An Out-of-This-World Constellation Christmas Tree

Dating back to pagan Yuletide, many cultures had a wintery tradition of admiring a gorgeous evergreen tree over the solstice, as one of the only trees that did not lose their leaves in the cold. Decking the tree, as we know it came from German traditions, and is an art form we still enjoy today.

Ever consider that even the choice of tree species itself can contribute to a holiday color theme? This faux blue spruce tree is a lighter sage color that coordinates with a trendy blush-pink and midnight-blue color pairing.

Many people collect ornaments to highlight special memories over the years. Some folks create a color palette for their holiday celebrations, even changing their color scheme yearly.

Adding eucalyptus stems tucked among the spruce branches brings additional life and texture to the tree and will add a unique fragrance to your space.

When creating a color story for a holiday tree, adding larger scale ornaments in the same colorway makes the entire tree feel more cohesive. Alternatively, different sheens in the same color add interest – glittering champagne gold, a swirling glossy gold and a matte-gold look lovely together.

To add a touch of international charm to a tree, creating your own ornaments makes for gorgeous memories. These ornaments were created by folding cotton and dyeing with indigo blue dye, in a nod to Japanese shibori style.

For a small DIY project that can be customized innumerable ways, tiny cookie tins or pie tartlets can be filled with mementos, sequins, tiny crystals, or anything that holds special feelings to your family. After drying for one night, it’s simple to attach a ribbon to the back to hang them from the tree.

Resin projects are easy to do in batches since you have to mix it up a lot. A crystal shaped mold yields a gorgeous, clear crystal that you can embed anything you want into for inspiration. Tiny crystals and some gold glitter make this handmade crystal shine, and once cured, jewelry wire in gold can be wrapped around the top to create a hanger.

Under the tree, and perfectly complementing the blush, sage, indigo theme, are two indigo-dyed textiles from Africa to anchor the sage green tree. Found at a flea market, the hand-dyed textiles add richness and happen to have lines in them that are similar to a tree shape.

The extra pieces of dyed fabric that did not become ornaments are a great alternative to gift-wrap. They can be used year after year. It helps to have a few sizes available, for small and medium-sized presents. With reusable tags too, this “paperless” gift wrap style is always a conversation starter.