Growing up, my parents had this shaggy metallic tinsel (that most likely was NOT fire resistant, now that I think about it) that somehow lasted years and years. And by years and years, I mean I think my mom still has some of it in her Christmas boxes even today. When the tinsel rope broke, we taped it. (Not only were we poor, but we had no shame either. Sometimes this can also be a lethal combination, as evidenced by 95% of Wal-Mart’s customers…) The tinsel was in gold, silver, a gold and silver combo, red and blue. And we used it all. On the same tree, no less. (I prefer to call that look “traditional”.) At the time, it was probably quite stylish. In case you missed it, it isn’t stylish today. (Neither are those “icicle” metal strands you fling on tree branches. Nor is flocking…though I do have a good story about that from my high school days. I’ll save it for another day.) And, unless you have a five-year-old, popcorn strands are also out.
So then, you wonder, what can you use instead?! Many things. Many, many things. A naked tree, even, is more preferable than to use that shaggy tinsel. But, here are a few alternatives that have worked for me or others I know:
1) Ribbon. You’ll most likely need to get the wired ribbon, which admittedly can get a bit pricey (again, buy post-Christmas and save it for the next year). That tends to create the best look. And, if you’re handy at tying big, beautiful bows (I’m not; gratefully, Artis is), then you can buy lots of it and also make a tree topper out of it so that you have a more coordinated look & not some freaky glowing angel with a plastic skirt looking back at you from the top of the tree until you take the tree down. Be sure to buy very neutral colors on this (golds, silvers—red or green if you’ve got a more traditional look) so that you can use it for some time without it looking out-of-style. (To store it, keep the rolls it came on & re-roll it on that. Alternatively, you can cut a flap off of a cardboard box and use that as the core around which you wrap the ribbon.) You can either do ribbon in circles around each row of branches, or you can do ribbon cascading down the sides of the tree from the top—which is another great time to use a bow tree topper with the same ribbon.
2) Bows. I suppose you could do bows in addition to ribbon strands, but that could go bad very, very quickly. So, it’s best to do one over the other. The nice thing about bows is that they’re usually a little easier to store (though they do require re-fluffing from having been flattened) and you can vary bow sizes on the same tree (just don’t get too crazy with it). You can also use more patterned ribbons on this & it won’t look as insane as if you were to use the same patterned ribbon in rows around the tree or cascading from the top. Be sure to get the floral wire for this, as you will need to be able to secure the bows to the tree itself. (Plus, floral wire is really thin & isn’t noticeable against a green tree.)
3) Picks. When I bought my first grown-up tree décor a few years back, I came across some decorative picks at the store. There were really long sticks with silver pinecones affixed to the ends of them, along with picks of silver tree branches and also long, coiled decorative silver sticks. I imagine that each of these items was originally intended to be used in large floral arrangements, but I found that they work great on trees too! They add a fun dimension to it. The sticks tend to be hidden at the center of the tree by the time you put on all the other ornaments. With the ornament set I bought last year, I bought cranberry picks that were designed to be used on gift boxes. They have much shorter sticks on them, so it was a lot easier to work with & yet accomplished the same goal. You see the cranberry groups sticking out of the tree here and there, giving it a fun look while not being nearly as glaring as silver tinsel that’s been taped together. Another good type of “pick” you could use would be peacock feathers. (Again, it’d be for a very specific look. But, it would add another dimension and some fun color.)
4) Bead strands. I’m not talking about Mardi Gras-style bead strands here. You’ll need to find ones that are specifically designed to go around Christmas trees, but when done correctly this can be a really elegant touch.
5) Feather boas. Now, before you think I’ve lost my mind, hear me out. How, you ask, is a feather boa any more stylish than taped-together tinsel? It is when it’s part of a very specific look & when done well. I would not recommend doing a feather boa on a regular pine tree. You need a colored tree—silver, white, black, purple, pink, blue, etc., to pull this one off. You’re also going to have to go with a really elegant look or a really playful look. Anything in-between would be disastrous. You’d probably end up looking like a psychotic hooker attacked your tree. And that’s never a good look. Instead, consider doing a white tree with black feather boas, clear lights and gold & silver ornaments. Or, do a purple tree with pink feather boas, lime green and bright blue ornaments, and solid-colored lights that match. (I’m not a fan of multi-color lights, so I’m a strong advocate for solid colors.)
Remember, regardless of which method you use, put it on the tree before putting on the ornaments. Tinsel, or tinsel alternatives at least, can really make a tree’s overall look come together. I can’t wait to see what I find at the post-Christmas sales this year!
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