by Jo Ann Wentzel

Created on: December 14, 2010

Using a religious theme to decorate your tree

When you plan on decorating your Christmas tree, you may think to yourself, I’d like to do something different this year. If you always use the same ornaments and decorations it may have become boring. Change makes the whole holiday feel even more special when you upgrade and renew your Christmas look.

A beautiful theme and one you may not have thought of yet is to turn your tree into a religious and spiritual experience. if you give it a bit of thought it is not difficult. This would also be a timeless theme since spirituality at Christmas will never go out of style.

Finding anything with a religious or spiritual essence will be easy if you open up your mind. Sacred items can be found in the Christmas and other biblical stories featuring the nativity scene, lambs, the star, Noah’s ark, the rainbow, and crosses. Any religious icon such as Mary, angels, churches and harps could be incorporated into the theme. Those who have access to prayer cards might like to add those and hang them by ribbon. Tiny books are available for children as ornaments and may also feature the Christmas nativity story.

You can use bright jewel tone colors to add things like garland, plain balls and bows or you can use quiet pastels such as pale blue, soft pink, light green and a mellow yellow color. You can make your tree sparkle by using lots of snow ornaments with white glistening finishes or do it up in gold, silver or both. White lights would be perfect with snow ball ornaments and colored light for your jewel tone, either will work with pastel colors.

Using ribbons and bows as part of your decoration or swathing the tree in fabric with soft colors to match the pastels is beautiful. They use the fabric in narrow sizes as a garland and also use it vertically, up and down on the tree. Fabric can soften the lines of your tree and add an element of pattern or color that is valuable in the scheme.

Strings of pearly or soft colored beads would be a pretty accent instead of the traditional types of garland. It is fairly easy to use and will stay in place well since it often is a little heavier. The look is classy.

This tree will take on a calming, pleasant effect. The tree will speak of that mysterious and wondrous night along with the story every Christian should know. The tree will be significant, as you consider what the meaning of Christmas truly is.

The Christmas tree could be a focal point for Christmas reading from your Bible or a place to read little ones the story of the very first Christmas.

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