What’s your holiday decoration timeline policy? I usually wait until after Thanksgiving to start *really* decorating, but this year I’m feeling a yearn for festiveness and have started to replace my Halloween pumpkins with a few items that hint at the holiday season ahead. The first things I always bring out for the holidays is my collection of bottle brush trees, and at a recent trip to my favorite Christmas Tree Shops andThat! I found tons of new sizes and styles that sparked some holiday décor inspiration!
On a spin through Christmas Tree Shops andThat! I couldn’t believe the selection of bottle brush trees! They came in tons of different tones and heights, and a few came in more detailed and unique sculpted shapes – a style I’ve never seen before. I knew I had to add some of these to my collection; I love tucking them around the house with a Christmas-scented candle, on nightstands, or in my bookshelves for subtle nods at the season.
I’ve shared this tip before in my stories, but when I’m shopping at Christmas Tree Shops andThat! I love to gather things in my cart and look for a pattern or theme to unfold from all of the treasures that I find. This collection of bottle brush trees had such a cool, wintry color palette which was a perfect match for a set of Nordic-inspired plates, mugs and bowls that I found. Sometimes an idea just snowballs after you see how these items work together, and in this case I thought the pieces were a great jumping point for a winter wonderland hot cocoa bar.
I added in some small seasonal containers from Christmas Tree Shops andThat! baking collection. These pieces are so fun for any holiday baking you’re doing this season, and I loved that there were lots of pieces for packaging your Christmas cookies and sharing with friends and family. The red and black buffalo plaid pattern on one of the containers was a perfect match for a similar buffalo plaid napkin – both brought in a festive pop of red to my set up!
The final touches are always my favorite in a themed bar like this! I found mistletoe patterned striped paper straws to tuck into a jar, a Nordic-inspired green holiday tablecloth to set the scene, and festive chocolate wafer cookies to serve with hot cocoa (you can even dunk them in your drink and use them to stir – YUM!). I hunt for those cookies every time I visitChristmas Tree Shops andThat! – they often come in seasonal flavors! All that’s left to do is add some cocoa and marshmallows (see this post for how to make your own marshmallows!). We’re ready for snowstorms and Christmas movie nights and lots of cozy weekends at home this winter.
Please note: This post is created in partnership with Christmas Tree Shops andThat!. All opinions, images and content are my own, thank you for supporting brands that support this site
