Botanic Bleu: French Country Christmas Tabletop Tree

Tabletop Christmas trees have become some of my favorite trees, especially when they have French Country flair. This year the main tree in the house is a tabletop tree in a metal champagne pedestal urn. Cannot get a tree container any more French than that!

The tree sits in the living room atop the blanket box that serves as a coffee table. Not that I ever serve coffee from the blanket box/table. Coffee Table is a description that doesn't really describe the small tables in front of sofas in this time period. In my house.

French Country Christmas

Tabletop Tree

Tabletop Tree From Standard Size Tree

While the tree is tabletop, sitting in the champagne urn on top of the coffee table brings its height to the same height as a standard 6'-7' tree sitting on the floor. And the tree is definitely center of attention in the living room.

The tree is not perfect. There is a distinct crook in the main trunk that leans to one side, visible from this view. But, I like the overall shape and fullness of the tree's branches.

The tree was a standard 6'-7' tree, but we cut the top out of the tree to make this tabletop tree size. I discovered this trick a few years ago as a way to get a nice full tabletop tree and lots of beautiful greenery to use elsewhere throughout the inside and outside of the house all from just one standard size tree. Tabletop trees sold at tree lots often are sparse and look rather like a 'Charlie Brown' tree. Standard size trees are fuller with nicer shapes. Most years I find a nice full tree that is not leaning like this year's tree.

From other directions in the room the crooked leaning main branch is not apparent.

Tree Decorations

The decorations for this year's tree are minimal which allows the tree to be the focus instead of decorations.

Four items decorate the tree.

Champagne urn as tree holder.
Clustered snowflake lights surround the urn's rim.
metal ribbon bow sits at the top of the tree branches.
Gold star is a tree topper.

The silver metal champagne urn is the perfect size and shape to complement the tree. A large plastic round plant saucer sits inside the urn to hold water for the fresh-cut tree. The rim supports the snowflake lights, and the inside plant saucer keeps the lights out of the water.

The urn also provides space beneath the tree for presents on the blanket box.

A gold metal star has a long stem which is great for attaching the star to a single, long main tree branch. I tied the top of the star with a thin gold wired ribbon just at the bottom of the star and made a bow to hold the star to the branch. Then tied another strand of thin gold wired ribbon to the bottom of the star's stem to hold the stem to the branch.

A large metal ribbon with curling tails hides most of the thin gold ribbon that holds the star's stem in place.

The metal bow can also be used as a tree topper, as decoration on a large Christmas gift, or on a door wreath.

I bought this metal bow several years ago, but after looking at it on the tree this year, I think I could make a similar metal bow from metallic ribbon. I plan to watch for narrow metallic ribbon at the craft stores all during the year.

Presents under the tree

A collection of paper wine gift bags have beautiful blue and white French Country acanthus leaf patterns that coordinate with my everyday blue and white home decor. By happenstance they are the exact height of the champagne urn.

Presentation, Presentation, Presentation

Presentation is part of everyday French Country style, not just at special occasions!

Beautiful packaging, ribbons, and gift tags are all part of a Christmas present. Receiving a beautifully wrapped gift enhances the entire experience.

Navy and white Noël gift tags add another touch of French Country style to Christmas decorations.

Wine gift bags are for more than bottles of wine. These gorgeous bags are also great for candles, rolled-up cotton T-shirts, house shoes, homemade candies/cookies, oven mitts, aprons, gardening tools, or anything you can fit inside.

Christmas decor all around

A lumbar angel pillow in blues, reds, and yellows are not the standard Christmas colors, but illustrate Christmas decorations can be other colors beside red and green.

This angel image is part of An Angel Playing a Flageolet by Edward Burne-Jones in 1878 which is my favorite angel painting.

Poinsettias are long lasting traditional Christmas flowers that come in many new colors, but white and pink remain my favorites.

A simple trio decorates the mantel this year. The metal olive leaf wreath is everyday, but works as French Country Christmas decor also. The three golden standing angels were new last year.

A large white urn filled with artificial paperwhites sits on the dining table behind the sofa.