Stunning Christmas Tree Decorations from Newbridge Silverware

{These beautiful items were gifted to me for the purpose of this review, I have not been instructed what to write}

I suspect most people would agree that Christmas is a magical time, but I think we all have our own unique reasons for why we enjoy it. From family time to gift-giving, to lots of merriment and parties, right through to the hope of snow and of course, decorating your house. I wouldn't say I'm an elaborate house stager for the Christmas period but I do adore decorating my Christmas tree.

For years I had a colour coordinated tree and I was more interested in the overall aesthetic than anything else. That changed in the last decade, I think probably it was the children that helped me to see that memories can be more important than style. Add to that some journeys abroad that held great meaning and I started to collect tree ornaments that I could bring out every year and hang. What I've found is that as I unpack those decorations I am transported back to the time I bought the decoration or perhaps when it was made, or a special year when I hung it with one of my children and it now has sentimental meaning.

I've shared a few times on my blogs about our Christmas trees, you can see our 2012 offerings over here, or our 2018 one here. I also shared a tutorial in 2017 for making small Christmas wreath tree ornaments and these have been very popular and make excellent but inexpensive teacher/ youth leader gifts. 

Here is Miss E decorating our tree last year, as you can see I have done away with the tinsel and it's all about seeing each individual ornament now and there are a lot of them!

Fun Family Christmas Traditions: Decorating the Christmas Tree

2018 Pannell family Christmas tree

{Collaborative post}

For me, Christmas just doesn’t feel like Christmas unless our home is decorated in the right way. Tinsel, mistletoe, baubles and fairy lights: all add to the ambience that makes the season. The centrepiece for all of these decorations, naturally, is formed by the tree. But decorating a tree isn’t just a destination; it’s a journey, too. If you want to get the whole family into the Christmas spirit, then drafting them all in to lend a hand is a great way to get started!

For many years when the kids were small, we used to have two trees, as I loved to have a 'perfect' colour coordinated one in the lounge that I had decorated and then we would have a second one in the dining or playroom. This one was super colourful, sling everything on, including homemade decorations tree. As the kids have aged though, I have realised that for me, it is far more important to have everyone involved with the ritual of decorating the tree than it is, for it to look perfect.

Let’s look at a few ways in which we can make the tree-decorating experience special for everyone -

Wearing Christmas Clothes

Any activity will feel that little bit more Christmassy if you’re wearing the right clothes. If you’re gifting Christmas jumpers, then you can save opening them until the big day itself. But there’s nothing stopping you from wearing last year’s jumpers. On the other hand, you might make the experience a little bit cosier by wearing your winter sleepwear. Matching pyjamas or onesies will make the whole family feel like the same cohesive unit!

Making Simple but Beautiful Christmas Tree Mini Wreaths

Miss E and I have been making some Christmas wreath decorations to gift to her teachers and Godparents this year. I'm really pleased with how they have come out and think they are a fab gift. The best thing is that these were made by a 10 year old and are really simple and cheap to make.

Here's what you need -

• Curtain rings (wood ones as they ave the metal hoop at the top) We used ones compatible with a 28mm pole and picked these up in Homebase for £1.29 for 6
• Wool in any colour you fancy, green if you want them to look like traditional wreaths (£1 in Poundland)
• Multi-size gems - I bought 2 packs of different size ones for 99p each from Hobbycraft
• 3mm ribbon in a colour of you choice (40p per metre)
• Hot glue gun (or another firm glue)
• A pair of scissors

How to make the Christmas Wreath Decorations

1.  Cut a long length of wool. Tie it on to the curtain hoop close to the metal ring. Take care to wrap the wool around the hoop, pushing it close to itself every so often and ensuring you keep a tight hold. If you run out of string, you can tie another piece on and the knot will sit at the back so it won't show, Once you have finished the full hoop tie off the string around the metal hoop and make sure it is secure.