What goes under the Christmas Tree? Not just Presents!

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What goes under the Christmas tree besides presents? Many different things. Just think outside of the box. These pictures will show what I used to decorate under the Christmas trees to give them a unique look. In previous blogs you may have seen some of the same things, but as you decorate a tree you can change the look just by what you put under the tree and behind the tree. I will address the "behind the tree in another blog". 

This is very basic for under the Christmas tree. I had a wooden box made that was approximately 4 foot by 4 foot. It was about 1 1/2 half foot in height. This is done to make the tree appear taller than it actually is. The tree used in this display was a 7 foot American fir tree, but once it's placed on the box it get a lift to almost 9 foot. There was a lot of gold in this tree so I used gold Lame fabric to surround the box and be the tree skirt.

This tree had decorations on it that were harvest ornaments. To tie the tree into a theme, I used ribbons that matched in color (burgundy and gold). I added in some harvest fruit in assorted colors and for the bottom of the tree, a large horn of plenty filled with the same fruits as were put in the tree. The bottom of the tree turned out to be the focal point instead of the top. To add to the harvest look, I used real pine cones in the tree. If you liked this tree well and used the same ornaments for several years, just place the horn of plenty in different places in the tree. It would be quite beautiful in the center.

 

This tree had a very distinctive country Christmas look so I placed it in an old barrel. The tree had the colors of pink and red. There are red wooden apples and cinnamon stick bundles with pink ribbon. Tie in some pink and red paper mache Santas and other country looking ornaments and you are finished. This is a very country Christmas looking tree. 

 

This tree had ornaments the signified the twelve days of Christmas. The ornaments were made of wood and are very collectible today. Red poinsettias were placed all over the tree, and a tree skirt with the twelve days of Christmas design is used under the tree.

 

This Christmas tree was one that was placed in the entrance of the Christmas department. It was a tree representing the harvest. I mixed Angles with the same colors in with harvest ornaments. To make it feel real grapevine wreath was made into a garland and placed hanging from the ceiling and around the tree itself. To give the feel of the tree sitting in the outdoors a brick patio was placed under the tree with green moss placed to look like grass growing up through the cracks. So as not to ruin the carpet, be sure to use a heavy plastic tarp like painters would use under the bricks.

This wasn't one tree but many used to create a whole rustic Country Christmas scene. Here I used 5 trees of various heights. To increase the height and dimensions, I placed some on top of barrels, and stuffed some in behind barrels and wagon wheels to create a variety of heights. Old barn window and siding are used behind the trees to give a rustic look. Large stones were brought in and added around the bottoms of the trees, and matching garland was wrapped around the bottoms of the tree and through the wagon wheels. Rustic wooden ornaments and painted wooden Santa faces make the trees festive. Lots of ornaments made from mushrooms and mushroom picks are used in the display and well as lots of sprinkle snow. When you look at this display you really feel like your in the great outdoors.

This is a small 5 fit slim tree placed in a black planter that looks like an urn. The tree had lots of Angels with glitzy burgundy ornaments with gold icing trim. It's hard to see but there are two large Angels at the top of the tree that look like the Angels are placing the tree into the urn. The urn helps to lift the tree making it look taller than it is. This is a very beautiful tree to fill a very small space.

If you haven't read the blog about my signature tree, then you haven't seen this tree. You can read the entire blog at http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5339108141972402843&postID=966573295112014709  What is unusual about this tree skirt is that I used the same material to make the tree skirt as I used to hang on the wall behind the tree. This was also the main entrance tree to the Christmas department. You can see that I also hung the same material in the door frame to frame the entrance to match the tree.

  

This last tree again used an urn under the tree. To give it an usual look I brought the ribbon garland and bead garland right down out of the tree onto the floor. Along with the ribbon and garland I added in some beautiful cream and pink poinsettias and brought the lighted candles down to make an arrange right on the floor below the urn. This picture doesn't do the tree justice...it was quite beautiful, one of my favorites.

As you probably learned from reading this blog, you can place anything under your tree. I placed a tree in an old fashioned covered wagon without the top. Look for it in upcoming blogs about decorating for Easter.