Christmas Tree Decorating with Birds and Beads

Would you like to add that special little touch to your Christmas tree that will make your guests’ eyes light up and their lips utter that breathless “Wow!”?

Then you might want to try this little trick that I use every year. When decorating my Christmas tree, I never neglect the final touch.

I always hang doves from the ceiling with strings of beads in their mouths as though they were flying in and decorating the tree. I use white thread to suspend the birds and pushpins to secure them to the ceiling. You can attach the beads to the birds’ beaks with hot glue or with straight pins. They can also be attached to the feet. The string of beads should be long enough to drape the end over a limb of the tree. Place the doves at different distances from the Christmas tree.
The end result should look like the doves are decorating the tree with beads. I also like to have one or two of the doves carrying Christmas ornaments attached to their feet. Of course the Christmas tree is already decorated with several well-placed doves among the other Christmas ornaments.

In addition to hanging birds from the ceiling and placed throughout the tree, I place bird nests filled with tiny decorative eggs. Naturally I also put a little mama bird in the nest as well, to keep the little eggs warm and comfy.

Children love seeing the doves "decorating" the tree. Every Christmas it’s a special treat searching for the little bird’s nest with all the tiny little eggs.

And of course, it’s a special treat for me just watching the children expore the tree, rearranging the eggs, rearranging the birds and trying to make the doves really fly.
What you will need for hanging your birds:
* White thread
* Two pushpins for each bird
* Two straight pins for each bird
* Optional hot glue

Bird Hanging Tips:

Hanging the birds in a manner that looks natural and graceful can be tricky. Here are some quick tips:

* Use thread that is the least visible when hanging from the ceiling. I use white cotton thread.

* Attach two strings of thread to the bird’s back.

* Cut the strings long enough to reach from the ceiling to the level you want your bird to hang. Cut twice as much thread as you think you’ll need. It’s easy to cut off extra, but it can be frustrating to have to start over.

* Wrap the first thread around a straight pin with a white ball head. Insert the pin at an angle near the head of the bird. The white head of the pin should be toward the head of the dove and inserted toward the tail. The angle is important in preventing the thread from slipping out when the bird is hung.

* Wrap thread around a second pin and insert at an angle, but this time the white head will be near the tail and inserted toward the head.

* You now have two threads inserted in the back of the dove. Wrap the end of each thread around a clear pushpin to be inserted in the ceiling. You can adjust the distance of the dove from the ceiling by adjusting the number of turns around the pushpin.

* When your threads and pins are in place and the birds are ready for hanging, you can temporarily insert the ceiling pushpins in the back of the birds. When you’re at the top of your ladder and you’re ready to hang your doves, just remove one pushpin at a time and insert in the ceiling.

* After hanging your birds to the ceiling, if they are not hanging in the direction you intended, you can control the direction by repositioning one of the strings.

* Occasionally, repositioning the beads they carry in their mouths or feet, to a different limb on the tree can also help to control the direction.

Hanging birds & beads from the ceiling can be an added dimension to your Christmas tree decorating. Just remember to not over do it, be safe and have fun.

Here are some pictures to show you what the finished Christmas Tree will look like:

Source: http://teamsugar.com/user/sugarpopsosweet/blog/855900

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Top 10 Christmas Trees

The following Christmas Tree species have been voted the most popular Christmas trees grown and sold in the United States. They are listed according to their popularity

The National Christmas Tree Association suggests that this season, "36 million U.S. families plan to focus their holiday traditions around a real Christmas tree". That means tens of millions of real trees will be sold this year starting in mid-November.

NCTA also says that "about 23 percent of the consumers will purchase their trees from a 'Christmas tree farm' while about 62 percent will buy trees from a retail lot." About 300,000 consumers will purchase their real tree over the Internet or by mail order.

It is estimated that "46 million households plan to use a new or used artificial tree this season" instead of a real tree. Another 22 million households don't plan to have a Christmas tree.

Voted #1 - Fraser Fir - Fraser fir is a native southern fir and very similar to Balsam fir. Some say it is a southern extension of the Balsam fir species and naturally grows at elevations above 5,000 feet. This fir has dark green needles, 1/2 to 1 inch long and ships well. The tree has excellent needle retention along with a nice scent. Fraser fir was named for Scot botanist John Fraser who explored the southern Appalachians in the late 1700's. Photo courtesy NCTA.

Voted #2 - Douglas Fir - Douglas Fir is not a true fir but actually has its own unique classification. Unlike true firs the cones on Douglas fir hang downward. Douglas fir grows cone-shaped naturally, has 1 to 1-1/2 inch needles that are persistant and has a sweet scent when crushed. The Doug fir tree is shipped to and found in nearly every tree lot in the Unites States. The tree was named after David Douglas who studied the tree in the 1800's. Photo courtesy NCTA.

Voted #3 - Balsam Fir - Balsam fir is a beautiful pyramidal tree with short, flat, long-lasting, aromatic needles. Balsam fir and Fraser fir have many similar characteristics and some botanists consider them extensions of the same species. Their geographic ranges do not overlap and the Balsam fir has to have cold winters and cool summers. Balsam fir has a nice, dark green color and very fragrant. The tree was named for the balsam or resin found in blisters on bark and which was used to treat wounds in Civil War. Photo courtesy NCTA.

Voted #4 - Colorado Blue Spruce - The Colorado Blue Spruce is most familiar to people as an ornamental landscape tree. The tree has dark green to powdery blue needles, 1 to 3 inches long and a pyramidal form when young. Colorado blue spruce is very often sold "living" and with an entire root ball - to be planted after the holidays. The spruce was chosen in 1978 and planted as the official living White House Lawn Christmas tree. The young tree is pleasingly symmetrical, is best among species for needle retention and the state tree of both Utah & Colorado. Photo courtesy NCTA.

Voted # 5 - Scotch Pine - Scotch or "Scots" pine is the most planted commercial Christmas tree in North America according to NCTA. However, this survey does not suggest that it is the most popular. A true pine, Scots pine was imported from Europe and is not native to America. It was first used in reforestation efforts in the New World. Scotch pine tree has stiff branches, two bundled dark green needles 1 to 3 inches long that are retained for four weeks. The aroma is long-lasting and lingers through the entire season. Scotch pine does not drop needles when dry - excellent retention. Photo courtesy NCTA.

Top 10 Christmas Trees (Contd)

Voted #6 - Eastern Red Cedar - The Eastern red cedar is mainly a regional favorite and has been a traditional Christmas tree of the South. Branches of eastern redcedar are light but compact and forms a pyramidal crown as a young tree. Actually ERC is not a true cedar but in fact a juniper. Very aromatic needles are a dark, shiny, green color and sharp and prickly to the touch. Photo courtesy NCTA.

Voted #7 - White Spruce - White spruce is a tree of the northeast US and Canada. It is a regional favorite because it grows into the best shapes in the wild. White spruce has green to bluish green needles but crushed needles have an unpleasant odor. Another problem with the spruce is it has poor needle retention. The tree is excellent for heavy ornaments. White spruce is the state tree of South Dakota. Photo courtesy NCTA.

Voted #8 - Eastern White Pine - White pine has been valued as a timber tree for centuries but can be cultivated for a Christmas tree if heavily sheared. White pine is grown mostly in the mid-Atlantic states for commercial Christmas trees. The tree retains needles throughout the holiday season but has little or no fragrance and not a good tree for heavy ornaments. The tree is sought by people who suffer from allergic reactions to more fragrant trees. The White pine is the largest pine in United States and the state tree of Michigan and Maine. Photo courtesy NCTA.

Voted #9 - White Fir or Concolor Fir - White fir is one of the longest-needled firs and is sometimes mistakened for a pine. A significant portion of these Christmas trees are used in California: Concolor fir has blue-green needles that are 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long. The fir has a nice shape with a pleasing aroma and good needle retention. Photo courtesy NCTA.

Voted #10 - Virginia Pine - Virginia pine has only recently been used as a Christmas tree. It tolerates warmer temperatures and has been developed as a southern alternative to Scotch pine. The tree has to be mechanically formed into shape; the foliage is dark green to gray in color; the limbs are stout with woody branches; Virginia pine is one of the most often purchased Christmas trees in the Southeastern United States. Photo courtesy NCTA