Christmas Tree Inspiration
Fresh new inspiration for the festive season
Into the woods
Yes, yes, – we know. South African Christmases are all about summer and sunshine. However – thanks to the persuasive powers of the Northern Hemisphere, Hallmark movies and the flood of Netflix Christmas fare, many of us secretly hanker for frosty, snowy, White Christmas! And we feel no shame.
That is why we love the idea of creating a (mini) wintery pine forest right in your home!
The “mini” part is important here unless your house is palatial, in which case – go big and create a Christmas tree maze!
If, however, you are a normal person, it would do you well to be a bit more economic.
You will need:
- A surface. Table, shelf, counter bookcase – whatever you have access to.
- A white or light-coloured piece of fabric or strips of organza.
- Mini tabletop Christmas trees
- Cool white LED string lights.
The idea is simple – create a festive table scape with lots of detail for your guests and loved ones to explore.
Spread out your tiny trees on the surface, add any other décor you want to – we like the idea of a Santa sleigh, a rogue reindeer and naughty elf or even a gingerbread house. (You get many DIY gingerbread house kits that don’t require baking and simply skips to the fun, decorating part…)
Arrange your white fabric in between the trees, to mimic a snowy landscape and set up your LED lights to add a twinkly bit of magic. Voila! Holiday magic reminiscent of the most wintery white Christmas, right here in sunny Mzanzi.
This is a great way to add festive cheer without a huge Christmas tree and even the tiniest tableau can transform your home into a festive wonderland.
Monochrome, naturally
Another firm festive vibe we love for the 2024 season is the idea of a monochrome Christmas. But this year we are doing it differently. We have had the all pink/purple or red Christmases, and most South African Malls and corporate businesses usually do something along this line. So, although it can be striking, it isn’t exactly a warm and inviting Christmas look for your home.
What we are talking about is embracing more natural colours and fibres.
You don’t have to go all out and use a wire baobab tree, or a wooden structure. Although you can. The idea is to decorate whatever tree you have, real or artificial, but pick one colourway. We love the warmer hues of cream, off-white or beige, with accents of richer browns or russets. Many celebrities are going this route this year, and we must admit – we are in love!
Pampas grass, curly tree branches and even decorative stones with muted warm white Christmas lights and real or battery-operated candlelight all add warmth and cosiness. The added benefit of sticking to a single colourway is the fact that this is a great way to create a sense of calm in an otherwise overwhelming time of the year.
And guess what! – chocolates, caramels and even biscuits and cookies all tie into this neutral colourway!
Top Tip: To add some sparkle to your tree, gold, copper, bronze and coloured glass decorations can all work beautifully with a neutral tree.
Mocha and Gold inspired Christmas tree
Neutral and Brown Christmas tree
If you still haven’t found inspiration for your tree, look to the experts.
Elle Décor Christmas tree inspiration
As always – remember the Homemakers golden rule: It is you HOME, and you MAKE the rules. Do your festive season your way and ignore the negative nellies!
