In this post: Everyone has their own approach to Christmas tree decorating. Why not showcase your personal style and passions in your holiday decor?⇒
I have a thing for teacups.
I’m not sure where this passion came from, but it’s been with me for a long time. Certainly it goes back to the early days of our marriage.
No doubt it arose from my taste for antiques and perhaps the realization that teacups were one of the most affordable things you could find in an antique shop.
You could spend a few hours perusing the stalls of an antique market and find a couple of little treasures that packed a whole lot of gorgeousness into a tiny little package.
Hence my collection was born.
I also recall having this budding collection but nowhere to put the teacups, as I didn’t yet have a fully furnished home. An early solution was my teacup chandelier, but as the collection grew I found ever more unique ways to display my teacups.
Until finally one day they wound up on my tree…
Now, truth be told, I don’t have a whole lot of Christmas traditions.
Unlike many of you who have unique and special holiday traditions that have come down through generations of family, I only recently started my traditions completely anew.
As many of you already know, in my religious tradition, we celebrate Hanukkah, so Christmas decorating is something I do for my readers. But boy have I embraced it as if it were my own! In fact it’s something that brings me a great deal of joy.
In this post I’m sharing the very first tree I styled, a few years ago.
And being just a tiny bit of a rebel, I had decided if I’m going to tackle Christmas tree decorating, I’m going to approach it by adding my personal style to our tree.
Because you knew I wasn’t going to just do it the “regular” way…
I started with a Classic Fraser Fir with clear lights.
We have 9′ ceilings so I went with the 7 1/2 foot tree, leaving room at the top for an interesting topper to maybe add in the future. For now I just used a pretty wired bow with lots of holiday sparkle.
At a quick glance, the tree looks pretty traditional with a base of gold and silver ornaments.
But I am a tablescaper and collector and this was my first tree, so I wanted to create my own new traditions that reflect my personal style.
The first thing I knew that needed to be added to the tree was a representation of my passion for vintage china. I selected my favorite vintage teacups from my collection and went to work, wiring them to the tree.
I also chose to place the tree in our dining room so this imagery made conceptual sense.
I often use mixed patterned china on my tables and I have plate racks on the wall to showcase an ever-changing display of pieces I’ve added to my collection over time.
The golden tree skirt is the perfect base as it has a lovely shimmer and works well with my color palette. I wanted to stick with roses and pinks, typically found on vintage china, as well as the more neutral gold and silver.
Wooden lanterns sit nearby, housing additional ornaments.
I also added napkin rings to continue with the tablescaping theme, and above you can see the crystal bracelet rings sitting comfortably on a branch.
The fresh flowers in the room are simple white hydrangeas to maintain the clean and subtle color feeling.
The ornaments and baubles are a plentiful mix of varied gold and silver pieces, in shiny, matte, glittered and transparent, with textured and smooth surfaces alike.
Crystal drops are from another set of napkin rings, looped casually over the branches.
I’ll let you in on a little secret, too.
The wrapped gifts underneath my tree are actually the now-empty storage boxes from the ornaments. When I take down my tree, the boxes to re-store everything will be conveniently right nearby.
I did add some rose gold ornaments to the mix in keeping with my color palette for this year.
You can get a closer look at how I’ve used them before in my pink and gold Christmas tablescape and my rose gold sideboard vignette.
To add interest I included gold and silver finials, which add movement in direction by virtue of their vertical shape.
The lushness of the tree can even be appreciated in natural daylight with the lights off.
I tucked in some pine cones for their wintery feel and they can best be seen this way.
So that was my first go at decorating a Christmas tree! It’s fitting that my first tree was the most personal to express my passions.
I have since added many trees in different sizes, shapes and colors, and have upped my decorating game by adding ribbon, picks, and other elements to add more lushness.
But every now and then I like to look back at this tree and realize it helped tell the world (or at least visitors) exactly who I am.
So how about you? Do you put personal items that express your passions on your tree?
Many people have ornaments collected on journeys or that were made by children. But can you take it further and use items that symbolize what makes you unique?
Most of you have way more experience than I do with Christmas tree decorating, so I hope I was able to help you see your tree decorating in a fresh and personalized way.
Sometimes it takes a beginner to see things in a new light… 😉
Christmas Tree Decorating Source List
To shop the look, click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. If an item is out of stock but may be restocked, I left it on the list.
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Love it! Has me thinking about doing a small tabletop tree using my demitasse/espresso collection.
Thanks, Dani! That sounds like a great idea… 🙂
Lory, It is beautiful. I would have expected no less. I love your home. I love your tree in the Dining Room and it seems like the perfect spot that everyone wants to linger after a meal. Also, I just recently started following you and probably missed it, but I love the buffet in there. Where did you find that !!?? Look forward to much more this season 🙂
Kathy
Thank you so much, Kathy!! I actually found the buffet years ago at a store that was closing, but I will soon be adding resources to many of my older posts and where items are not available, I’ll include similar options currently available. I’m planning on getting that going right after the holidays… 🙂
Bravo Lory for the very first tree that you have decorated and what better to start with a gorgeous tree from Tree Classics. I love that you added your own touch by adding the vintage tea cups as you love to set a most beautiful table. An exquisitely decorated tree to enhance the decor of your beautiful dining room! Have a most wonderful Holiday Lory!
Thank you so much, Shirley! It seems the natural way for me to go… 😉 I’m really enjoying being on the tour with such a wonderful group!
I love it, Lory! The addition of the vintage cups is such a unique idea. Love the blingy napkin rings, too. I say you did quite well for your first tree.
Thanks so much, Kim! As much as I love vintage, I also love my bling… lol. I really had fun with this one and now I’ll want more trees for next year!
You did such a great job with your tree! I love the teacups. Well done!
Thank you, Nancy!! This was so much fun for me… 🙂
Lory! How enchanting!! I love the dainty tea cups used for ornaments mixed in with the metallics. Its lovely and I think wonderful that you are adding a tree for your holiday decor.
Amy, thanks again for including me, as I had such fun with this tour! I think I’m hooked now and want more trees next year… lol! I’m completely blown away by the quality of tree Classics products too… 🙂
Lory, I am enamored with your vintage teacups on your tree! They are a perfect reflection of your style! Im so happy to be on this tour with all of you beautiful ladies!
Thanks so much, Cindy! I just love having the tree in the dining room and having another place for my teacups!! I’m also delighted to be on this tour with such a great group! You guys all inspired me… 🙂
Well done, Lory! I love the teacups and recognized your napkin rings immediately. How very clever of you! I’m always impressed with your unique view. I was raised Catholic, but like to add a little Hanukkah corner somewhere. This year it’s a set of nine mercury glass votives on a slender “silver” tray I found earlier this year at Pottery Barn. I bumped the center votive with 3 stacked quarters and have an old dreidel ornament next to it. I love the rich traditions of our Judeo-Christian history.
Your tree did not disappoint…I knew it would be fabulous! With the tea cups and other table ware in addition to conventional ornaments, you made the tree your own. Love the varied textures of the ornaments. Great idea for keeping the storage boxes close by.
A beautiful tree, love how you used the teacups and napkin rings.
Extraordinary use of items, really unique and I LOVE it!! Beautifully done, elegant and classic. Wow, just a great big wow at the creative talent you have!
So cute using teacups on a tree Lory! Always so exquisite.
What a creative and gorgeous tree! I love the vintage china tea cups! Genius!
It’s beautiful and what a great idea to use your china cups!! I would be afraid of them falling and breaking, so I’m not sure I am going to do that, but how I do love the look!!! That is so YOU Lory!!! Bravo.
Lory, I’m an agnostic former Catholic…my loving and wonderful husband is a secular Jew. Nevertheless, we always celebrate Hannukah and Christmas. We always prefer when the two holidays occur about the same time as they do this year. I love your first X-Mas tree…lovely and imaginative. I love your sense of style in your home, and also your imaginative and lovely seasonal tablescapes. I’ve saved them all to copy in my own home. I collect teacups as well, so I love that you integrate them into your everyday decor and now your first X-mas tree.
Thanks so much, Patricia, and I love your inclusive approach to the holidays! 🙂
Loved the Christmas Trees,the china cups are great would not have taught of them.Thank you.
Hi Lory,
Love your website. So happy to find it. Could you please share with me where
to purchase the angel on your sideboard? Absolutely love it.
Wishing you a very Happy Holiday!
Merry
Thanks so much, Merry! I found the angel at a local garden center, but I’ve been looking for others like it and they’re not that easy to find. If I see any online, I will certainly post the links. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!!
I love how you’ve decorated your first Christmas tree, Lory! Teacups are close to my heart, too, and if 100 of them weren’t in storage, I’d be tempted to copy your tree with the sweet baby 4′ tree I picked up at Sam’s Club on clearance this weekend. 🙂 I hope you have a lovely Hanukkah this year! May God always bless you. <3
Thank you so very much Barbara, for your lovely comment and wishes!!
Thank you for the tea cup idea. This year my mom became an amputee and became a resident of full time nursing care. I brought her vintage tea cup and demitasse cup collection home with me. She lived all around the world during her young mothering years and collected as she went, especially in Europe. She continued to collect with a critical eye until just last year at 88 years old and you have given me great inspiration. I will use your idea to honor her and her passion this year.
What a heartwarming way that would be to honor your mom’s taste and style… 🙂
What a brilliant idea, Lory! Such a perfect concept and tree location! I’ve been getting a lot of insight into your tradition via your posts, too. Such a fun way to learn and expand my cultural understanding, especially since I love table setting so much! You are always so inspiring! Happy First Tree! 😉
Lovely, so very lovely, esp the vintage and the bling. . . .we love that sparkle. It turns up a notch with the lights. I am yet another one who loves the garden angel on your sideboard.
Thank you so much!! Yes, I wish I could find more of those chippy garden statues… 🙂 (Not that I know where to put them… lol!)