Christmas Decorating with O’TOOLE’S Garden Centers
I worked at a gift boutique for the first year and a half of college that allowed me to see how a small business ran but most importantly allowed me to express my creativity. During the two Christmas holidays I worked there we turned the entire place into a tinsel town. I’m talking floor to ceiling happiness. Hot glue guns, ladders, paint, wiring. You name it. If we wanted a themed tree to look a certain way, we made it happen. Fast forward a decade later and I still use those techniques to decorate my home for the holidays and am excited to share with you.
Shopping for holiday greens + florals
The only excuse you have to not have a real tree in your house for the holidays? Allergies. Otherwise, you better have some sort of real greens and florals because the scent sings Christmas. This year I am excited to shop for all my holiday greenery and florals at O’Toole’s Garden Center. More than ever, it’s so important to shop local. O’Toole’s is a local, family-owned and operated garden center that has been keeping Colorado green for 40 years and sources local when possible. They have a huge selection of Christmas trees and florals including beautiful juniper greens (my favorite). I love that they display all of the trees by a string so you can get a full, 360 degree view to make the best selection without getting sappy and dirty. O’Toole’s has several different garland varieties sold by the yard so you can purchase just what you need! I was amazed by their prices, quality and value. Our tree cost the same as the ones out front of Whole Foods but ours looks way better, had a fun date night picking it out, and supported local. I highly recommend going to check out their selection.
We shopped in-store at their Lakewood location. They also have two more garden centers located in Littleton and Westminster. If you’re uncomfortable shopping in person during COVID, you can order online and pick up your holiday goods curbside. They also have some great promotions going on:
Buy a Christmas tree, get a FREE Christmas tree care pack (includes bottle of Christmas tree preserve and a needle clean-up bag to make tree clean up a breeze)
Buy a Christmas tree, get a Wreath for 25% off! (while supplies last)
Follow @otoolesgardencenters to see what they have in stock + plant tips!
$150 Gift Card Giveaway to O’Toole’s Garden Centers
giveaway closes Saturday, December 5th at 8:00 pm.
Top Tips for Decorating Your Tree
Don’t Hang. Wrap your Ornament.
You might be asking yourself, “What in the world is this girl talking about?” Everyone talks about “hanging ornaments.” Replace the string or hanging device your ornament came on and use a wire hanger. You can purchase a box of these for practically nothing—maybe $0.50? Wrap the ornament around the branch so it is on the tree rather than hanging inches below the branch with an ugly string.
Decorate from the inside out.
Just as I suggest lighting your tree from the inside out, be sure to decorate it from the inside out. Start with any gaps in your tree that need to be filled. Grab your largest ball ornaments and fill them in. I typically only use ball ornaments that aren’t super important to decorate the inside of the tree. Once you’re done, you’ll notice the three dimensional feel it’ll give with balls in the tree as well. Plus, if you practice the pickle tree tradition, it’ll make finding it much harder!
Light from the inside out.
Start by lighting the interior of your tree from the bottom up. You may have to wrestle the branches to really get in there but it’ll pay off. Once you have a solid layer of lights inside, work your way out until you’ve completely covered the tree. You’ll notice the extra sparkle it creates!
Pick a theme.
Picking a theme doesn’t mean you have to have a cookie-cutter, unpersonalized theme. You can still use the ornaments your grandma gifted you every year. A theme is an overall aesthetic. It means your decor, tree, and wrapping are cohesive. You colors, ribbon and wrapping paper selection, textures, lights, and colors can lead the theme. From there you can add splashes of personalization.
If there’s still room, fill it.
There can be exceptions here but don’t put a few ornaments on a huge tree. The fuller the tree, the more inviting and cheerful. As your eye makes it way across the tree it’s nice to have a lot to look at.
