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by nonie on Sun Dec 09, 2007 6:56 pm

Do you decorate for Christmas with a theme? I always wanted to do the ‘Night before Christmas” but have never gotten everything together. Now, I am thinking of doing a victorian theme for next year. It will let me have a little victorian for awhile. So what should I look for through the year to make the theme a reality?

nonie Super Sewer
  Posts: 8084 Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:36 pm

by Rettabug on Sun Dec 09, 2007 8:13 pm

My Christmas theme is “Angels” Nonie & I use white & gold exclusively with a few little touches of green here & there. It has just kinda evolved over the years. DD bought me my LLadro angel as a ‘thank you’ gift for her wedding, which took place Dec. 23rd. I’ve been getting angels ever since. If you click here:

http://s102.photobucket.com/albums/m97/ … as2006.jpg

and then scroll through the next few shots, you can see last year’s decorations. I still haven’t gotten my tree decorated yet. Its up, just nothing on it.

For Victorian, I think of lace, high button shoes….like the stocking on the front of SB this month…..pale colors, ladies with bustles, men in top hats, bicycles with the big front wheels, feathered bird ornaments, glass greenhouses for centerpieces, old fashioned Santas, cherubs & angels (of course). Let me ponder this a bit more & I might come up with some unique ideas.

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by niener on Sun Dec 09, 2007 8:52 pm

I have always wanted to do a themed Christmas tree, but every year when I get all the ornaments out and I see the cherished ones from years past, I just have to use them once again and think, “Well, maybe next year….”. I love beautifully decorated Christmas trees and homes decorated with a theme. I guess I just never plan far enough in advance to do it. I think you are smart to be thinking about it now.

My mom and dad had next door neighbors for 25 years or so who had one of the old white German feather trees. It was one of the first generation “artificial” trees. They were born and bred in New Orleans and had retired to our area where some of their relatives lived. They never had any children. Their Christmas tree was the most spectacular one I’ve ever seen. It was made up of their “special” ornaments they had collected over their 50+ years of marriage. Each ornament had a story and they loved to show and tell about the tree. It was nothing themed, nor did it really have much more than all those beautiful ornaments on it, but there was such love expressed each time I saw it. They both lovingly unpacked those boxes of ornaments and spent about a week perfectly placing each one on the tree. They have been gone for over 15 years now, but every year as I get my ornaments out, I think back to their lovely tree and just can’t bring myself to break tradition of using the ornaments hubby and I and the children have collected over our 37 years together. Maybe one year I will have room for a second tree and it can be the themed one. As long as my children continue to come home for Christmas, I just know they will be looking for their special ornaments as soon as they walk in the door.

Jerry

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by shediditagen on Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:43 pm

When we downsized I put all of the old ornaments plus the ones the children made over the years on our big dining room table. Each kid in turn picked out the one she/he wanted until they were all taken. In a way it was sad but we do not put up a tree anymore and they each have their own families and traditions to make. Sadly, two of them need a second tree to display theirs ! Maybe time will mellow everyone. The things are antiques now, see some like them in the flea markets etc. for eight dollars each sometimes. In addition to the handmade things, we had a plastic snowman we named “Frosty” and there was a fight every year as to who got to hang it on the tree. Much of the painted hat and scarf has worn off now. The kids all agreed at the take away that the baby, Danny, should have it, so he was the lucky one I guess. He is fifty now and six foot two inches, he loves to introduce himself as “the baby” to new friends.

Love my youngin’s, Betty

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by sewsforfun on Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:49 pm

I too always wanted to do those that you see on TV with those elaborate trees but like Jerry said, I start pulling out all my glass ornaments and old ones from my childhood and I feel they have more charater. I do just stick with white lights and I always add my snowflakes so I guess you could say I have a theme, its snowflakes. I just found some Mini snowflakes this week, they are only 1″ in dia. I have been looking for the longest so I could put them on my small trees.

Rett has your list down perfect, pale old world colors. Garden Ridge has a huge spread this year for victoian. Lots of frosted glass, feathers, lace, lacy fans and much more and load of beads.

Gods Blessing, Tammy

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by mightynancy on Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:54 pm

I’m in the middle ground. I have more ornaments than one tree can hold, so some ornaments inevitably get a rest. I had a lot of red and white pepperminty stuff with a lot of gingerbread stuff…they’re going to sit out this year. This year’s “theme” is Tacky Tijuana Christmas/Navidad. Kitty and I are making ornaments in the style of the cute painted tin ones from Mexico. As soon as I can get to Kmart I’m getting their ball ornaments in the tropical bright colors. Kitty and I are also making tissue paper flowers, and I have a serape for the tree skirt (if I can bear to put it on the floor that is…we have a dog).

Of course I will still include the ornaments with history…as long as they’re not terribly traditional. ¡Olé!

Okay, ’nuff about me. Nonie, I’d start with a color scheme. My mom once did a victorian Christmas with lots of light blue, cream, and a bit of gold (the color, not the metallic). Pick a victorian-friendly color you love and run with it. I’d hit the after-Christmas sales and scoop up whatever I could find in those colors, then get out of the box. Lace or battenburg doilies could be rolled into tussy-mussies. Dried flowers could be tucked into the tree (don’t be stingy! More is more!).

Did you see that Victoria magazine is back in business?

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by GaGa on Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:06 am

The first Christmas that my husband and I had together we had made small decoupage ornaments from a kit. They are still on my tree each year. I love Santas so I have literally hundreds of Santa ornaments that adorn my tree [which is not up yet ] As my boys grew I bought 2 of each ornament so that when they married I would give them and their brides a box of treasured ornaments. My oldest son married almost 10 years ago and their first Thanksgiving I invited my new daughter-in-law over after supper. I took her up to my Christmas storage room and pulled out the box of ornaments that I had carefully chosen over the years and wrapped each Christmas saving them just for a new family. Neither of the boys had known that I was saving them for such a special occasion. As my married son lives nearby I see their tree every year filled with the hopes and memories of our past Christmases. My DGD knows the stories behind most of the ornaments. And, how special is my daughter-in-law for using those ornaments! I guess really, no matter what our decorating looks like, we all have the same theme for Christmas ~ Love and Family. May your Chritmas be Blessed.
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by SewingForAll on Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:23 am

I have had different themed trees…one year red bows & large red bow on top; one year wooden toys; several years just had misc.; last year and this year tree had only handmade crocheted ornaments with tatted edging for garland. We have had a small tree last year & this year. I sure hope everyone is well enough next year so we can put up my bigger, I miss it.

I can’t think of anything right now that hasn’t already been mentioned but I’ll keep trying.

Blessings >
Angie

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by nonie on Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:05 am

Retta, your decorations are fantastic. Thank you so much for the insite. I already have a few things now I know what i need to build on. Nancy, I had no idea Victoria magazine is back. will have to look for it.

All the themes sound like so much fun. this year the theme here would be kids, They deocrated the tree and are for ever re-arranging the set abouts.

nonie Super Sewer
  Posts: 8084 Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:36 pm

by SewingForAll on Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:21 am

Retta, Your decorations are gorgeous!! And I LOVE your house….so beautiful.!!.

Blessings >
Angie

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  Posts: 1200 Joined: Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:02 pm Location: W. TN

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