A Western Christmas

In the December issue of Western Horseman, Cowboy Culture Editor Jennifer Dennison wrote a fun piece about what I would do for Christmas. It was so fun that I wanted to put it up here for everyone to see. Of course, if you don't have a Western Horseman on hand, I say run out and get it. It's a great issue and you'll get to see the ornaments that I picked and pictures of the belts on the tree and Copenhagen lids as ornaments. Enjoy.

From Western Horseman
THE CHRISTMAS TREE IS THE CENTERPIECE of your holiday home décor. Around it is the place where friends and family gather, and it sets the tone for the rest of your decorations. Make trimming a ranch-style Christmas tree a fun family experience with tips from Western design expert Thea Marx of Wyoming. A Wyoming native, Thea grew up on a ranch, where she
and her family often made gifts and holiday decorations, a tradition she continues today with her 4-year-old daughter, Aspen. For Thea, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without trekking to the forest to cut down a real tree. It’s part of the holiday experience for the entire family, and she loves the smell, color and feel of a real tree, needles and all. This holiday season, she plans to cut a tree for young Aspen to decorate. When it comes to decorating the tree, Thea believes the more family and friends, the merrier. Turn on the Christmas music, serve hot cider and freshly baked cookies, and enjoy the camaraderie. Here are some of Thea’s favorite ideas for trimming a Western-inspired tree.

Consider color and composition. Look for ways to incorporate the colors and elements of the West into your tree. Reds, browns and greens add to your Western theme. Also, consider adding elements of nature in your décor. Share the view. Place your tree near a window for all to see. Thea says she enjoys pulling into her driveway each evening and seeing the lights through the window. Light up the night. Start decorating the tree by stringing clear lights around the tree, tucking the bulbs between all the branches. Illuminating your tree with simple, clear lights helps draw attention to your ornaments. Fill in the gaps. Tuck tumbleweeds, yucca, colored feathers from a craft store, or sagebrush into sparse areas of your tree to create a full appearance. These natural accents also bring pieces of the outdoors inside and add to the festive fragrance. Decorate the entire tree. Hang ornaments all over the tree, even on the back. This encourages people to really look at the tree and enjoy the memories behind each ornament. Position ornaments near lights to make them sparkle, and create hidden vignettes between the branches.
Strut your snuff. To make inexpensive, cowboy-inspired tree decorations that twinkle in the lights, string snuff-can lids to form a garland, or string single lids to form ornaments.

Turn bandanas into bows. For color and pattern, fold bandannas into triangles and tie the ends together. Place the bandannas in sparse areas of the tree. You can also place one on top of the tree.

Cinch it tight. Fasten Western belts together to form a ranch-style garland. Rhinestone belts add extra sparkle to your tree.

Let it snow. Remember cutting snowflakes out of folded paper as a child? Invite your family and friends to make their own snowflake ornaments for your tree. Be creative, making them simple or intricate, plain or shiny, or even decorated with glitter. Punch a hole in the top of the snowflake, thread ribbon, baling twine or other string through the hole and tie to form a loop for hanging the snowflake on the tree.

Top it off. Your tree topper doesn’t have to be fancy to be beautiful. While she was growing up, Thea’s family cut a star from cardboard and covered it with aluminum foil. A cowboy hat, raffia bow, a star made from twigs or a Santa statue also makes a great topper.

Hi-ho silver. String conchos and saddle silver on a thin strip of leather to form garland and ornaments.

Cover your bases. No Western-themed tree would be complete without a Navajo or Pendleton blanket as a tree skirt.

Take-down tip. When you’re ready to remove your tree from
the house, wrap it in a blanket to prevent needles from covering your floor.

Thea Marx served as the executive director of the Western Design Conference in Cody, Wyoming, and transformed that organization into an internationally recognized source of fine Western design. Today, she is an accomplished author and entrepreneur, specializing in all things Western. For more home-decorating tips, order Thea’s book Contemporary Western Design ($19.95) by calling
(307) 587-8008, or visiting contemporarywesterndesign.com.