Not all houses have a place for a large, elegant Christmas tree. But I want a holiday! Vera Zhukova, an artist at the Sokolniki Christmas Decorations Factory, tells how to create a magical atmosphere without a green tree.
December 30 2015
If you have a large transparent vase at home, then with a light hand it can become a table decoration. Put colorful balls in it, put fresh spruce branches – and the stylish decor element is ready.
You can do more creative – buy balls with the image of fish, and then your vase will turn into a New Year’s aquarium.
Another easy way is to purchase a small folding Christmas tree made of white plastic. It does not take up much space and does not lose its shape, whatever you do with it. Why exactly white? No matter how beautiful the greens are, toys of all colors are combined with snow-white branches, so whatever you have will do. And it is also effectively illuminated in the dark if you add a garland of bulbs.
Looking for something special? Find at home or buy in any store a wicker basket without varnish (paint fits well), pick up coniferous twigs at the Christmas tree market or take spruce branches for 200 rubles. Alternatively, you can also use tinsel that imitates a Christmas tree. Then inspect your toy boxes or, again, get solid colored balls. If you follow the eastern calendar, then you are meeting the year of the Red Monkey. Take balls of the corresponding color. And paint to cover the basket. When your base is ready, beautifully arrange branches or Christmas tree tinsel in it, hang balls. You can also add your own beads to match and any other decorations. The basket will look great on the table.
The main Christmas tree can be made. Which way depends on whether you want it to stand on the table or hang on the wall. For the first option, you will need a meter-long garland on a rigid frame that imitates a Christmas tree. Now these are sold everywhere. For a natural effect, buy the one with buds. Spread it out and start twisting into a standing spiral according to the principle “each next circle is smaller than the previous one.” And very soon you will have a Christmas tree! You don’t even need to decorate it, just throw a bright red cap on top of the head.
The second way is to move the tree onto the wall. You will need: one or two long tinsel, buttons, tape and light plastic toys. First, decide how high your tree will be, and at the level of the future crown, stick a button into the wall. Fold the tinsel in half, attach the fold to the same button, and begin to gradually lay it out in the shape of a Christmas tree. If one tinsel is not enough, add a second, and so on. To keep it better, you can use scotch tape (provided that the wallpaper is not a pity). Decorate the finished Christmas tree with toys, attaching them using the same method.
The good old paper snowflakes as a decoration for windows have not yet been canceled, but you can do something more original. Buy self-adhesive metallized fabric foil from your sewing store. Draw stars, crescents, comets, snowflakes on it, cut and paste on the curtains. Both children and adults will be delighted. On the cornice, you can throw silver tinsel to match the stars or hang a garland with light bulbs on it.
By the way, if there are kids in the house, they will like the windows decorated with polyresin convex stickers with fairy-tale characters. On New Year’s Eve, they are sold in every subway passage and are very different – with images of Santa Claus and Snow Maiden, magic animals, cartoon characters. What is the plus of the stickers – it will not be difficult to remove them.