Signature Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

Every year my family decorate our Christmas tree around my daughter Maya's birthday, which is December 14th. Decorating the family's Christmas tree is a personal, fun and exciting thing to do. Every family have their own traditions around the holidays regarding decoratiing their home & tree, baking cookies & tasty treats and participating in annual rites of passage. I remember my family Christmas trees in Jamaica where I grew up. We always had a fresh tree and mummy & daddy would spray the tree with snow from a can and put cotton balls at the root of the tree on top of the container that it was in because we didn't have snow there. In the picture above my son Marc, my daughter Maya and my cousins children Deanna & Kathy (left to right) is having fun putting decoration on the Christmas tree. Some traditions from my childhood still continues to this day regarding my Christmas tree...it MUST be a fresh real tree. Whether you like a fresh tree or the one that you pull out of the box year after year, here a few tips in making your tree beautiful. Stick with a theme for your tree and use ornaments that means something to your family (like ones made by the children and picked out together as a family) and mix those with store bought ones. Use oversize ornaments to hide holes or imperfections in the tree. Add glamour to the tree by adding crytsals and sparkles (I found beautiful ones in the dollar store this year...I was amazed). Use colors and themes that relate to the room where the tree is displayed. To further enhance your decor, the gifts under your tree should be wrapped and ribboned in complimentary colors of the tree and the room. Use garlands and ornaments, more ribbon, flowers to complete the look. Themes can be American (use american flags, ornaments of American monuments and buliding) , wooden ornamented tree theme (I did this when my children were younger) can be all wooded ornaments that are sleighs, snowman, drummer boys etc. How about a Fruited tree? Yes...this can be beautifully done. Use all fruit ornaments to decorate the entire tree. My cousin's children who are in the picture above, every year decorate their tree with handmade crocheted angels that are absolutely beautiful. This tree theme On Ice is tieing in the decorations of the whole room where the tree is located.  Whatever theme or decorating you decide to do this year with your family, enjoy it and create new memories. Happy tree trimming!!!!