I absolutely love decorating the 12-foot Christmas tree that sits in my front window. Each year I tweak the look a bit, and this season I chose a navy buffalo check ribbon paired with various shades of turquoise and blue glass ornaments. By mixing a few budget-friendly updates with the ornaments I’ve collected over the years, I was able to give last year’s tree a fresh, coordinated look without starting from scratch.
If you peek behind the scenes of a blogger’s life, you’ll find that sometimes decisions about decorating big focal spots can take longer than expected. The large front-window tree is one of those spaces that I agonize over—along with my mantel. I like bold, coordinated statements in these spots, and overthinking them is part of my process.
I worked on this large tree off and on for about two and a half months and finally finished the finishing touches yesterday. It feels wonderful to have it ready to enjoy for the rest of the season.
A quick note: you absolutely don’t need to overhaul your tree every year. In fact, I recommend investing in favorite ornaments and pieces you love over time. Most of the ornaments you see on my tree—glittery deer, mercury glass birds and balls, DIY wood-slice chalkboards, paper-mâché ornaments, antique pieces and wooden stars—were collected or made over the past several years. They’re staples I reuse and enjoy year after year.
What I do change out frequently is the ribbon and a few accent ornaments to update the overall color story. This year I used about 20 feet of navy buffalo check ribbon and layered in a burlap-and-jingle-bell ribbon I’ve had for a few seasons. Changing ribbon is a simple way to give a tree a brand-new look without replacing everything.
One fun, inexpensive update I made this year was DIY glass ornaments. I bought clear craft glass ornaments and used a handful of turquoise and blue paints I already had. To make them, I poured a small amount of paint into the clear ornament, tipped and rolled it so the paint covered the inside, then let them dry for a couple of days before replacing the tops and hanging them on the tree. It’s a quick, satisfying craft that yields unique ornaments in your chosen palette.
I also couldn’t resist a playful blue felt pom-pom garland. It’s not essential, but I loved the added texture and color, so I hung several strands for a layered look. Small details like that can make a big visual impact.
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If you want to recreate a similar look, focus on a limited color palette and layer textures: a bold ribbon pattern, metallic accents, matte and shiny ornaments, and a handful of sentimental or vintage pieces. Mixing finishes and sizes creates depth, while repeating just a few colors keeps the look cohesive.
RELATED: Chalkboard Wood-Slice Ornaments
I also refreshed the gift-wrapping to match the tree. I moved away from traditional red and green and chose blues, browns, kraft, and metallics that coordinate with the tree’s palette. Coordinating wrapping paper doesn’t have to be expensive—look for papers with a complementary color story and add ribbon and twine for finishing touches. A wide ribbon across the gift with a smaller twine bow for the tag creates a polished layered look.
I’m happy to say my shopping is done and most of the wrapping is finished, so I’m looking forward to baking and spending the holidays with my kids. If you decorate a tree each year, do you change the theme or keep it consistent? And do you enjoy wrapping gifts as much as I do?
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