DH and our daughter-in-law put up the snow tree. “Snowing” it is the final (and most fun) part. They gently laid handfuls of shredded artificial snow on the branches.

I made the snowball ornaments for this tree years ago.

Our daughter helped her sister-in-law sprinkle the topping of iridescent snow over the finished tree. I had to ask them to turn around and look at me. All I had were pictures of backs. Side note…you can’t go wrong with a Little Giant ladder! Every time we need to get up to something, we remark on how glad we are to have it!

A little greenery over the picture and a little snow on the cupboard tree, and we’re almost done.

Silver spindles hang from the reproduction lighting.

The windowsills need some candles and then we’ll be done with the dining room. All but the pick up…I confess there are a few boxes and odds and ends left in the room. But we’re well on our way with the decorating!

~~Rhonda

To prepare the round table for the tree, we hang lights below the table, put lights on top the table and then place a large round piece of table glass on top.

Command Strips hold the light strings under the table. Easy to remove when needed, we use a lot of these at Christmas time.

On top the table are blocks of wood to support the glass. We use three pieces of 2×4 lumber to support the center of the glass which bears the most weight from the tree. I cut rounds of no-slip rubber (I think it was shelf lining) and we place one under the wood and one on top to keep everything from sliding.

The glass top is placed over the lights and wood blocks.

I place a sheet over the glass. This year we used LED lights under the table and they show up better than the old lights because they are brighter.

The tree is progressing well. After it is on the table I place batting on top the glass around the base of the tree and cover that with a round piece of batting that I scalloped. It has a slit in it so it fits around the base of the tree. I place it over the first layer of batting. The scallops fall just over the edge of the table.

Many of the light bulbs are decorated with light covers.

I bought these about ten years ago and have not seen them lately. Mine came in bags of 24 for $3. You can google “Christmas light covers” or “Christmas light caps” and check IMAGES. There are some other styles available.

They add a lot of dimension to the white lights.

We will finish the snow tree with a garland of silver tinsel and then “snow” it this evening. DD loves to help with that. I’ll post more pictures later. I want to get this posted so you can see some of the progress we’re making.

~~Rhonda

The inexpensive blue vase came from Wal-Mart and it and others like it were used at a friend’s wedding to hold bouquets on the reception tables. The large vase makes a great hurricane for the candle. The lights in the background are on the redbud tree outside the window.

The dining room Christmas tree is our “Snow Tree.” The quilt batting that covers the sheet was cut with a decorative scalloped edge.

Buttercup loves to sleep here, near the east window.

I use shredded plastic snow to “snow” the tree. It looks beautiful! We apply about eight bags of the artificial snow to this tree. There’s an urge to throw it on and see where it lands, but that doesn’t give the best effect. And it makes a mess! The best way to put it on the tree is to take a large handful and gently lay it on top of the branch. When the season is over, after taking all the ornaments off, we shake the tree, sweep up the snow, then vacuum the tree and the floor. We can’t remove it all, but this tree is used for the same theme each year, so that doesn’t matter. As with all our trees that go to the attic in one piece for storage, a large tree bag is put over the tree. It is tied shut at the base of the trunk so the excess snow doesn’t litter the floors and staircases.

DD#3 *loves* to help with this project. All the ceilings in the original part of the house, both downstairs and upstairs are 12′ high. Because of that, I like to sit trees on top of tables, dressers, boxes, etc., to give them height.

Two large wooden snowflakes, wired together near the top, slip over the tip of the tree and make a great finishing touch.

The 7′ tree sits on an antique oak table. We keep extra bags of snow under the table in case we need to add more during the season, though we seldom do. The snow stays on the tree very well. We use 3M Command strips to hang lights under the table. These shine, especially at night, through the white sheet that covers the table. We tried using the outdoor lights that come in three layers of scallops under the table, but they are difficult to keep from tangling during storage. Now we use a long single strand of white lights and take it several times around the inside of the table. Much easier to handle.

On top the table, a round of tabletop glass is set on wooden blocks, with 2×4 reinforcement under the stand itself, and white lights are placed under the glass. It gives the entire table a beautiful glow through the batting and the white sheet. On top of the batting and the sheet is spread a piece of white tulle spangled with silver snowflakes.

In another corner, a small tree on top an old cupboard is also “snowed.”

This picture was taken just before our annual open house in 2006. The cupboard belonged to DH’s paternal grandparents.

Another wall is decorated with a lighted church and antique kerosene lamps. The picture above the table is an enlarged reproduction of a vintage postcard. The snow tree is reflected in the glass.

We are hosting two events this weekend, so I need to get back to work. More about that later! ~~Rhonda