Modern branch Christmas tree

Who says Christmas has to be traditional? This year, many holiday décor trends are influenced by modern, minimalist, transitional and eclectic styles.

Make an elegant statement in your front hall or foyer with a branch tree this Christmas. It consists of simple spiral red branches (no pine needles to pick up). It's perfect for small apartments or condos. Smaller versions of this type of branch tree can also jazz up a mantel beautifully.

Decorate this stylish arrangement with assorted ornaments like fans and snowflakes made from assorted papers and foils. You can also make copper stars and snowflake ornaments with Classic Copper Metal Sheet in a 40 gauge by Metal Works embossed with a stylus to add a simple swirl design.

Copper icicles can be garnished with micro beads. Elegant glass ball ornaments can be made with assorted rice paper leftovers from other holiday décor projects. Paint the glass balls with Pébéo Vitrea 160 glass paints in various rich spice tones.

Each year I make a new style of ornament to add to my Christmas tree. I also make extra and use them as gifts and gift tags to give to friends and relatives.

In our family, since we all live so far apart, and the cost of sending gifts can get quite costly, so we make new ornaments each year and send them to each other. I always look forward to receiving these treasured ornaments. They are the ones that always make it back on my tree each year.

Christmas tree decorating tips

1. Set a budget. It is easy to get carried away during the festive season. Make a list of the decorative materials you already have on hand before you go shopping for new materials. To save money, try buying materials that you can use for several holiday projects.
2. Inventory your decorations. Go through your Christmas decoration boxes and sort through them. Throw away broken or old ornaments you no longer like or that no longer go with your new colours or theme. Sort through the rejected items and check if any of these ornaments can be spruced up, repaired or revamped. By all means keep all the ornaments that have a special significance or represent a tradition, or that have been passed down by generations. The ones made by my children and the new ones I receive as gifts from family members are the ones that bring out the nostalgia of Christmas.
3. Introduce new elements. You don't need to redecorate your whole tree from scratch each year. Simply introduce new elements. The addition of a new colour - like copper, burgundy or purple - can be enough to give your tree a whole new look. Adding a few new elements to your tree theme, such as beaded, wire or glass ornaments, or simply just changing the colour or type of garland trim is often enough to spruce up the season. Recycle the old garland by using it as gift wrapping trim.
4. Hot holiday colour trends this year are copper, burgundy, amber, rich earth-tones, soft pastels in shades of light turquoise, moss green and pretty pinks. Modern colours are in, like apple green, tangerine orange, hot pink and chocolate hues. Anything with a '60s or '70s influence is back, especially tinsel and anything that glitters.