Yesterday the hop ended at Krista’s of The Happy Housie. So welcome to all of you coming from her blog.
On Monday I shared our entire living room except our big Christmas tree and the reason for that was today’s blog hop. The previous years I have always loaded up our tree with a huge amount of ball ornaments and also different colors. After having to decorate twice last Christmas, once for ourselves and once for Better Homes and Gardens, I really craved something much more simple this year. I really would have just loved to have our real untrimmed tree bare with only lights on it but my kids weren’t thrilled with that at all.
The fact that we now have a kitten and one year old cat again also helped with the decision to ad only a few elements to our tree this year. Although our little guy hasn’t been as bad as I expected with our tree. He rather messes with the wrapped gifts then the ornaments.
For the blog hop we were asked to name the style of the tree which was hard for me. I decided to name it:
Modern European Eclectic Christmas Tree
Let me explain. The decor on the tree and the other tree in that same room go back to my childhood and the way my mom used to decorate which I also explained in Monday’s post. I am from Germany and the trees I grew up with were often decorate the way they used to decorate hundreds of years ago. I’m talking about things you can find outside. I had originally really wanted to make a garland out of nuts in their shell but then I honestly was too lazy. I said I wanted to simplify things and drilling holes into hundreds of nuts doesn’t sound simple. On top of that, nuts aren’t cheap and a garland for such a large tree would have been pretty expensive.
So I sent my husband out to find some pinecones nearby and he delivered. I believe that untrimmed natural trees should have garlands on them to swag from one branch to the next. I decided to make that garland out of twine, white cardboard stars I had made a previous year and the mentioned pinecones.
It’s a simple look that I love in combination with our fireplace decor this year.
The most time consuming decor on the tree are the lights because I wrapped every single branch in a light strand and the photos don’t do it justice what it looks like when lite. It really would have been enough to just have light on the tree.
I also used the grapevine ball ornaments I had. I love sticking them on top of the lights which makes them look like little lite spheres. Besides that the only ornaments I used were clear glass ones that I love because they reflect the light and simple white ones I have that remind me of snow balls.
Last year’s tree was so different from this year’s tree. You an see it HERE. It is flocked and faux and loaded up with things. This year it stayed in the attic though because our kids begged us to have a real one again.
It really felt great to do less this year and I love the more simple and natural tree for a change.
I had to throw this photo of Willy here gain because I love it.
chairs HERE or HERE | rug HERE | gold table HERE and HERE | silver end tables HERE | pouf HERE (I added the tassels in this tutorial HERE | similar throw HERE | similar art HERE | lamp HERE | noel candle HERE | plaid pillows HERE | art HERE | similar candle holders HERE and black candles HERE | my curtain tutorial HERE and similar curtains HERE
I also shared how you can make your own oversized wood bead garland last week and you can find the post HERE.
For those of you who are new around here. I also shared one of my other trees on the other side of the room on Monday (click HERE for the entire tour) which also has some natural ornaments on it in the form of straw stars (HERE and HERE). They were a big part of the Christmas trees of my childhood in Germany.
Next on the hop is Lora of Craftivity Designs. So make sure you click over to her blog HERE to check out her beautiful tree as well.
Tschüß,
More of my Christmas decor posts:
So simple and beautiful!! I love it so much!
Love your tree. We always have a real tree and I know they can be messy, but nothing says Christmas like a real Christmas Tree.
Love all your decor.
Oh how pretty, I love the garland out of pinecones and stares, so perect. A natural tree doesn’t need much, it is already beautiful.
This is so beautiful, Julia! Your cat is so cute. Sylvia & our new kitten “Baby Boi” are coming out to play tomorrow! Pinned! Merry Christmas!!
this might be my favorite of your christmas trees ever! it’s just so beautiful and i love the modern euro mix!
I love both trees! But your simple and natural tree is really a stunner!
It’s beautiful Julia! A strand of lights on each branch must have taken a hot minute but it just glows! Love the natural garland and simple decor. It looks so great with the rest of the space. Really gorgeous! Merry Christmas!
Julia I love your tree, it is so right up my alley! And I especially love the green of the tree and twinkling lights with your black and white living room, perfection!
Such a beautiful tree — love the simplicity of it. Your advent wreath is beautiful, too.
Such an absolutely gorgeous tree, Julia! I love the way it pairs with your mantel decor!!! And that shot of Willy absolutely stole my heart 🙂
What a perfect tree! I love the primitive star garland. Such pretty details.
I love how elegant and gorgeous this room is, especially your tree. And Willy cracks me up. I don’t think my cat would ever sit still for a picture. Lol!
I love that simple, natural look you have going on! And that is a gorgeous, beautifully shaped tree, too. And glad the kitten is mostly leaving it alone–our foster kitten leaves tomorrow, and I’m excited about putting the ornaments back on my tree and having them actually stay there ;).
I LOVE your trees Julia!! I grew up with a real tree too – my Dad grew pine trees in our backyard and he would cut one down each year for Christmas. I love how you added the grapevine spheres on the lights – so pretty!! Merry Christmas friend!! xo Heather