The thing I love most about creating a rustic themed Christmas tree is that it lends itself so beautifully to using natural elements. If you are a regular reader of my blog you already know I am a big fan of using natural elements from the outdoors to decorate my home. I love bringing the beauty of Mother Nature into my home; blurring the lines between the inside with the outdoors.
It’s easier than you think creating a designer looking tree, and it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to do it either. A little creativity and using the bounty of Mother Nature will allow you to create an amazing looking tree!
No matter what theme you choose for your Christmas tree there are a few basic steps you will want to follow to achieve a luscious, designer looking tree.
- Get the tree in a stand and set up. If you are using a live tree be sure to place towels on your floor before you set the tree in place to protect your floors. If you are using an artificial tree take your time to fluff the tree. Pull all the branches apart and straighten out all the smaller branches to ensure you have a nice full looking tree.
- Add loads of lights. You will want to use at least 100 lights for every foot of height. If you have an 8 foot tree you will want use, at a minimum, 800 lights. Be sure to weave and wrap each strand of lights from the interior truck of the tree to the outermost tips of the branches. Doing this will give the tree more depth. Placing all the lights on the just the out side of the tree won’t look as good. Once you have all the lights on the tree do the squint test to make sure the lights are evenly distributed.
Squint Test: once you have the lights on the tree stand back and squint while looking at the tree. It will immediately be evident if you have dark areas on the tree that need lights. When you see a dark area rearrange the light strands to redistribute the lights more evenly or add more strands of lights. You can never have too many lights.
- Add pine branch picks to create a fuller looking tree. Every year I purchase a few picks and add them to my arsenal of Christmas supplies. Sliding them in-between the branches of your tree will make a sparse tree look fuller. Plus you can add them to wreaths and garlands for the same effect. They are so versatile and can be used in numerous ways. Keep an eye out for when they go on sale and then stock up!
- Add ribbon and garland to the tree. Whether you decide to have ribbon cascading down the tree vertically, wrapping it horizontally around the tree, tucking it into the tree in a random pattern or placing clusters of ribbon or bows among the branches place it on the tree before you start adding any ornaments.
Once you have the basics in place it’s time for the fun part!
For a rustic look, try adding some of these natural elements:
- Use loads and loads of all white lights.
- Use a grapevine wreath as a rustic, textural garland for your tree. Purchase an inexpensive grapevine wreath. Take it outside and pull it apart. This is a messy process, so be sure not to do this inside or you will have a big mess on your floors to clean up. I recommend wearing gloves to protect your hands.
- Once you have pulled apart the wreath, take a few long strands of the wooden vines, and wrap them loosely around the tree. Tuck the ends into the tree branches. Let the natural curvature of the vines curve around the tree. This adds a subtle touch to the tree but adds a ton of interesting natural looking texture.
- Use burlap or other natural colored ribbon for garland. I chose a box weave burlap ribbon instead of a solid burlap ribbon. I like to allow the ribbon to loosely twine around the tree. Play around with the ribbon. If you don’t care for the more traditional look of wrapping it horizontally around the tree try adding it in vertical streamers that cascade down the tree from the top. If you choose to go vertical be sure to use an odd number of strands and use at least 5 strands for a nice full look. Using fewer strands may look a bit skimpy.
Repeat the elements you use in your tree in the other decor around your home. This will create a cohesive designer look with a minimum of effort. Using natural elements as decor is an effortless, beautiful addition to your home and keeps it affordable.
- Add some sparkle to the tree. Purchase an inexpensive bag of small round mirrors and glue two of them together back to back, sandwiching a length of string in between them to create a hanging loop. Place them on the tree. The mirrors will reflect and bounce the light around creating a beautiful shimmering effect.
- Place your largest showpiece ornaments in prominent locations on the tree. You don’t need many; an odd number looks best. I chose these cheerful red lanterns to add a bright red pop of color.
- Use pinecones for ornaments. Whether you turn ordinary pinecones into ornaments for your tree by glueing a loop of string to the bottom, or have them cascading down the tree, they are such a beautiful textural element to add to a rustic themed tree.
- Use twig balls instead of traditional balls as ornaments on the tree.
- Add a bit of whimsy to your tree. Create these darling Gingerbread man cookie ornaments for your tree for just pennies. Making them out of salt dough makes them very affordable to make. Read about how to make them here.
- Add unique handmade ornaments for a special touch.
- Use acorns as small filler ornaments on the tree.
If you have a plethora of acorns you can easily turn them into darling ornaments for your tree. You can read all about how to preserve them and use them in your decor here.
- Add pops of color with berry picks. it’s easy to stick them into the tree to fill out and finish off the tree and add in some color.
I love the natural, relaxed, look of this rustic theme. Adding pops of red gives it a traditional pop of color that makes me smile. You can easily recreate this look for your tree using the bounty of mother nature. Even if it is very different from anything you have done in the past, it won’t cost you a small fortune to create. It’s a timeless look because Mother Nature never goes out of style!
Let me know if you have any questions about any of the elements I used in my tree. I am happy to share tips and more information I have with you.
I hope I inspired you to create something beautiful in your life today! Happy decorating!!!