Create a Theme Christmas Tree to Celebrate Your Family

Whether you have one Christmas tree or multiples — it’s a trend — themed trees have become popular as a way to express love for a color, hobby or other passion. Creating a theme tree is easy and it doesn’t have to be done all at once. It’s also an ideal place to put DIY and upcycling ideas to work. Check out these tips for creating a theme Christmas tree.

Build the Collection Over Time

Love is an easy theme for using red.
Love is an easy theme for using red.

While getting all the ornaments needed in one fell swoop is easy and great for instant gratification, it can be costly. It can be more fun to purchase some ornaments and then scout out and collect the thematic elements for the tree over time. Love is a natural theme for the holiday season because essentially, it celebrates the love of family and those we hold dear. Red, the quintessential holiday color, is a perfect for a love-themed tree and the elements to build the theme. Heart-shaped ornaments of all kinds are available and can be combined with graphic ornaments and ribbons. That said, the heart shape is an easy one to create so it’s rather simple to make some DIY ornaments to round out the decor. This particular tree is done by Wit’s End Giftique.

Start Small

Planning a smaller themed tree is a good way to start building a themed collection of ornaments.
Planning a smaller themed tree is a good way to start building a themed collection of ornaments.

For those who want to have multiple trees, it’s easy to start with a small one fitting your theme. Then, build the collection over time, increasing the size of the tree as you go. No matter the size of the tree, start with a core collection of themed ornaments and decorate the tree, filling in with generic elements that fit the color theme. This way, it’s possible to keep the main Christmas tree and at the same time build a theme collection,  displaying it in another room on a smaller tree. The tree above has a musical theme and includes instruments, juke boxes and treble clefs, but it’s also important to note that it also incorporates some generic holiday ornaments for variety.

Stick to the Theme

Stick to a defined color palette on a theme Christmas tree.
Stick to a defined color palette on a theme Christmas tree.

Theme trees make the most impact when they stick to the main plan. The idea won’t come across successfully if the theme elements are mixed with random other ornaments that don’t fit the general theme. Any generic ornaments to be included on the tree should be coordinated at least by color. The tree above is decorated for a baby’s first Christmas and includes suns, moons, stars, birds and teddy bears in addition to the specific pieces like booties, bottles and babies. It would be easy to add plain glass balls or ribbon on this tree by sticking to the gentle color scheme.

Highlight Multiple Hobbies

Highlighting family hobbies and passions is ideal.
Highlighting family hobbies and passions is ideal.

Sometimes it can be challenging to find enough attractive elements to illustrate a theme that concerns a hobby or interest. If so, consider using multiple hobbies, either of your own or combined with others in the household. This amply decorated tree includes ornaments that have to do with fishing, gambling, video gaming and a variety of outdoor sports. This kind of theme can engage everyone in the family and makes it interesting for guests to examine all the different ornaments.

Mix appropriate generic ornaments with themed pieces.
Mix appropriate generic ornaments with themed pieces.

This tree is less about hobbies than it is the holiday itself. By using a variety of Santa and snowman ornaments along with retro baking and cooking decorations, it makes a tree that highlights the activities of celebrating Christmas like baking cookies and preparing the holiday meal.

Try a Tree of a Different Color

Vividly colored trees make good bases for theme projects.
Vividly colored trees make good bases for theme projects.

Ever since the 1960s when white or silver tinsel trees became popular, colors other than green have been options for a Christmas tree. While they may take a little searching to locate, colored trees can add dimension to a theme tree and will definitely make it stand out. Here, a frosty blue tree is used as the base for a theme to delight lovers of everything sweet. Poufy blue bows accent a tree filled with cake slices, donuts, cupcakes, ice cream cones and all manner of yummy treats.

Bright pink is a great color for a retro tree.
Bright pink is a great color for a retro tree.

A vivid pink Christmas tree is an ideal choice for an ultra-feminine theme or for a retro theme, such as this one that combined both of those ideas. Ornaments depicting retro items like peace signs, dancers from the 1950’s, roller skates, lipsticks and such create a fun and light-hearted tree that’s sure to stand out.

Make a Tree for the Kids

A theme tree for the children is very popular.
A theme tree for the children is very popular.

Consider making a themed Christmas tree for the kids, such as this one designed for the girls in the household. Ballet dancers, princesses, nutcrackers, candy and snowflake ornaments adorn a tall, slim tree. Another way to create a theme tree is to start with a core collection of specialized ornaments and fill in the rest of the tree with plain glass balls and snowflakes. As the children grow, swap out the specialized ornaments for ones reflecting different interests as they age. By keeping the bulk of the decorations generic and using a limited number of themed ornaments, it’s less expensive to update the themed three.

Focus on Family Activities

Acquiring ornaments and elements during travel is a nice way to build a collection.
Acquiring ornaments and elements during travel is a nice way to build a collection.

As the years go by, there’s nothing better than walking down memory lane by looking at all the ornaments you use on your tree, especially when they commemorate family activities. Make a theme Christmas tree that highlights all the travels or small trips the family has taken. It doesn’t matter whether the ornaments and elements are collected during travels, or are purchased or made afterward. They signify a location or event and will stir up happy memories.

Favorite places like the beach are ideal themes.
Favorite places like the beach are ideal themes.

Or, perhaps the family’s favorite place to be is the beach, so decorating a Christmas tree with all kinds of beach elements is a great option. Here, santas and sailboats hang alongside all sorts of seashells for a happy, beachy tree. The same idea would work for outdoor camping vacations or city sightseeing. Whatever makes the family happy and makes them think of happy times is a great theme for a tree.

A little planning can go a long way in creating a theme Christmas tree, so be sure to do some brainstorming before shopping. Think of things other than purchased ornaments that can reflect the chosen theme, such as actual items used in a hobby that can be hung as is or spray painted in metallics or a theme color. Also, look for cheaper items to fill in space and make the tree appear full. For example, a tree with a baking theme can include inexpensive cookie cutters tied with a red ribbon. The possibilities are endless, so have fun and try creating a theme tree or two for your own home.