10 simple accent trees for Christmas

.  There is definitely a "simpler Christmas" trend in the last several years. Simple is good and clean and when you add green to the mix you have the perfect Christmas accent, a small/miniature tree.  From plain to layered, there are lots of options.

 A little woodland whimsy with wooden beads.

 Grouped with a sign 

 Welcoming visitors, no need for ornaments

 A "tree" constructed from branches of boxwood, but easily done with any type of greenery. I would cut oasis in a cone shape and go from there.  For all I know you can get oasis in a cone shape!

 A  shaped rosemary tree with wood accents.

 Rosemary again with starfish for a beach Christmas.

A lovely tree with pinecones in a recycled wooden box.  Nice candlestick holders too. The black and white accents provide a great backdrop.

Love the bucket and bench  (it's all the texture and gray) but the simple ornaments finish everything off beautifully.  Who would think white card trees could be so elegant?

Did you make these 3 D hearts as a child?  They bring back happy  memories for me. With all the great paper designs available the sky is the limit for this idea.

 And finally a little colour for those who want it.

All links can be found on my Pinterest page.

A must have vase

I'm in love with the Boblen  vase my new  neighbour gave me. Although we do not know each other well, she could not have chosen a more fitting gift.  I always have some version of fresh greenery or flowers in my home. The more I look at  this little gem the more ideas I get  for using it. 

The Boblen line of vases, designed by famous Norwegian Florist and TV personality Finn Schjoll,

 

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 are expressive mouth blown vases  in clear glass in various sizes

 

 and colours. 

 

 Its design was inspired by water drops on a lily after the rain. The extended flat lip makes them especially conducive to wide floral designs....

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 or to highlight  a single blossom.

 

 You can also put several vases of varying sizes together to create drama. 

 or float a flower in water in the bowl .

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  or wrap a creeping vine under and around the lip.

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 You could also fill the bowl with candy, small glass ornaments, beach glass, berries, small blossoms, pepples etc.  and place a pillar candle on top.  An all around accent for your home that can always be on display.

Art Glass Vista  ships world wide.

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas

I love repetition as a statement and it is a powerful vehicle for impact  in art and design.  As you get ready for the coming season perhaps  you would like some inspiration. These images illustrate simple, doable Christmas decor with an emphasis on repetition. Of course Pinterest is the go to site now for ideas of any kind.  These and more ideas  can be found on my  Tis the Season folder.

So simple and effective.  I think this works because of its lack of colour and sparkle against the metal tray.

  How simple is this?  Jingle bells, and white candles on a rectangular white tray.  The variations are endless.

  Pick your choice with this one. Greenery with candles or bulbs in sets of three or four.  I think I would stick to one or the other so it would get noticed more.

 Boxwood wreath with slim tapers massed in the middle.  These little candles and holders usually in clear glass are often found at dollar stores. You could also drill holes of appropriate size in a piece of wood and cover it with aluminum foil for safety.

  While this isn't specifically  Christmas decor it offers all kinds of ideas about a similar shelf and a repetition of objects for different seasons.

 Love this idea for over a sofa.  Using those plastic snowflakes you can pick up cheaply and gluing them in a circle with  hot glue.  Velvet ribbon  is a must for the look.

 And don't you just love the repetition of gold vases and two shapes of trees?  Gold is so coming back in vogue. 

 Another set of four but this time using very rustic pots with moss, greenery and candles.

 Lanterns of different shapes and heights can be used with all sorts of seasonal decor.  I think they are handy to have around for  year around use.

 Love white and blue at Christmas.  Add in the sparkle of silver ornaments and the scene is set. 

Remember that you can hang wreaths almost anywhere.

If you missed last year's posts about Christmas decorations check them out here for my house,  for your table,   wreaths, and  mini trees . 

Wrap it up

Trying to be earth friendly is an ongoing battle especially at Christmas.   I hate the fact that all the pretty gift wrap ends up in the landfill because  it isn't recyclable.  paper gift  bags work for me and I always reuse  those I receive. I  also purchase fabric bags when I see them and hope the receiver  passes them along to another person. When the last of my gift wrap runs out (probably this year), I plan to use brown paper (Kraft Paper) which you can recycle.  The options for dressing it up are endless. Here's a few nifty ideas to get you thinking about the possibilities:

  Braided wine, a bit of greenery  and a pine cone.  What could be simpler than that?  Wrapping the twine around the package off center adds to the design element.

 What a great way to share old photographs.  Copying them is so easy these days.  

Love how the black satin ribbon looks with the green and the stamped gift tag.  The splash of cedar finishes the job. 

 The name of the recipient becomes the major design element in this wrapping idea. 

  Have you seen the lace tape that is so popular now ? I've been on the look out but haven't found it yet.

Cutting snowflakes from different coloured paper and adding them to the plain paper works to add a spalsh of colour.  Simple butcher twine manages to look elegant with this pairing.

 Who know the pages from old books could make such pretty wrapping material.  You can sew paper to make bags or else glue the edges together.  Adding red string makes it all so festive. You can do so much with so little!

I love this one with red yarn and kraft sticks with holes drilled in them. Of course it is the repetition that makes the design.

 Love this look with red raffia ribbon and strips of black and white printed paper.  What you add between the raffia is up to one's imagination.

 Coloured tape and a button on a string.  How colourful and simple?

 To get this effect I would use scraps of tulle or netting  and then over tie it with twine. 

Wondering what to do with that left over burlap?  Wonder no more.  I made burlap bags years ago to package driftwood Santa's I hand painted.   When you ravel out the tops and include a colourful yarn for tying , it looks very festive.  Burlap will also take a simple stencil using  paint.

 Over wrapping newsprint with burlap and adding a lovely gift tag and pine cones looks very finished and inviting.
 

A little red year round

Red  is a great accent colour anytime, but it seems to be even more inviting at Christmas.  All it takes is the merest hint to bring a room to life. It can be used in small accessories, window treatments or furniture.  In all can't be ignored.

A splash of red always works

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What a difference a pillow can make.  Remember to have at least three hits of an accent colour around a room to create movement.  

Black and red are very dramatic

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Red and black is always dramatic, and when your throw a bold pattern into the mix it is even more so. 

Stunning patterned bar stools

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 Red and gray is refreshing.  I especially like this crisp blue red with a white pattern. Three hits of colour is well displayed in this vignette. 

A sprinkling of red

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Red paired with black and white patterned area rug is very eye catching.   What an interesting window treatment for more than one window set close together. Vertical stripes are so commanding. 

Who could ignore red with black and white?

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 Bold black and white again with a red sofa.  Very commanding.  When you are hanging artwork on a striped wall it is best to keep the mats light and the images simple. 

Red and white striped headboard

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A striking red striped headboard with charcoal and white. 

A stunning red console

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Red with liberal amounts of neutral always works.