Can You Actually Have Christmas Without a Tree???

WOW. There’s a lot of Christmas out there!

I’ve been on Instagram and Facebook and following all the bloggers and influencers for the past several weeks and everyone’s homes are so gorgeously decorated with garlands and ornaments and the most opulent Christmas trees.

And it’s all really stunning!

And all of it has been up in their homes since NOVEMBER FIRST. Seriously, November first.

And I’m sitting here in my office looking at this on the desk behind me.

(I’m not even going to show you what the desk I’m sitting at looks like!)

Just to be clear - not one bit of that is Christmas-related. It’s all work that needs to be done.

But instead of actually getting some work done, I’m sitting here thinking about how I don’t have one single Christmas decoration up.

What’s today???

Oh, right, December 15th….

Huh…..

Now right here is where I was going to go on a little rant about how my life is so busy and I’m overwhelmed and there just aren’t enough hours in the day and I can’t wait for the day when I’m a full-time blogger and I can devote all my time to decorating and writing. And reality sucks and…. yada, yada, yada…

But I decided I’m not going to be a Debbie Downer and do all that.

Well, I guess I just did do that a little now didn’t I? Sorry!

Years ago when I had my decorating business I took days, sometimes weeks, to decorate my house for the holidays. I had Christmas trees in every room. And fresh garland everywhere. And when I was done with my home, I decorated my client’s homes too!

I was so into the opulence of it all.

Because I had the time.

To put it all up.

And take it all down.

But about eight years ago, because I was so busy and overwhelmed, I started decorating for Christmas with more of a light, simple touch.

And I’ve never gone back.

I remember when I told my friends that I was not going to do a tree for Christmas because it was too much work to put up and way to much work to take it down and put it all away. And they all gasped and said, ‘ Well, you can’t have Christmas without a tree!!’

To which I sweetly replied, ‘Watch me!’

Now just in case you think I’m being all ‘Bah! Humbug!!’

And all Christmas-hating —

I’m not!

I love Christmas. And I love Christmas decorating.

But, let me see — what day is today??? Oh, yeah — DECEMBER 15TH!!

So if by some chance, you don’t have it all together either and are a little behind the Christmas decorating 8-ball too, here are 6 simple Christmas decorating ideas that will help save the day.

And not one of them involves putting up a tree…

LIGHTS



Lights are your Christmas BFF. They are the most festive things you can use for decorating. Use them everywhere. Spread them all around your house and you will create a winter wonderland. Drape them over piled gifts. Hang them on a ladder. Place them around candles on the mantle or on a shelf. Hang them from your armoire. Just be sure to distribute them around the room so there is a balance. And they’re as quick and easy to take down as they are to put up!

GIFTS

Use your wrapped gifts as decor! Wrap them with a theme or at the very least, use coordinating paper and place them around your rooms. On a bench in the entry. On a side chair in the living room. On the buffet in the dining room. Be creative about where you put them. Boxes that are more cube-shaped work best for this look. (Shirt boxes just don’t stack that well.)

You can also use gift bags. Make your own out of plain white or brown craft bags and glue a beautiful Christmas card on the front. Add a bow and you’re good to go. And think about it — Your gifts are the only decor you don’t have to take down and put away!. On Christmas morning just grab them, (or let each receiver go find their own), pile them in front of their recipient and your un-decorating is done!

CANDLES

I think everybody knows that candlelight is the perfect decorating element. Think about using candles in creative ways. Group a bunch of them on a platter in front of a mirror. Add some white lights and you have a stunning display. Use hurricane chimneys (with open tops) to put over votives. Or place faux candles under a cloche.

SIMPLE GREENERY



When we lived in Northern California, we were surrounded by cedar and pine trees. Decorating with live greenery was as easy as walking out the back door and snipping some branches. But now that we live in So Cal, that’s not an option anymore. So I went to Trader Joe’s and just got some plain greenery. You could do the same or look around your yard and see what kind of interesting branches you might be able to cut and bring inside. Not all Christmas greenery needs to be pine or cedar — think outside the box!

ORNAMENTS



Think of using ornaments in unexpected ways. They’re not just for hanging on a tree you know! Hang special ones from a vintage picture frame with ribbon. Pile some antique ornaments in a crystal bowl and add lights. Make a garland by tying them to a piece of ribbon and draping them on the mantle or from an armoire.

PILLOWS

Toss winter and Christmas-themed pillows on your sofa and chairs. It really doesn’t get any easier than that

So when that time in my life comes when I’m not so overwhelmed and maybe I’m a full-time blogger and have lots of time on my hands — will I go back to having a Christmas tree in my home?

Maybe…

Maybe not….

Either way, I know that I will always enjoy the season and what it represents.

From our house to yours — may you be surrounded by those you love and may you have a joyful Christmas!