PLAID CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATIONS: Looking for inspiration for a plaid-filled Christmas? These Blackwatch inspired tartan Christmas decorations will have your house looking ready for Christmas in no time! Plus, see how you can easily make your own ornaments with these marble painted gold ornaments–a great way to get EXACTLY the right color you want!
This post has been sponsored by JOANN Stores. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
PLAID CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATIONS
This year, I wanted to do something a little different with our Christmas decor; but, I wasn’t sure quite what to do. (See last year’s Christmas tree here.) So I headed to JOANN, because whenever I walk through their aisles, I am able to come up with a design scheme for seasonal decorating. It’s helped my seasonal decorating process over the last several months– (see my colorful table for fall here, my spooky Halloween tablescape here, and our holiday mantel here.)
The first aisle, I wasn’t head over heels with anything–it was all really cute but it wasn’t my aesthetic. But, then as I turned the corner of the second aisle, I saw it–the Blackwatch Tartan Throw and Pillow. I quickly searched the ribbon aisle to see if they had a corresponding ribbon, and lo and behold they did! JOANN made my entire Christmas decorating so easy because they even had coordinating pillows and wrapping paper. All that was left was ornaments, so I decided to DIY some of my own using materials from JOANN. See how I did it below.
SOURCES:
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- (2) Maker’s Holiday Christmas Farmhouse Throw and Pillow-Black Watch Plaid for the tree skirt
- (4) rolls of Maker’s Holiday Buffalo Check Ribbon 2.5″ x 25′ to decorate the tree
- (2) rolls of Maker’s Holiday Buffalo Check Ribbon 1.5″x30′ for bows for tree and wrapping presents
- (2) rolls of Maker’s Holiday Christmas Metallic Ribbon 2.5″x25′ Gold for bows
- (1) roll of Maker’s Holiday Christmas Metallic Ribbon 1.5″x30′ for wrapping presents
- (3) Packs of Maker’s Holiday Christmas 12 pack Shatterproof Tinsel Ball Ornaments
- (3) Packs of Maker’s Holiday Craft 25pc Plastic Clear Ornaments
- (1) Roll Maker’s Holiday Gift Wrap- Green Plaid Black Watch wrapping paper
- (1) Roll Gift Wrap- Craft Paper plain brown
- (1) FolkArt Acrylic Paint- Metallic Pure Gold
- (1) FolkArt Acrylic Paint- Metallic Gold (2 oz.)
- (1) FolkArt 2 fl. Oz Marbling Paint- Blue
- (2) Blooming Holiday Christmas Wreath- 22″ Pine Mini Wreath
DIRECTIONS FOR PLAID TREE DECORATIONS:
Decorating our living room for Christmas can be broken down into several phases. First, we decorated the tree; second, we DIYed the ornaments; and third, we tackled the sitting area. Below, you’ll find directions on how to do each phase!
Decorating a Plaid Christmas Tree:
How to Decorate a Plaid Christmas Tree: To make a tree look full and festive, I like to use a combination of ribbons, ornaments, a festive tree skirt, and coordinating wrapping paper for presents. Altogether, it creates a coordinated ensemble that looks happy and polished!
Here’s how to do it in your home:
1.) Trim the tree with lights and white tinsel ornaments.
2.) Next, add Maker’s Holiday Buffalo Check Ribbon 2.5″ x 25′ in six strands cascading from the top of the tree down. To maximize the amount of ribbon I got from each roll, I used one roll and folded it in half and lopped it over the top of the tree. Create movement with the ribbon my keeping the curl.
3.) Use the narrower Maker’s Holiday Buffalo Check Ribbon 1.5″x30′ to make bows on the ends of branches of the tree.
4.) Add a giant gold bow using Maker’s Holiday Christmas Metallic Ribbon 2.5″x25′. Now your tree is ready for those DIYed gold marbled ornaments!
5.) Layer two Maker’s Holiday Christmas Farmhouse Throws in Black Watch Plaid over a large towel to make a tree skirt. The large towel underneath will create a smoother surface for the plaid throws to rest on.
6.) Add those presents! By combining two different wrapping papers: the Maker’s Holiday Gift Wrap- Green Plaid Black Watch wrapping paper and plain Craft paper Gift Wrap both from JOANN, and adding coordinating gold and Blackwatch plaid ribbon and bows, the tree’s vignette is complete!
How to Make DIY Marbled Ornaments:
Next, you want to paint those gold DIY Marbled ornaments. I used two different colors of gold FolkArt Acrylic Paint to create a layered look. Although we experimented with using FolkArt Marbling Paint in blue and the results were stunning, it clashed with the blue on the ribbons, so we didn’t use them. Choose whichever colors you want to make your painted ornaments–that’s the best part of making them! You can choose any color and shade you desire!
After trying a variety of different acrylic paints, I recommend one specifically– FolkArt . This brand’s paint is slightly thinner than other brands’ which means it is easier to swish the paint around the inside of the ornament. If the paint is too thick, it proves difficult to swish around. The FolkArt Marbling Paint is particularly easy to work with; however, there are only about 10-12 shades to choose from. This would be a great place to mix and match a traditional FolkArt acrylic paint and a FolkArt marbling paint to produce a unique look as we did with the blue marbling paint and the gold.
1. ) Collect the right type of acrylic paint from JOANN. They have an extensive paint selection, and you can find tons of choices even within one brand! Whether you want a marbled or just a painted ornament, JOANN has what you need.
2.) Take the top off the ornament, I used the Maker’s Holiday Craft 25pc Plastic Clear Ornaments, and would recommend using them because plastic ornaments are not only shatterproof but easier to work with when you are marbling the paint! No need to worry about ornaments shattering!
3.) Take the FolkArt Acrylic Paint (I chose Metallic Pure Gold) and squirt it on several points around the inside of the ornament. Then gently hit the ornament, so the paint is dispersed throughout. You can swirl it around, creating narrow streams of paint; or conversely, you can squirt a lot of paint in the ornament and swirl the paint creating a large blob that appears more like a solid color ornament. It’s up to you!
4.) If you are marbling with two different colors and using FolkArt 2 fl. Oz Marbling Paint, take your second color and add it to the ornament repeating the process above!
5.) Put the top of the ornament back on it. Let it dry. We hung them right on the tree while they dried.
Decorate the Sitting Area:
1.) Add coordinating throw pillows. JOANN has a fantastic selection of seasonal decor including Maker’s Holiday Christmas Farmhouse Pillow-Black Watch Plaid that actually came in a set with the throw blankets.
2.) Add wreaths and hang them on your windows using twine or adhesive strips. Use a coordinating ribbon, either Maker’s Holiday Christmas Metallic Ribbon 2.5″x25′ Gold or Maker’s Holiday Buffalo Check Ribbon 2.5″ x 25′ to match the tree.
There you have it–an entire living room decorated for Christmas in a festive Blackwatch tartan! By DIYing your own ornaments, you can create exactly the look you want! And remember, you can find everything you need at JOANN–I was able to buy all the wrapping paper, ribbons, pillows, throws, ornaments, and paint there–everything I needed for a festive Christmas living room!