No room for a tree

[hearts and roses]

With all the recent construction that H has done in our home...I realized today that we have no room for our Christmas tree anywhere. I mean, NOWHERE is there room for a tree, not even a little one!

I was thinking of maybe using the landing in front of the fireplace as a spot to place the gifts. I usually decorate that area because there is a mantle above, so there will be greens and such.

I'm kind of sad about not having our tree, it's always a special tree in some respects, but on the other hand, I'm feeling a bit like Witz and going without all the bother of a tree is appealing to me! I don't even think our girls will be with us on Christmas morning this year anyway, so....maybe it won't be such a bad thing?

I will miss my favorite ornaments, however. I think that's the killer for me. I've been slowly gathering some really nice, very special, ornaments and although I don't have a lot, I have ones that I truly love, so it's kind of sad not to bring them out. But all the shelves are gone, tables, etc. There is just no room during this transition.

Oh well. It's just one year.

 

[mstang67chic]

Could you hang some of the ornaments from the greenery on the mantle?

 

[hearts and roses]

Thank you Stang! What a great idea! I hadn't thought of that. I usually adorn the mantle with pine cones, but this year I will use some of the birds I've collected for my tree instead. Wow, thanks. That is perfect~

 

[Wiped Out]

I'm glad you will get to use some of your ornaments. I'm sorry you have no space for a tree. Hugs.

 

[gcvmom]

You could also display the ornaments inside a large glass container or in a large bowl. You could also opt for a small table-top tree.

 

[Shari]

Stang took the words right out of my mouth. Ornaments nestled in garland are beautiful.

 

[mstang67chic]

Of if they are the hanging kind....maybe string some lights up across the top of doorways or around the room and hang them from that. Or string up something to hang cards from and space them...card, ornament, card, ornament.

 

[KTMom91]

I was thinking table-top tree as well. This house is too small for a real tree, so I have a 4 ft artificial one that I put on a table.

 

[DDD]

This will be my first year with-o a tree and our family ornaments too. None of our ornaments are valuable....except to us . We have little WWII ornaments from when I was a baby, ornaments the children made in the 60's and 70's, ornaments with gkid pictures in them and some really big, really gawdy ornaments that husband's lst mother in law made in a Conn. nursing home with great pride and sent to us twenty years ago or so. Her children and grandchildren all have "decorator" trees so husband and I are and were the only ones to hang them. She was a nice lady.

We'll see how I adjust to the change, lol. Your alternate plan sounds like it will work beautifully. DDD
PS: I forgot we have some rather mangy birds
that used to be beautiful on my in-laws tree and pine cones that my kids and I collected and painted with gold and silver paint over forty years ago. What a wonderful mess we usually have on the tree.

 

[hearts and roses]

The majority of my newest collection are various birds that I can clip on to the mantle piece greens, etc.; it should be perfect. I am thinking that I can probably get some smallish trees (about 1') from a local garden center and decorate those as well with what I have. I will place each one on either side of the fireplace and do them up.

Also, I usually hang light along the ceiling line and hang cards on all the backs of doors - hard to imagine I know - but it works for us. Haha.

Thanks for all the ideas - we'll make it work.

easy child is okay with it, she gets it. I haven't told difficult child yet and she will be upset - she loves choosing and cutting down our tree each year, but she will be okay I'm sure. She will complain forever, well in to March, and not let me forget about it, but oh well - in the end, she will have to get over it, huh?

DDD, you made me feel better - I'm not the only one!!!

 

[tiredmommy]

How about getting difficult child a small potted tree she can keep outside? She could decorate it and everything!

 

[witzend]

I used to hang them from chandeliers, too.

 

[susiestar]

If nothing else, hang a bunch of cuphooks everywhere and dangle the ornaments from there. You could even use different lengths of string to create a dangling display of a number of ornaments from one hook, with ribbons and greenery to help hide the strings.

Sometimes neat things happen when traditions are forced to bend to reality.

 

[Star*]

You have a ceiling? I have a suggestion.

Upside down tree

Ho ho ho

 

[gcvmom]

Okay, laugh at the upsidedown tree on the ceiling, but my Polish inlaws hang their tree(s) from the ceiling, only rightsideup (they're Polish, not Australian Sorry, Marg!)

 

[Abbey]

No tree for me either. Haven't done it in 2 years...just wasn't in the mood. I have beautiful hand-made ornaments from my grandmother. I might put some of those up. Like you, there is NO space for a tree.

Abbey

 

[hearts and roses]

Wow, Star, I actually really like that!! I'm hitting up Home Depot later. I have decided to get one of those pre-lit two footers that come in a planter. I will do it, snazz it up and the rest will all fall into place.

I'm kinda looking forward to NOT having the trouble of a tree! The watering, the stringing of the lights, the putting on, then taking off of the ornaments, etc. This will be simpler and I'm kind of liking that idea. And I can even string the cranberry and popcorn garland along my mantle. That mantle's going to have some heavy duty responsibility this year! Yeah.

 

[TPaul]

If you are not using the fire place during this time, a small one set in the opening would give difficult child a small tree. You could let them decorate it and add the other things to the mantle arrangement. Also I use those wire tree type card holders to hang small ornaments on at the antiques shop. There are also metal shaped tiered trees that work well for small ornaments.

 

[DDD]

I never even thought to think outside of the box. Thanks TPaul for reminding me that there are nifty alternatives. I have no idea where one gets little metal trees but I'll keep my eyes open and next year will try to be clever.
DDD