Christmas Tree Topper Ornaments

From my childhood memories, pride of place on the top of Christmas tree always went to a fairy dressed in white. Or was it an angel? No, I'm sure it was the Christmas fairy; and she was usually last to go on the tree apart from the tinsel. One thing for sure, it was always after the other tree ornaments such as the hanging balls.

Life has become much more competitive since then, and the Christmas tree topping fairy has lots of competition now for the top spot, the Christmas-ornament-in-chief position.

So what competition does the classic Christmas tree fairy have, that will confine her to history as the star ornament. No, perhaps writing her off like that is premature; I should first mention that if you want a classic, antique Christmas tree fairy as your top tree ornament, then you can still find them; tracking them down online is not difficult.
Aside from the nostalgia, though, there really is a big choice of Christmas tree toppers Christmas tree toppers these days. The fairy has a close ally, an angel, competing for that top spot as a Christmas tree character, and even Santa Claus has been muscling in on this prime real estate, presumably tired of being stereotyped as a chimney person.

I'm not sure if Santa is aware of this, but his insubordinate reindeer are also seeking the limelight behind his back, and will no doubt be seen this Christmas atop many a Christmas tree. Also, the increased fame of snowmen has gone to their heads a bit, and they too may be seen smiling out from the top of lots of brightly decorated trees.

Pride of place on the Christmas tree may also just go to a shape. A star can claim some relevance to Christmas, but other shapes too may be found in the Christmas-ornament-in-chief role.

While the Christmas tree fairy was usually a doll, nowadays you get all sorts of designs and materials. Hand painted metal, for example, is now common. As always, though, it is down to budget and taste when it comes to buying your Christmas tree toppers. But at least, you can be grateful that you have a choice that is now quite varied. That used to be far from the case.

Your Christmas tree ornaments can, this year, bring a touch of uniqueness for your visitors to enjoy; and you of course!

This Christmas ornament article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Xmas-Ornament website.

Relax, get in the Christmas spirit, and read Roy's new Christmas Story, for adults or children, about Santa Claus and a little girl living on the edge of a tropical rainforest.

Twelve Tips For Decorating a Christmas Tree

Sometimes decorating a christmas tree can seem so complicated that you feel like singing "Uh oh christmas tree" rather than "Oh christmas tree. Whether you are decorating a natural evergreen or an
artificial tree here are some tips for making the entire experience a little less disorganized.

1. I know this article is supposed to be about decorating a christmas tree but let's start first with removing the decorations. Think back to last year. Did you just strip everything off the tree and throw it in a box? Are your christmas tree lights all gnarled up into a snarl? Are the limbs of your artificial prelit christmas trees actually stuffed inside your golf bag? This is how you end up with a bad case
of Uh oh christmas tree. I am sure you have heard of that old saying "as it begins, so it ends and so it begins again." This applies to decorating a christmas tree as well. This year, you are going to swear to pack up everything in an organized way so that you don't waste time sorting through damaged ornaments and piles of old tinsel.

2. Whether or not your tree looks really good might be dependent on what kind of tree you choose. Believe it or not there are some species of trees that are easier to decorate than others. Pine is the
type of evergreen tree that is voted most likely to lose its needles and turn into a version of the pathetic Charlie Brown Christmas tree. The best types of trees when it comes to holding ornaments are firs and spruces. This is because their branches are the sturdiest. Of course if you are decorating an artificial prelit tree than this tip is really not much use to you.

3. If you are decorating a christmas tree that is real make sure it is fresh. You can tell if a tree is fresh or not by bending the branches. If the branches bend a bit that means it is full of moisture and more likely to support a christmas decoration. If it snaps, don't buy it. It is too dry to support decorations and likely to spill its needles all over your floor too.

4. If you are buying a natural tree, remember to put the Christmas mat below it before you put it on the stand. Some christmas tree skirts and mats come with a slit in the center and buttons or Velcro
fastens others. Make sure you note what kind you have before you t the tree on the stand as you can't slip a christmas tree skirt over the tree's head like a person would a sweater.

5. When decorating a christmas tree make sure that you unsnarl the lights before you try to drape them around the tree. It is also safest to make sure all the bulbs are working before you try to do
this too. There is a tiny chance that if you try to change burned out christmas bulbs while they are on the tree that a spark could ignite the tree and turn it into a christmas candle.

6. You may have heard that decorating a christmas tree with electric lightbulbs is much safer than decorating them the old fashioned way with candles. This is true as long as you obey one cardinal rule: don't rest a bulb directly against the branches of the tree. Like the old fashioned candles, hot christmas bulbs can heat up needles and catch fire. This is especially true if you shopped for a christmas tree at the last minute and ended up with a dry tree. The absolutely safest trees to buy are prelit artificial christmas trees as some of them have automatic shut-down features if they get too hot.

7. If you have lots of pets and children running around during the holiday season an artificial prelit tree might be safer than a natural one with bulbs strung around it. There is less risk of tiny fingers pulling bulbs down or getting electrocuted. There is also less danger of pets and children swallowing the needles that are shed from natural trees.

8. Decorating christmas trees is ultimately all about proportion. When hanging decorations put the largest sized decorations at the bottom and the smallest one at the top. The effect is just more
pleasing to the eye.

9. When decorating a christmas tree it is best not to throw clumps of tinsel at the tree as if they were handfuls of spaghetti. The most attractive effect is achieved by hanging clumps of tinsel just at the
very edges of each branch. Think a bit about how real icicles look when they are hanging from real trees.

10. Do choose a theme for your tree. Choosing a theme and sticking with it gives you the most fashionable looking tree. You can choose a color theme - sticking to gold, silver and red or pink and gold only (which looks great on a white prelit artificial tree) or you can style the tree after traditions such as the German style tree (decorated mostly with food), the Victorian style tree (decorated with tiny detailed ornaments and lots of angels) or the Country style tree (decorated with glass balls, wooden ornaments and plenty of flocking to simulate snow.)

11. When decorating a christmas tree remember to make it uniquely yours by adding heirlooms that have been passed down from generation to generation. Another nice touch is Christmas cards or cookies and candies that you have made in your own kitchen. This gives your xmas tree a unique personal touch.

12. Whether you are decorating a natural or prelit artificial tree remember that less is always more. Otherwise the tree could look very cluttered is is not just the general rule of thumb of christmas tree
decorating. It is a golden rule that applies to all interior decorating.

For more information on Christmas trees, visit http://www.o-christmas-tree.com - a year-round resource for all your christmas tree and decoration needs.

How to Decorate Your Christmas Tree

Did you ever look in the windows of those grand department stores and wonder how they got their Christmas trees to look so perfect?

It's not nearly as difficult as it looks. And I'll share the secret here.

1. The tree - not that it matters a whole lot what the tree is, but my favorite tree is the fat rounded kind with branches that allow a bit of space between, but not so much that you can see through them. I love the smell of fresh pine. But in my particular case, with an allergy to pine, I find the most adorable fake tree I can find and make it look as much like a real tree as possible.

2. The lights - Whatever kind of lights you choose, get enough to cover the tree well, but if you are going to add ornaments, you need less lights and more sparkle. I like to bury the lights just a bit inside the branches, so I add the lights as I put up the branches a couple of rounds per layer, so there's some depth to the tree, a few glowing lights hidden inside the branches.

3. The garland - If you want garland of some kind on your tree, now is the time to add it. After the light are on, the tree is up, walk around the tree with the garland in your hand and drop generous swags of garland between the branches of the tree, allowing them to fall freely and gracefully. My favorite garlands are thin ribbon with a nice satin sheen to reflect the lights, beads, or for a natural look, some popcorn and dried berries strung on a thread.

4. The ornaments - A wide variety of ornaments depicting a specific theme work very well. My ornaments are mostly gold and white with some dark red or Christmas red and Navy blue thrown in for accent. I have angels, drummer boys, toy soldiers, glass orbs, stars, sleighs, a rocking horse or two, some crystal bells with carved ornaments inside, and some crystal ornaments with imprints of the nativity. When I look for ornaments, I look for things that say "Christmas" to me, and fit in the color scheme I've chosen for my tree.

Occasionally, my kids get the better of me and we use colored lights instead of white lights on the tree. Those years, anything goes on the tree branches, and we've done everything from stuffed animals and hot wheels cars hung in the tree to paper ornaments cut out of colored paper. Spirals, paper chains, and glued ornaments with glitter all go in our collection.

5. The topper - Whatever you want to put on top of your tree - make sure it's big enough to be seen. Our tree usually gets an angel or a star. I have a selection. My tree is 7 feet tall, and my star is well over a foot tall. My angel on the other hand is not so big, because she's always competing with the angels on the tree - so she can't be too huge.

If it's a color year, we make a new star out of colored paper or fabric and attach all kinds of shinys to it with glue. Last year, we had a bright yellow star with silver glitter and gold braid along the edges of a six pointed Star of David. It was awesome.

6. The tree skirt - Under it all you need something to hold the packages, and the finish it off. I have a white braid and ribbon skirt this year. It started out as a circle of cloth and I was just stitching some ribbon along the edge - I ended up with layers of ribbon spreading out around the base of my tree. The best part is, I don't have to put many presents under a tree that has a great skirt.

I've found a great adornment for my Christmas tree is a nativity that I can set under the edge of the branches, in plain sight. The star on top is a special touch - and the boughs of the evergreen protect it. Everyone notices the nativity under the tree, and I have a special place where children look and ask questions, so I can tell them the story of Jesus birth.

Of course, there's another nativity on an end table, another in my dining room, and another in each of the bedrooms, because I love nativities.

After all, what is Christmas all about?

Merry Christmas!

Share the season of giving! Enjoy the blessing that is yours for the taking, by giving to others.

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