Creating Your Dream Christmas Tree - Suggestions from an Expert

Your Christmas tree, like your home, should make your holidays special by expressing who you are and what you love.

Flower arrangement

Floral arranger and set decorator Nancy Capstick took that notion to heart when she designed the Furniture.com theme tree for Joy Philbin's HAVEN® TV. Nancy specializes in trees festooned with yards of ribbon, fresh and silk flowers, and other unexpected delights like the miniature furniture on her HAVEN tree. This one is perfect for anyone who loves decorating, antiques or the simple notion that holidays are about home.

"It's not hard to create your own special tree," Nancy says. "Almost everything I use comes from craft stores and floral suppliers." Her suggestions are inspired, whether you love her home and furniture tree or have a special theme of your own.

Take special care setting up your tree. If it's artificial, open and fluff each branch individually instead of hoping the weight of your ornaments will bring the branches down. If you have a fresh tree, keep the trunk in water until you put it up and spray the tree with florist's preservative before decorating. If it's too tall, cut excess from the bottom, not the top.

Lights go on the tree first. Spiral them down from the top, pushing at least halfway into the branches to provide a soft, back-lit effect. Place your tree topper next, so you don't have to lean into the tree after it's all decorated. Nancy used an oversized, traditional chair for her HAVEN tree; heavier than most ornaments, it was held in place with a small clamp and post, wired to the tree trunk below. (Obviously, a corner tree is needed for this trick.)

There's nothing like the dramatic and festive look of wire-edge ribbon spiraling down your tree. Ribbon definitely sets the tone, so choose subtle color blends that will complement, not dominate, your other ornaments. For her HAVEN tree, Nancy layered three different ribbons to suggest furniture upholstery and seasonal colors: a tiny satin plaid of paprika, sage green and champagne; soft paprika-colored faux leather and a background of gold mesh ribbon for visual contrast.

You'll need 9-10 yards of each ribbon for a six-foot tree. Start from the top and spiral ribbon diagonally downward. Keep the layers of ribbon parallel and roughly equidistant from each other. Three rows were plenty for Nancy's extra wide ribbon treatment but narrower ribbon might require four or five rows to complete the look. Stand back, evaluate and adjust to make sure the effect is what you want.

Ornament

Now hang your ornaments. Use the largest, most important items first, placed strategically to balance each other, and then fill in with smaller items. Nancy decorated her HAVEN tree with furniture miniatures and dollhouse items from craft and toy shops. She made them even more festive by gluing dishes and candlesticks onto dining room pieces, adding little pillows to the beds and sofas (using ribbon fabric leftovers), and brightening the brown wood pieces with other colorful accents.

Fill out the rest of the tree with floral decorations that complement your ribbon, varying the elements of color, size and texture. Be opulent. Nancy made midsize sprays with sage velvet ribbons and a variety of silk flowers, berries, grapes and heather (secured to branches with green wire). For a simpler effect, substitute smaller floral arrangements, lots of fresh baby's breath or colorful dried hydrangea.

Adapt these suggestions to your own taste. If you collect small, exquisite ornaments, complement them with narrower ribbons, tinier lights and smaller floral accents … and keep those superstars shining. If your taste is French antique, rustic or modern, choose colors and textures accordingly. Remember, the final result should always be a beautiful tree that suits your home, your interests and your own sense of style.