The Easy Peasy Chinoiserie Chic Christmas Tree

We began our month of Chinoiserie Chic holiday decorating yesterday with a look at Meg Braff's wonderful Chinoiserie dining room decorated for the holidays. You can read it here -

Holiday Decorating at Chinoiserie Chic

Today we look at the bonsai Christmas tree. Not everyone has the space, time, energy, or desire to put up a big Christmas tree. Or perhaps you put up a big tree, but would like a smaller one for a dining room table centerpiece, the entryway, the coffee table, or to display very special ornaments.

Some of you may remember this fantastic bonsai Christmas tree from the December 2009 Martha Stewart Living. It involves taking an artificial bonsai tree, spray painting it with gold paint, dusting it with gold glitter, and adding lantern ornaments and birds. Here are the details if you'd like to create it yourself.

Asian-Inspired Christmas Tree

Who says Christmas trees have to be fir? Inspired by the bonsai collection at the Arnold Arboretum in his native Boston, Martha Stewart Living's Kevin Sharkey created this enchanting roost using an artificial bonsai.

Spray-painted gold and accented with glitter, it rises out of a traditional pot topped with moss and snow. Japanese-lantern ornaments provide a pleasing change of scale, but the crowning glories of this tree are the birds -- coated in glitter and grouped in flocks of like colors.

The crowning glories of our Asian-Inspired Christmas Tree are the birds -- coated in glitter and grouped in flocks of like colors.
Tools and Materials
Birds: B&J Florist Supply
Fine glitter: Martha Stewart Crafts, from Michaels
Shard-glass glitter: artglitter.com

How-To
1. Working in sections, paint artificial bird body with white craft glue.
2. Hold bird over bowl of fine glitter; use a spoon to sprinkle with glitter.
3. Repeat process for bird tail, using shard-glass glitter for texture.

Here's an even easier one - just hang a few choice ornaments from an artificial bonsai tree.

And here are my new favorite Chinoiserie bonsai Christmas tree ideas this year from ZGallerie.  Buy one of these beauties in silver or gold, hang some favorite ornaments, and you're done. I'm thinking one of these might be perfect for my very special collection of Jay Strongwater ornaments.