Don't throw out your Christmas memories just because the cat ate your 1970s-era tinsel and the tree-topper angel has lost its feathers.
Instead, pare the special things in your Christmas ornament box down to the ones that are most important to you and then add a little 2011 sparkle with the latest in decorating trends.
This week the Gazette asked four local designers, who specialize in Christmas glitz and glamour, to provide ideas about updating some old traditions.
All four said that one of the easiest ways to tie a colour scheme together is to use ribbon.
Ribbons and bows have probably been in since the Magi brought the first presents, but thankfully, tying strings in pretty ways is easier than ever thanks to a product called Sinamay. This nylon ribbon, which is usually about three inches wide, seems to have a memory, so that when you bend it or twist it, it holds its shape.
"Sinamay is not new but it's being repurposed this year because it's so easy to work with and so easy for an amateur to tie a bow," said Lesleah Horvat, a buyer for the Enjoy Centre.
Horvat explained that Sinamay ribbon, which is wiry and often full of glitter, could be used to set the colour scheme on the Christmas tree.
"Before putting the lights on, I've wrapped it right around the tree stem. I've also put it on the stem in layers or I've made big fluffy loop bows and tucked them into the tree," she said.
"Using one unifying ribbon adds a continuous look to a tree," agreed Cory Christopher, of First Choice Tree Nursery.
The ribbon could be multi-coloured or solidly coloured, but the trick is to repeat the same colours in different ways in the room, to provide a theme.
This year, all that glitters isn't just gold. Glittering lime green or even purple ornaments and ribbons are being used to spruce up the old tree.
"This year there's been a resurgence of the bright colours of the '70s," Christopher said.
Red is used because it's homey and comfortable and offers a return to nostalgia. But hot pink, purple and lime green are also fashionable because they are bright.
"But if you want to try something a bit edgy, use red and brown ribbon or brown, black and white on the tree," Christopher said.
A red and brown theme adds rustic flair to the design, especially when combined with birch-branch stems, which are tucked into the tree.
"Just take birch branches about 14 inches long, and tuck them into the tree. It's experimental but not over the top and it adds texture and oomph," Christopher said, as he added one other designer trick, which is a sure room brightener.
"Instead of wrapping the ribbon around horizontally, if you'd like to be a bit playful, try draping about six strands of ribbon, or even your old tinsel garlands from the top of the tree down, like you might see on a mayday tree. It adds height and defines the tree," he said.
Most trees will need about two rolls of ribbon for this design, he added.
Useful treasures
If you add glitter and off-the-wall colours to your Christmas tree design, what happens to all the old pie-plate pictures and misshaped reindeer that were lovingly produced and presented to you by your children when they were in kindergarten? What do you do with those glue-covered masterpieces?
"I still keep the reindeers. You want the Christmas tree to be beautiful but after all, this is about family," said Lori Drinkwater, of Fresh Look Design. "If you have treasures, incorporate them, but try grouping them together so they have more impact. Put three reindeer together on the tree."
If you have really special but also really old ornaments, perhaps from your parents or grandparents, don't let them disappear into a sea of decorations, Drinkwater advised. Instead give them new prominence by taking them off the tree and displaying them on a table.
"Perhaps put them together in a bowl or on a tray and then place them where they invite conversation," she said.
More glitter
"It's all about the shine and glitter is huge," said Heather Wolsey, owner of Seasons Gift Shop.
This year's most popular ornaments are metallic copper or bronze, she said.
"Because so many people have neutral grey or mushroom on their walls, these new metallics add a pop of Christmas colour. And this year, those metallic shades are combined with aqua, blue or teal," she said, adding that a simple, inexpensive change to the décor could be as easy as threading a ribbon of lime green through the tree.
"It's still green, but it's also fresh and bright," she said.
Wolsey also commented on the circular theme of Christmas trends through the years.
"Glitter is in again and angels have come back, but they are metal angels. This year gingerbread and nutcrackers are out," she said with a laugh.
Angels may be back into the theme but not necessarily on top of the tree. Instead of a tiny star or angel topper, designers this year are making a statement on top of the tree with big floral arrangements or a gathered, star-shaped bundle of branches and berries.
"Think of the tree as a vase and put a floral arrangement on the top, perhaps with artificial poinsettias or hydrangeas. Or simply use a large bow for the top of the tree," Christopher said.
In her own house, Wolsey has two trees. The children's school decorations are on the family tree, where the presents are arranged. The designer tree, where she experiments and plays with different colour themes each year, is in the living room.
Nonetheless, Wolsey makes sure each Christmas Eve that a pickle is hidden inside the family tree.
"It's an old German tradition. On Christmas morning, the first person to find the dill pickle gets an extra present. In our house, that person gets a giant Mars Bar," Wolsey said.
