What I’m reading: The New Christmas Tree by Carrie Brown

Christmas is my favourite time of year so you probably won’t be surprised to hear I’ve started planning where we’re going to be, the presents an how we’ll decorate the house. I was excited to review a copy of The New Christmas Tree: 24 Dazzling Trees and Over 100 Handcrafted Projects for an Inspired Holiday by Carrie Brown, published by Artisan Books on 6th October 2015.

The New Christmas Tree by Carrie Brown is a beautiful book. I love the concept and the photography and am completely inspired for the holiday season.

This Christmas, consider everyday objects from a new point of view, embrace a fresh colour palette, or give your children’s handmade ornaments or special family heirlooms a new life. Carrie Brown, proprietor of The Jimtown Store in Healdsburg, California, offers instructions for making all of the garlands and ornaments pictured on the book’s 24 themed Christmas trees. The inspiration is endless here, with one-of-a-kind trees that celebrate food, nature, fashion, folk art, typography, colour, and art history.

Each spectacular design is easily replicated, with step-by-step instructions for crafting co-ordinating ornaments, garlands, and toppers, plus advice on selecting the right tree, choosing lights, and more. Whether you have space for a towering fir or a sweet tabletop creation, whether your taste skews modern or traditional, quirky or sophisticated, there’s something for everyone!

My mum always manages to have a themed Christmas but it’s something I haven’t achieved – yet. Reading The New Christmas Tree gives me hope that one day I will be able to combine our homemade Christmas decorations with my vintage decorations and create something that works and has meaning for our family 🙂

The book features 24 different trees from Folk Art to a Copper and Cork tree, a Typography tree and an Upside Down tree. I’m a predictable creature and loved the Hansel and Gretel tree, complete with gingerbread men, candy garlands and an atomic candy topper.

The tutorials are really handy and well illustrated. I can see myself trying many of the tutorials and love the rubber band balls and matchstick stars.

It is easy to get caught up in the commercial side but this book definitely brings the fun back to Christmas. I picked up some great tips and can’t wait to start our decorating this year. As Carrie Brown states “all trees are not equal” and I’m going to make sure ours is very special.

Thank you to NetGalley and Artisan Books for providing me with a copy of this book to review.