How to Decorate a Southern Style Christmas Tree with Magnolia Blossoms

Learn how to decorate a southern style Christmas Tree with magnolia blossoms. The Magnolia is a perfect addition to your classic Christmas Tree.

Raise your hand if you struggle to define your style. You might think I'm going to give tips to hone in on your style.... but, I'm not. In fact, I struggle to define my own style.

This week, I'm participating in the My Home Style: Christmas Tree Edition Blog Hop. Each participating blogger is supposed to choose 3 words to describe their style... and I have re-written mine about 15 times. The silver lining? I think I finally honed in on 3 words to describe my style. And, they may not be the typical words you think of when you hear "style"...

But, before we dig into my style, let me tell you more about the My Home Style: Christmas Tree Edition Blog Hop. Hosted by Stephanie, over at Casa Watkins Living, this 5-day hop features over 20 bloggers and their beautiful Christmas trees. A big welcome to those of you coming over from Cuckoo 4 Design, so glad to have you! Make sure that when you’re finished here you hop over to The Home I Create and see Linda's Christmas tree.

So, what's my style?

Let me start by saying, these aren't your typical "style" words. Honestly, that's probably because my style is eclectic -- it's a mix of modern, rustic, vintage, industrial, and farmhouse -- but a long list of words isn't really helping me hone in on style. That's when I started considering overarching style choices, instead of traditional "style" words. So, what's my style?

Meaningful

Throughout our home, you'll find meaningful decor choices. Whether it's a vintage photo display or a rustic shadow box for baby shoes, I put a lot of thought into Creating a Meaningful Home. Our Christmas tree is no exception, featuring heirloom ornaments and a scripture-based Advent calendar.

You can read the full tutorial for the Advent Calendar, and grab the Scripture printable, here. This year, instead of filling each canvas bag with an ornament, we filled them with candy. Then, the kids play a game of seek and find each morning, searching for the correct date {1-25} hidden in the Christmas Tree.

Cozy

Of all the feelings our home could exude, a feeling of coziness is the most important. I want our home to be warm, inviting, and welcoming, for both our family and friends. You'll find that cozy element in our tree, too -- in the quilted tree skirt layered with a classic plaid, and scraps of fabric wrapped around gifts as ribbon.

Timeless

Finally, I'm very practical {and becoming more so, the older I get}. I don't want to reinvent our Christmas Tree {or our home} every year. Instead, I purchase classic, timeless items, such as beautiful Magnolia blossoms and large red ornaments that won't feel outdated in a couple of years.

Decorating a Southern Style Christmas Tree

You might have noticed the unusual needles on our Christmas Tree, that is because it is a Leyland Cypress. I didn't know much about this tree until several years ago when we visited Bluebird Tree Farm to cut down our tree. It struck me as odd-looking, and I was skeptical at first. However, after we arrived home, placed it on the stand, and got it decorated, I came to love this Southern-Style tree.

Why Southern Style? It's described as the most popular Christmas Tree in the southeast, found commonly at tree farms in Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. It's a great tree for families with allergies because it doesn't produce any sap. Though I still love a traditional Fir, I appreciate the bright green in the Leyland Cypress which pairs beautifully with large Magnolia blossoms.

To decorate, I start by wrapping large, clear bulbs along the inside of the tree, near the trunk. This step illuminates the inside of the tree, where heavy ornaments are hung. Next, I wrap several strands of multi-color lights, further out from the trunk, on the branches.

Once all of the lights are in place, I attach the Magnolia blossom stems, hang the large red ornaments, and drape a simple wood-bead garland. You can use floral wire or standard ornament hooks to attach the Magnolia blossoms. These 3 elements give the tree a theme, without having to invest in a ton of color-coordinated ornaments. Plus, all of our heirloom ornaments mix in easily.

If you are looking for a simple Christmas Tree theme -- that is meaningful, cozy, and timeless -- grab a few key pieces by clicking on the images, below. Plus, if you don't do real trees but like the look of the Cypress, I threw in a preserved wreath for you, too!

Shop this Look: Classic Christmas Tree

P.S. If my style doesn't fit you, take some time to check out 20+ more posts from the My Home Style: Christmas Edition Blog Hop. You can find all of the links, below!

Monday

Casa Watkins Living
Up To Date Interiors
Monica Wants It

Tuesday

House Homemade
Boxy Colonial
Domicile 37
Iris Nacole
The Happy Housie

Wednesday

Cuckoo 4 Design
Craftivity Designs
The Home I Create
Deeply Southern Home
Setting For Four
Little Red Brick House

Thursday

Twelve on Main
Redhead Can Decorate
PMQ for Two
Jeweled Interiors
The Gathered Home

Friday

A Designer At Home
The DIY Mommy
DIY Decor Mom
Houseful of Handmade
DIY Beautify

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