect touch.

Primark didn’t release any Grinch tree decorations this year. But I understand the ones from last year can be found on Amazon; at a price tag it seems.

Nothing with good reviews otherwise on Amazon.

Fifth step: Shop for lime green decorations

Add different size of lime green baubles and/or picks (I am still shopping for some of those – or I might wait for the Boxing Day sale). Again I haven’t found any yet in the shops. Amazon have some small ones here and larger ones here, even some heart-shaped ones here.

If you have small ones, I found tidying them up first together (simply thread with thin wire) as a set of three works better and then tie at the tip of a branch.

I also found some large green lollipops on Amazon which I haven’t bought (yet) – I am not sure if that would fit the tree. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.

I am still looking for lime green picks, the ones which look like twigs. Let me know in the comments if you have come across some .

LAST Step: ADD RIBBONS and the famous plates

Now, add ribbons to your Grinch tree. Choose colours that complement the Grinch’s green and red theme. This ribbon on Amazon would add a lovely extra festive touch.

Very last step for now, add the famous ‘Whoville’, ‘Grinch’s lair’ plates. I simply order those cardboard ones from Etsy.

So there you have it ! The Grinch would be proud – and maybe a bit jealous. It’s the perfect combo of sweet and mischievous. And there is still plenty of space on the tree to add more ornaments in the years to come (once I find more deals ).

Let the Christmas chaos ensue, and may your holidays be as vibrant and quirky as my Grinch tree adventure!

With love ,

Caroline

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