Earlier this week we finally brought home a real mini Christmas tree, and I’ve put twinkle lights and ornaments on it. I don’t say that lightly: it’s completely delightful and has quickly become a favorite. The twinkle lights and glittering ornaments make the whole corner feel warm and festive.
Clara and Burger are smitten too — try spotting them in the glow of the lights:
The tree looks especially sweet decorated with the handmade ornaments I made for the Pinterest challenge — those DIY ornaments add a personal, homespun touch that I love here.
Because the tree sits on a table, this year the only fragile ornaments we used are these handmade ones — out of reach of little hands. It sparkles beautifully, and yes, it really has become my new favorite decoration. If you’re curious where we got it, it cost $19 at a local Richmond grocery store called Martin’s (it was set up outside near the curb), and it included a stand, which was convenient.
For a little whimsy we put a gorilla ornament at the top, which gives the tree a playful King Kong vibe:
Instead of buying a traditional tree skirt, I used a gray pashmina I already had and wrapped it around the base a few times. Between the DIY ornaments (which averaged out to roughly 71 cents each) and the pashmina skirt, we were able to keep costs low while creating a charming tabletop display — more details about the ornaments are available here.
We had hoped to find a potted evergreen we could later plant in the yard, but after a few weeks of searching for an uncut, table-sized evergreen we couldn’t find one small enough — most were five feet or taller. After checking Lowe’s, Home Depot, several tree lots, and a few nurseries, we decided to pick a cut tree so we wouldn’t miss out on the real-tree experience this season. If you know of a local source for small, uncut tabletop evergreens, we’d love recommendations.
As you might expect, I’m drawn to things that sparkle, and Clara seems to be having the most fun of all. She runs over several times a day, points at the ornaments, and excitedly calls out animals like “Rhino!!!”, “Hippo!!!” and “Aggigator!” — it’s a simple joy that never gets old and makes the holidays feel so special.
Believe it or not, John and I had never had a real tree together as a family until now. We switched to a faux tree about five years ago after finding a good sale and appreciated the convenience of setting it up without hauling a large tree home each year. A fake tree also meant no dropped needles with a curious dog in the house. Even though some years the artificial tree looked perfect, having a real mini tree in the house this year brings a different kind of holiday atmosphere that we’re really enjoying.
We still plan to set up our full-sized faux tree in the dining room with Clara-safe ornaments, so neighbors driving by will see the familiar glow in the window. Experts continue to debate whether a faux or real tree is more eco-friendly — it’s a close call when you factor in transportation emissions and how long you reuse a faux tree — so we try to make the most sustainable choices where we can.
Have you started decorating yet? Are any of you using tabletop trees this year? We’re thrilled we finally tried one — it adds a cozy, festive focal point without taking up floor space, and it’s been a small but meaningful upgrade to our holiday routine.
Update: You can see a round-up of our favorite holiday decor finds — many are budget-friendly — in our holiday decor favorites here.