Christmas Decor Formula: Oranges, Black Velvet and Candles

I was thrilled to work with Tree Classics again this year to showcase one of their *gorgeous* Christmas trees! This is the first time I have ever had a flocked main tree and it may be one of my favorites to date. This the Flocked Alpine Spruce pre-lit tree that is 7.5 ft tall and has a slim profile (perfect for out current space!). I love the snowy backdrop and how the colors from the dried oranges pop off of it along with the contrast from the black velvet ribbon and flickering candlelight.

So as you may already know, all of our Christmas decorations are currently in storage because we are in the midst of a temporary living situation and building a new home. So with no ornaments or garlands I had to figure something out this year! Luckily, I had these eucalyptus branches I used in my Christmas tree from last year on hand as well as the large paper peony from last year. I bought another paper flower this year not really knowing what I would do with it and it ended up being the perfect Christmas tree topper to go with the eucalyptus!

The silk hydrangeas were already in another vase in my bedroom and I just repurposed them for the tree. I am a big believer in shopping your own home first before making new purchases (kind of like that old HGTV show Design on a Dime) because things can be used in so many ways. The exact hydrangeas I used are currently on sale, and at a really great price! I usually keep them out all year round in a large vase with branches so they are a great flower to have!

I tried my hand at drying orange slices for the first time this year and love how they turned out! I strung about a dozen as ornaments for the tree and then made two more garlands to hang in the doorway and over the mirror on the mantle. Thinking this may need to be a yearly decoration because I absolutely love how cheerful yet simple they are.

The black velvet ribbon on the tree reminds me of hair bows! I cut them all at relatively the same length then draped them over individual branches. Really couldn’t get any more easy than that! I decided on the black velvet since I purchased new stockings this year and one was black velvet as well. The exact ribbon I use is sold out but I found this one on Amazon, I’m sure any local craft store would have some in stock as well.

For the tree stand, I used a wooden crate I found last year at HomeGoods and tucked in an Ikea blanket to cover the stand and add some texture. The faux fur sheepskin that is set on a diagonal is also from Ikea (it’s the less expensive and thinner faux sheepskin they carry). And if you have a dog, just know they will immediately claim this area as their personal napping location.

And on the topic of the stockings, I played around with mixing and matching the fabrics this year and love the result so much! I went with a faux fur leopard, green and black plaid, cable knit (the exact one I have is sold out, but this is very similar) and the monogrammed black velvet. The stocking holders are currently sold out, but seem to get restocked each year. I tried to purchase them last year and missed out, so made sure I got my hands on them early this year! These are some other options I’ve found that are similar and would look great with the stockings: Sputnik, Nutcracker, falala script, crowns, ‘Merry Christmas’ black letters

The other elements of tree I wanted to mention are these battery and remote operated flicker candles. I actually had purchased them because I wanted to place candles in all of our windows that were wireless and had a flicker. I had 5 extra and placed them on the tree and may buy more of these because they have so many great uses! The great thing about them is they are currently suction cupped on the windows, then they come with the clips for the trees as well as stakes which would be great for centerpieces.

The candles on the mantle bookcases are another set of battery/remote operated wax candles, (these ones don’t have the flicker). I mixed them in with some of my more expensive faux candles and they create the best atmosphere! I really can’t recommend them enough, just make sure you have batteries ready if you order them because they each take 2 double A’s.

Some other Christmas elements that were added induce: The rosemary tree on the mantle, a north star tree topper meant for the tree which didn’t fit but looks great by the candle holders (happy accidents), rearranging the bookcase and plants and draping the pothos plant across the mantle instead of having it hanging down.

Below I linked all of the home furnishings and accessories as well. Wanted to note, our modular sectional is currently sold out in most colors since it went on sale, however I did find it here in this black color which was actually my second choice (it’s so chic!). The modular sectional has been fantastic with the kids because of the flexibility it gives you for moving around and creating different shapes based on what you need. I’ve been using our ottoman as a barricade for our tree since the baby was initially wanting to pick off the flocking and eat it, thankfully we seem to have gotten past that stage now though and our tree is on full display!