We’re back to share the second half of our tree-decorating adventure (sped up with a bit of festive music to get you into the spirit). We last left off with this video of us setting up our pre-lit artificial (faux? reusble?) tree only to discover that a strand of lights in the middle of the tree was out. But fixing it was as easy as listening for the buzzing bulb and replacing it with one of the extras they included along with our tree. Then it was time for the ornaments, and this year we decided to deviate from our usual white/glass/silver scheme (seen here). Maybe it was a weird citrus-pregnancy-craving-inspired decision, but out of nowhere I was jonesing for bright oranges, lime greens and lemon yellows… and a new color scheme was born. So here we are hanging some store bought ornaments mixed in with a bunch of DIY ones that we whipped up on the cheap. Oh yeah, and there’s a quick shot of baby belly at the end for everyone on bump watch:
And because we like to include a little video rundown for those at work who can’t just push play, here’s a shot of our tree all citrus-ified thanks to a ton of orange and lime green ornaments we picked up (on clearance at Michael’s) along with a bunch of DIY ornaments that we made to really hammer home our love of all things lemon and lime (after all, it was the theme for our backyard wedding). And adding pops of orange really complemented the green tree for a super festive and fun finished product.
We mentioned that beyond the glittering store-bought ornaments we jumped at the chance to hand make a few “natural” accents, so John came up with the idea of drying slices of oranges and lemons and turning them into ornaments. Love it. He’s really the brains of this operation in case you guys haven’t noticed.
Not only was it a fun and unexpected way to bring more of that festive citrus color to our tree, but it merely set us back a few bucks for two oranges and three lemons at the grocery store.
And luckily when we googled “dried citrus” we actually found a few tutorials (woo hoo!) and were thrilled when we pulled one up that was beyond simple. Step 1: cut citrus into quarter-inch slices.
Step 2: bake in oven on cookie sheet (actually a cookie rack if you have one, but we didn’t so we made do) for 2-3 hours at 225 to 250 degrees, checking often to be sure nothing’s burning. It helps to crack the oven door from time to time to release a bit of the built-up heat to encourage drying as opposed to singeing.
After a few hours (and a bunch of checking) we ended up with gorgeously dried orange slices that we couldn’t wait to add to our tree…
… and marginally less gorgeous lemon slices (they cooked less evenly and the seeds were a lot less attractive, so we’d recommend oranges over lemons for those of you looking to do something simple and stress free). Of course there were still some pretty lemon slices that we used as well (the good ones actually looked like stained glass when they dried) so they weren’t a total loss.
Then we just popped them onto pretty silver ornament hooks snagged for a few bucks at Pottery Barn (they’re a smidge cuter than those green wire ones from Target or CVS) for a delicious looking end product that’s especially eye-catching when it’s illuminated by the lights on our tree (so we learned to hang them a few inches in front of a white bulb for that sweet “glowing” effect). Favorite project ever. And we ended up with dozens of ornaments for just a few bucks.
*Bonus: we’ve heard that citrus can be used to discourage curious cats from climbing your tree, so if you have a faux or natural tree at home that you’d like to protect from a cat attack, these dried citrus slices might be just the thing.
We also turned three dozen faux lemons (we grabbed two large plastic tubs of them for $8 each at Ben Franklin) into “ornaments” by wiring them onto the end of a bunch of branches on our tree- just to inject more hits of yellow and add to our quirky citrus theme.
It was as simple as sticking “v-shaped” green wire (we purchased a spool of it for 99 cents at the craft store) into each of the foamy faux lemons so we could wind it around each branch to secure it. It was also a nice complement to all the hanging ornaments since we now had a bunch that appeared to be “sitting” on the ends of the branches. Easy and almost mouthwatering, no? Again, maybe it’s a pregnancy thing, but I could eat an entire lemon every day of the week.
We also picked up some pretty green pears from Target last year (during an after-Christmas sale) that were meant to be used as vase filler (see the little pear in the bottom right corner of the photo below?) so we just tied a loop of glittering silver ribbon to each of the stems to create a way to hang them up on the tree. Sure they’re technically not citrus but they work with the whole edible theme- and they’re perfect for our playful green, orange and yellow color scheme.
So that’s the tree-decorating rundown for ya complete with all of the homemade “ornaments” that we fashioned from things like vase filler, faux fruit and real fruit alike.
We love the punchy colors (which actually fit right into our living room thanks to the lemon-yellow rug) and the happy vibe that it brings into our entire home for the ho-ho-holidays. Oh and stay tuned for more seasonal decorating posts along with our favorite roundup of cheap-o holiday gifts coming soon.
But enough about us- we wanna hear all about your holiday decor. Do you have a new color scheme that you’re dying to break out this year? Or a tried and true “theme” on your tree that makes you smile every year? How about those whose theme is to have no theme at all? Anyone with a penchant for popcorn garland or edible candy cane ornaments? Do tell.
Psst- Looking for more holiday decorating and entertaining ideas? Check out this post, this post, this post, this post, this post, this post, this post, this post and this post to tide you over until we share even more in the coming weeks.
Update: You can check out all of our favorite holiday decor finds here – many of which are under $15!
Mary Kath says
I’m sorry… I have to brag about my tree because I AM SO IN LOVE WITH IT THIS YEAR! I had an artificial “Charlie Brown” tree I enjoyed for about 8 years but it was beginning to look a bit worn out. So last year I bought a little tree at K-Mart because I also was so fed up with my cat, Chandler Bing, climbing up the big tree! Ew! It was like a giant white worm winding its way up the trunk. So I bought this little tree last year and put it on a little square pine trunk and put fake snow junk around it and decorated it sort of shabby chic. I was horrified to find that my lovely daughter HATED IT. But this year – I did NOT give up. I dug out the little tree again… set it on the floor in a lovely square seagrass basket… and decorated it with gold and silver from Walmart. Everything is non-descript EXCEPT for about 8 beautiful glittery dragonflies. I also have about 8 glass shabby chic bulbs with some silver stuff on them. Anyway – the little tree is REBORN and it is so, so lovely. LOVE-L-EE. I am so relieved and so happy that I could make it work. I am still in the “sit and stare at it” phase. Maybe I’ll leave it up all year. xoxo
Carol says
The freezing weather here in Wenatchee is making me some frozen outdoor x-mas decorations: Fresh (now frozen) Cranberry Wreath and 3 giant candle holders. All made with only water. Just need buckets and a bundt pan. =) Now, if only the weather gets really cold to finish freezing those buckets of water!!!
condo bluesc says
In our old rental we did purple and gold. When we bought our house we did silver and blue, then a subtle red, white and blue. Now the outside is Red and White. The inside is now bright red,olive, and apple green which is traditional for all of you I’m sure but it’s very different for me since I never did the traditional Christmas colors (sort of) until now.
micah says
Your tree is SUPER awesome! You guys are so creative – love the dried orange and lemon ornaments.
dinah says
you guys are SO adorable! the popping out of the tree at the beginning was hilarious. and I LOVED it that you guys gave each other NOT one but TWO high fives! so amusing to watch!
and i LOVE the christmas tree! especially the oranges!!
Hopeless Chest says
I think I bought out the Michael’s ornament section on Friday and Saturday. 50% off? COUNT ME IN.
My tree will be so bright, you’ll need sunglasses.
I love the citrus tree. The orange slices look fantastic.
Nicole says
This is so funny! I was just telling my husband that I ideally wanted to do some dried lemon and orange slices for our tree! We already have our tree up (never really go for a “theme” or specific color scheme, but use our beloved motley collection of ornaments) this year, but it’s definitely something I want in years to come. I even thought a citrus slice garland on red or green organza ribbon would look nice over a doorway. Love your tree, guys!
ChristineMarie says
I love the oranges on your tree — and the citrus theme. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Our tree is full of white lights, glass ball ornaments (mostly red & silver), and ornaments given to me (one a year) by my mom from the year I was born through my senior year of high school. We have a couple ornaments besides that — like one that’s got 2 peas in a pod, one with my name and one with my hubby’s — from my parents for the first Christmas we celebrated as a married couple. I guess you could say our tree is more sentimental than it is artsy, but it’s special to us. :)
alexis says
i swear if i didn’t have a crazy bad citrus allergy i would SO do my tree like yours! it’s so bright and colourful! my tree is bronze, gold and red-which I still love. but considering my xmas will be in florida this, your tree is really getting me into the citrus-y, sort of tropical christmas!
Lindsey O. says
OH my goodness Sherry your tiny little baby bump is just adorable!! You look wonderful! I have 2 weeks left until my due date and I just get so excited seeing someone else with a “bump” these days!! Congrats to you guys! And your tree is fabulous! Loving the real fruit thing! Will have to try that myself one year! :)
Rebecca says
What a beautiful tree! And Sherry you are the most adorable pregnant elf! My husband and I put up our tree last week (decorated in all crystal ornaments I have been collecting for years, I must have 100 crystal icicles) , even though we are waiting for an apartment we are moving into to be ready for us. Since it is now the middle of December, we decided that there is no way we will be moving until the new year…right? Wrong, last night we found out that we are moving on December 20! Thats right…next sunday! Guess I will be taking off every icicle myself! Oh well, its all good…the apartment is 2x the size, and has a dishwasher! In NYC, this is a very big deal! Here’s to decorating the tree twice!
Erica says
Woah! Do you guys realize you’ve been featured on Apartment THerapy Chicago twice in the past week?! That’s kind of awesome!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Erica! We’re still pinching ourselves over here!
xo,
s
Jennifer S. says
All this bright color surprises me coming from you. I think this baby is a good thing and will lead to new adventures in decorating.
As for my tree, it will be decorated with hand-made ornaments featuring the craftiness of my children and each with a personal story behind it. No theme, other than love, and definitely no store-bought stuff.
Katie says
I love the dried citrus slices. I live alone 3000 miles from home so a tree always seems too extravangant for just me, but I did buy a wreath this year and this might be a fun and punchy way to glam it up. Very creative indeed!
Kathy says
I LOVE LOVE LOVE how your tree turned out! It’s gorgeous!
heather s. says
Very fun! I’m more traditional in that I love me some red and green decorations when it comes to Christmas. I haven’t gotten the tree up yet since I’ve been sick but I’m hoping to get one this weekend.
Annie says
Seriously. Can’t see anything but the BABY BUMP!!! How ka-ute are YOU!? Congrats once again!!!
Brandi U. says
Wow what a gorgeous tree!
kelly mcnichol says
Can you tell me what the song or cd is of the Christmas music…I have heard a couple like this and I love the integration of musical styles.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kelly,
We love using music that’s “released” for public use (so we’re never caught inadvertently stealing anyone’s tunes). Here’s the site where we found the music for this week (and last week’s) video: http://www.hermann-uwe.de/blog/10-100-creative-commons-christmas-songs
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jenna says
Oh my word! I LOVE this! What a fantastic idea to use dried fruit slices. Simply gorgeous!
And just for the record, I ADORED lemonade when I was pregnant with my first little guy. I mean, I’ve always liked it, but when I was pregnant – ho boy, I couldn’t get enough!
Amy says
I picked up some blood oranges (they have a beautiful red color inside) to add some variety! They look great :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oooh that sounds awesome. My mouth is watering at the idea!
xo,
s
bklyn76 says
i LOVE your colours and will definitely be *borrowing* the dried citrus idea! this is my first year doing my very own tree as a new family so i wanted something a bit different…thanks for the inspiration!
teamarie says
Love the citrus idea! Cute. Our first christmas, I covered our tree with cocktail umbrellas. You can put them right infront of the christmas lights, and they create a fun festive glow…i bet they’d be a fun addition to your citrus!
Danielle says
Wanted to drop in some holiday cheer from my home to yours! I was inspired by your DIY approach and even used one of your ornament designs from last year.
Here’s our Christmas tree(s): http://dreamerblogs.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/tis-the-season-part-2/
Amanda says
I’m in the process of doing this for my tree right now. They’re in the oven. Though, I’m only doing it so my cat stays out of my tree. She’s been pretty good today (the second day I’ve had it up) but she has her moments so I want to be sure, (such as when I’m not home!)
I’ve also read putting pine cones under the tree. Cats won’t step on pine cones so they won’t go near it.
Jenny @ DIY Newlyweds says
I know the orange ornaments are from your tree last year, but I think the idea is so clever! I’m featuring the ornaments on my blog today. Thanks for the inspiration!
http://www.diynewlyweds.com/2010/12/diy-handmade-christmas-ornaments.html
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Glad you like them.
xo,
s
Kathryn says
Thanks for adding the ‘Holiday Ideas’ link in the sidebar! These intuitive ways to help folks get to the info they didn’t even realise they were looking for really set your site apart.
Time to get citrus choppin’!