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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Legends of the Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree is a much loved symbol iinstantly calling up images of gifts and family jollity. There are many beautiful connections to ancient traditions. Egyptian and Roman customs, early Christian practices and Victorian nostalgia are all combined in our modern Christmas tree.

The Greek Fir is commonly used as a Christmas tree. Ancient Greeks called the tree "Pitys" and, together with the pine-tree, it was sacred to Pan. Legend tells us Pan was once in love with a nymph called Pity, as was the god of the North wind. Pity chose Pan and the wind god, insulted and humiliated, blew her over a gorge to her death. Pan found her lifeless body and turned her into his sacred Fir-tree. Ever since, whenever the North wind blows, you can Pity crying and her tears are the droplets of pitch that leak from the fir-cones every autumn.

Since ancient times, evergreen trees have been revered as a representation of sexual potency and fertility, and played an important role in Winter Celebrations. Perhaps the Christmas tree is a watered-down version of the Scandinavian Yggdrasil, the Great Tree of Life. In Northern Europe the evergreen was a reminder that the long dark nights of Winter would end and the green of Spring would return. For Saturnalia, Romans would decorate their trees with suns, candles and small pieces of metal and today we still carry trees into our homes and adorn them.

During the winter solstice, Egyptians carried green palms into their homes to symbolise the triumph of life over over death. Living trees in large tubs were brought into homes during the old German feast of Yule. Prince Albert, husband and Consort of Queen Victoria, carried on this German tradition by adorning a tree with candles, candies, fruits and gingerbread. Although generally adverse to anything German in origin, the English public held great affection for their Queen and soon adopted the custom for themselves.

Some say the Christmas Tree has evolved from Paradise Plays. From the eleventh century, these popular religious plays were performed outdoors and in churches. It told the story of the creation of Adam and Eve, their sin, and their banishment from Paradise. The only prop on stage was the "Paradise tree," a fir tree adorned with apples. From this tree, at the appropriate time in the play, Eve would take the fruit, eat it, and give it to Adam.

One legend tells of St. Boniface who encountered some German pagans about to sacrifice a child at the base of an Oak tree. He cut down the Oak to prevent the sacrifice and a Fir tree grew in its place. St Boniface told the pagans that this was the Tree of Life and represented the Christ.

Another delightful legend is told of the time the Holy family was pursued by the soldiers of Herod, when many plants offered to provide them with shelter. One such plant was the Pine tree. With Mary too weary to travel any longer, the family stopped at the edge of a forest to rest and a gnarled old Pine grown hollow with the years invited them to rest within its trunk. Then, it closed its branches down, keeping the family safe until the soldiers had passed by. As they left, the Christ Child blessed the Pine and the imprint of his tiny hand was left forever in the tree's fruit...the Pine cone. If a cone is cut lengthwise, the hand may still be seen.

Martin Luther also features in the legends of the Christmas Tree. Late one night the founder of the Protestant religion was taking a stroll through the woods. The sky was clear and many stars were shining through the branches of the trees, giving the impression of twinkling lights. Luther was so captivated and inspired by the beautiful brilliance of the sight that he cut down a small evergreen and brought it home. He recreated the stars by placing candles upon the tree's branches to imitate their radiance and presented it to his children.

Whatever legend pleases you, make sure to pass on the story when you gather around your own Christmas tree.

Susanna Duffy is a Civil Celebrant, grief counsellor and mythologist. She creates ceremonies and Rites of Passage for individual and civic functions, and specialises in celebrations for women. http://celebrant.yarralink.com

7+ Top Types of Real Christmas Trees

There are several types of real Christmas trees, all of which are a cheap choice over artificial. The most common types of Christmas trees are the six-foot Scotch pines, which fit nicely into the average home living room.

One type of Christmas tree is the deodora cedar, which has blue-green short needles with pendulous needle tips. Another cedar, the Eastern red, has shiny dark green leaves and gives off a great scent, though it's sticky to the touch and will only last 2-3 weeks. As this tree dries out quickly it is best used in a humid climate.

One of the most popular of Christmas trees in the southeast part of the U.S. is the Leland Cypress, with dark green or gray foliage. Its branches are feathery and its scent is pleasant but light. This tree is ideal in the home of allergen-troubled folks.

The Douglas fir is a popular type of Christmas tree, and easily flocked. It has a great fragrance and lives longer than a lot of other trees. Its leaves are either dark green or blue. Its sister fir, the Fraser, has needles that are flatter and dark green. It holds its needles well and gives off a pleasant aroma. For a more citrus aroma from your Christmas tree you should choose the grand fir, with dark green shiny needles. If you want a more durable tree that can hold your heavy ornaments the noble fir is a great choice. It lives longer and healthier as a Christmas tree and makes an attractive, strong and durable wreath as well.

Pine and spruce are too other commonly used types of Christmas trees. The pine has a great fragrance. The spruce however, dries quickly and its needles drop rapidly.

Nancy Fitzgerald makes it quick and easy to find the best Christmas trees Read expert information here.