USE FLORAL PICKS FOR EXTRA PUNCH

Picks are used liberally by designers for any theme or design.  A pick is a collection of greens, branches, feathers, berries…..anything that will create a linear, flat base and then is adorned with something that supports the theme of your tree: cones, ornaments, ribbon, birds, beads…whatever.  They help fill up the spaces between branches but with a different texture and bulkiness from ornaments.  Often, but not always, the pick is held together with a pretty bow at one end.

A pick made from 2 stems of glitter leaves & pods anchored by 1 red poinsettia and tied off with shimmery ribbon.

Pre made picks are available at craft, display and floral supply stores.  The problem with them is that are often too skimpy (especially from Michaels or other craft stores).  You just need to add a bit of something to them to beef them up – add more and varied greens, add an ornament cluster (from yesterday’s post) amongst the pine cones.

This little 4" pick has an interesting mix of colors, but is much too small on its own. Tied in another larger fruit, add some ribbon loops and it'll be ready to enhance your decor.

A tree I designed a few years ago that illustrates all four areas of tree design. Gold glitter fern fronds overhang the branches, large double poinsettias claim attention, double ribbon bows of green and a print add elegance and the multi strand garland wraps up the whole tree.

How to use a pick in a tree (garland or wreath)?  Just lay them along a branch, pretty side up, bow trailing down so that they extend 6-12″ beyond the tip of the branch.  That will call attention to the pick and break the symmetrical shape of the tree, making more dimension and interest.  You’ll hang ornaments from the branch under the pick and from the branch above, hanging down to meet the pick.  On a 6′ tree you’ll want 12-15+ picks.

GARLAND AND RIBBON

Garlands are the jewelry, the necklace on the tree.  Not every designer tree has garland or ribbon.  Many times a designer will use one but not both – personally I like both, especially on a larger tree.  Bead garlands are straight forward – drape between branches in a fairly even but not perfect pattern, varying the amount of drape….some shallow, some deep. 

If you want to emphasize the garland and really make the tree stand out, combine two or three different garlands - a gold bead string, a red berry strand and a novelty strand - all hung from different branches so they’re not exactly strung together, but close.  If you want the garland to play a subtle role, put it on after the lights and before the ornaments.  If you want to feature the draping and sparkle of the garland, put it on last.

This unattractive picture shows 3 of the 5 different garlands I have...some years I use one, some years all five.

My tree with one garland added. Also note the floral pick in the top circle, hanging out of the tree branches. The lower circle highlights the ribbon tails.

My second garland is a multi strand green bead that quietly reinforces the white bead garland.

 Ribbon can be used lots of ways in a tree.  Tie a 6-8″ piece of wired ribbon directly on the end of a branch and have one tail ‘wave’ upward and one trail downward.  Make a small looped bow with tails (see our upcoming free bow guide for details), make large round designer bows with wired ribbon.  Use lengths of 3-4″ wide ribbon twisted and wound around the tree like a garland.  If your ribbon has a wrong or back side, make a tight twist in the ribbon each time you change direction so that the right side is always facing out.  Try using a narrow 1/2″ or 1″ silver or white non-wired ribbon cut in 12-14″ lengths, tie on the end of the branch like above, but just let the ends dangle – it’ll look like icicles.  THE most inexpensive way to add ribbon and movement is to use curling ribbon in long, really long, curly tails and tie it on everywhere – use lots and lots, it’s cheap.

This sheer, shimmery bronze ribbon adds a spot of subtle color on the ends of branches.

On this tree I designed a few years ago, I used the ribbon vertically instead of around the tree like a garland. Don’t be afraid to try something new….it’s only ribbon. (The tree has been shopped a bit by this point.)

photo from House & Home magazine

Here’s a photo that shows there’s more than one way to skin a cat – or deck a hall as the case may be.  An abundant white feather garland (could you use boas tied end to end?) says it all for this tree. 

Most of us aren’t able to go out and totally deck out a new tree theme all at one time – it  might take a couple of years of shopping the after holiday sales.  That’s okay, beauty is worth waiting for.  Just keep your vision clear from year to year so you’re sure to pick up just what you need to supplement your theme.

SPECIAL FREE GUIDE

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If you don't have enough goodies to really lushly fill a wreath, consider making an asymmetrical one and really piling on your decorations - just all on one side. More tips in the FREE guide.

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I spent several years designing and putting up holiday decor for clients and I’m going to share the designer secrets I’ve learned over the years.  Trees are decorated with 4 main layers of decoration.  Today’s post will cover lighting and ornaments; check back tomorrow to learn about picks and garlands.

THEMED OR ECLECTIC?

Tree decor can be themed by color – an all red tree, or all white or red and green.  The tree could be themed by style – Victorian, traditional, country, western.  Or the tree might be themed by type of ornament – Santas, angels, toys, musical instruments, floral, gingerbread men, reindeer, etc.  A tree might be designed to coordinate with the colors in the room or stand alone as a testament to the season.  Whatever your preference for a tree look, it should reflect your personality, your lifestyle and be a holiday decoration that you love to look at.

Two ornaments I received as gifts - my sister is a huge Elvis fan and thinks everyone needs a little Elvis in their lives; the other is from Pat commemorating a hot air balloon trip.

Personally, I only put up one tree and it’s theme is……well, I guess you’d call it eclectic.  It’s filled with ornaments from my childhood, ornaments that my kids picked out over the years (like ninja turtle ornaments!), ornaments I’ve made and ones I’ve received as gifts.  This is a memory tree, filled with years and years of Christmases and with every ornament I hang, I remember friends and family who have added to the beauty of my tree.  But, I am a designer and I have added a few things to really make the tree even more special – and here’s how you do it:

LIGHTING TO MAKE YOUR TREE SPARKLE

It’s so important to use plenty of lights but still use good sense.  You don’t want the tree so bright that it glares and you can’t see the ornaments.  If you own a pre-lit tree, this part is already handled for you.  For the rest of us, the main designer tip about lighting is to make sure that the lights are not just on the tips of the branches.  You want to run the strands of lights all the way to the center of the tree, then out the adjoining branch to the tip.  It will give the tree depth and brighten the inside of the tree.  Even if you have a pine tree without much room between branches, shove those lights as far back in there as you can.

If you’re ready for a change in your lights, add a few strands of a different kind of light to add interest.  If you’ve got all miniature white lights, add a few strands of colors; or the reverse – if you’ve got colored, add a few strands of white.  Or try mixing up sizes – add some strands of the larger bulbs or novelty shaped bulbs.  Your standard lights will look that much better by contrast.

USE ORNAMENTS TO SET YOUR TREE APART

Size matters – not the size of the tree, the size of the ornaments. Designers use LARGE ornaments freely to establish the theme and make the initial impact. They are what you’ll see from a distance.  Pick up a couple of packages of large balls or ornaments (stars, angels, whatever) – at least 6-8″ diameter.  Bigger is better though – the bigger the tree, the bigger the ornament it can handle. 

A large 8-10" ball, a medium 5" ball and a small 2" ball are the basics for making a well filled tree.

If oversize balls don’t work with your style or theme, look at using stuffed animals, big flowers, angels or Santas (10″ tree topper size), or instruments.  If you’re the crafty type, buy some really large Styrofoam balls and decorate them yourself with spray paint, glitter, ribbon and pins.  Tuck these great big ornaments into the inner branches of the tree but also bring some outside to make a statement.  For a 6′ tree you’ll need at least 8-10 really big ornaments.

Two oversize elements were used here: 12" tree topper angels and a floral pick made of 2 large white and 1 red silk amaryllis flower.

Large ornaments and poinsettias are hallmarks of a designer tree.

 Another inexpensive way to create the impression of large scale ornaments is to cluster several balls together.  This is an old trick but one that bears repeating.  This can be done in several ways depending upon the final look you want.  You can use 3-5 of the same ball, all the same size and use a piece of wire or ribbon to string them all together, twist the wire (or knot the ribbon) and use it as a hook to put the cluster on the tree.  To make a large ornament use four or five 3-4″ balls.  You could also mix up the ornaments using 2 smaller of one color and 3 larger of a different color or pattern – or 2 shiny and 3 matte – there are lots of combinations; the goal is to create a large ornament.

I tied three 5" balls together with about 18" of curling ribbon.

Let the long twirls of the ribbon dangle for even more fun.

I've now created the visual impression of a 8-10" ornament.

 A quick aside:  This ornament cluster would work in many places of your decor in addition to the tree.  I’ve tied together five or six 1-2″ balls in a mix of  shiny and matte and tucked them in a garland, hooked them on greens in a floral arrangement, placed amongst my Santa collection display….anywhere I’d like a change of texture or a little sparkle.

A smaller cluster nestled within my Santa collection display.

Medium sized ornaments are the “filler” of a tree – you need the most of these and they are the 3-5″ ornaments.  To keep a themed tree feeling cohesive, use 2-5 dozen (depending upon tree size) of the same ornament evenly spaced around the tree.  Fill in with other medium sized ornaments.

I consider these medium sized ornaments and they'll make up the bulk of the ornaments you use. In addition to the many 4-5" balls, use lots of novelty ornaments to support your theme that are 4-6" in size.

 Small novelty ornaments are the jewelry, the “come closer and see me” pieces of the tree.  The most important tip here is to hang ornaments from the trunk to the tip – in other words make sure lots of ornaments make it as deep into the middle of the tree as possible.  You definitely don’t want to have your ornaments laying just on the outside branches of the tree.

Little 1-3" ornaments for fun and to inspect when you're up close and personal to the tree.

MORE DESIGNER TIPS TOMORROW

Today’s tips and these photos should help you get a good start on your designer tree.  Tomorrow I’ll share even more tips and your finished tree will be absolutely stunning.  Don’t worry if you don’t have everything you need; that’s what after Christmas sales are for and now you’ll know what to shop for.

Til tomorrow……

Related posts:

1. 12 Days of Christmas (day 9): Santa Display