This Santa Claus tree is deeply meaningful to me. It’s a representation of the woodworking tradition on my dad’s side of the family. My grandpa was an incredible woodworker and a lover of Christmas. He started carving later in life, and he usually chose to carve Santas. Sharing his love of Christmas, I would fawn all over his creations when we went to visit. So every year, he started carving me (and other members of the family) an original Santa Claus.
After my sweet grandpa passed, my dad (and a few cousins) picked up his Santa carving tradition. So every year my dad now gifts my sister and I an original Santa to add to our collection.
But my dad has become a prolific Santa carver!
I’m not exaggerating when I say my dad may carve multiple Santa Clauses in a week! He’s started making these little Santa faces that are full of personality and detail. When I visited this summer he pulled out a cardboard box FULL of Santa faces and told me to take what I wanted.
I could see this Santa Claus tree in my mind the second he said that. So I pulled out about 15 little Clauses to make the trek back to Tennessee with me.
Santa Claus Christmas Tree
I think small trees are vastly underrated.
Y’all, small trees really let your ornaments and design shine through. The tree becomes less of a beautiful, majestic show stopper and more of a vessel for your storytelling design. I knew that I wanted the focus to be on each individual primitive Santa Claus. That way their personality and craftsmanship could really shine!
This mini Christmas tree is about 2.5 feet tall. I bought it from Hobby Lobby for less than twenty bucks, and I have gotten SO much use out of it. AND, I saw that they had them again on the shelves this year. I highly recommend buying a few. They look great with and without ornaments.
Anyway, I wanted this little tree to feature the ornaments, but also have a complete feeling. I decided to reflect the wood ornaments and put the tree into a handmade wood bowl.
Another win with tabletop trees is that the bases are so much easier to hide!
I removed the burlap that usually covers the base and placed it in one my dad’s handmade wooden bowls. Then, I covered the mechanics of the base with some stuffing, which you can buy at any craft or fabric store. It is a good approximation of snow in small spaces. This base helped the tree look finished and polished, but really kept the focus on the Santa Claus ornaments.
Now, I almost hung these with some gorgeous, raw edged silk ribbons. If you’re trying to get ideas for how to spruce up a Christmas tree, you can’t go wrong with raw edge silk. But for this one, the silk threw the ornaments out of proportion on this small tree. Instead, I used green floral wire, and attached the Santa ornaments to the tree that way.
I’m in love with this Santa Claus themed tree.
Santa Claus Themed Christmas Trees
Santa Claus Christmas trees are and will forever be popular!
The usual route is to stick with a red and white palette on a traditional green Christmas tree. You’ve seen a lot of these, I bet. And folks find so many creative ways to make this design new and exciting every year.
If you’re brainstorming what to add to your Santa themed tree, some of my favorites variations on the theme include:
- Striped and gingham patterns
- Banners with the word “Believe”
- Santa Clauses in non-traditional colors
- Letters to Santa
- And old world Father Christmas décor
MORE INSPIRATION: Check out this North Pole Pinterest Board, this Santa Claus Pinterest Board and this Red & White Décor Pinterest Board for even more inspiration for your own Santa Claus Themed Tree.
Sharing Collections on Christmas Trees
If you want your Christmas décor to feel more meaningful, pick something Christmas-y to start collecting. It’s not only fun to be constantly on the lookout for your treasures, it’s a great way to share your love of Christmas with your family.
My collection of hand carved wood Santas might be my most prized possession. They connect me in so many ways with my family. And, I can’t wait until my son is old enough to start carving them with his grandpa. I swear, the day I add my baby’s first handmade Santa to my collection, I will weep. How magical!
Christmas is a great time to start a collection. Think about what you are always drawn to, and get your magpie on. And the best part is that you don’t have to buy the more expensive vintage items if you don’t want. You’re the collection starter, so the goal is that anything you buy now will become vintage as time goes on!
Every time I see this Santa Claus tree, I’m genuinely moved. It’s adorable and festive, and I love that. But, mostly, it is a beautiful reminder of my dad and my grandpa. Our heritage is so much more than our genetics and heirlooms. Our heritage is truly these shared memories and passions that we get to cherish and include our children in.
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Make merrie with this little freebie
Download this bow SVG cut file - on me! Perfect for ornaments, garlands, or gift tags.
