Tree Toppers

Tree toppers come in all shapes and sizes. The traditional star or angel tree topper still reigns supreme but the current trend for floristry is a popular modern look. At Christmas Elves we let our imagination run wild and use owls, crowns and butterflies as tree toppers. These examples should give you plenty of ideas for your own tree.

This pink and white topper is quite a confection, made of artificial foam flowers, fabric roses and white ostrich feathers. Start with larger pieces first and twist the heavier flower stems around the Christmas tree branches for support. Add the feathers last for a delicate flourish.

There are no hard or fast rules as long as the tree topper is appropriate to the height of the tree and sits up straight. If you’ve selected floral sprays and flowers for your tree topper it helps to create balance with large and small blooms. Mix it up with shiny metallic sprays and more naturalistic flowers like this Australian floral tree topper.

It’s a lot of fun to add animals to your Christmas tree theme and they also look great as part of your tree topper. This white peacock is a stunning example of how larger pieces can be attached to your tree. I’ve used cable ties to secure the peacock to the upper part of the tree pole for stability.

It’s always fun to take your Christmas tree theme right to the very top. In this example the candy canes and lollipops are a great shape and a bit of fun. There are many novelty options available too, you’ll often find a cone built inside tree toppers to make them sit upright. Each year Katherine’s Collection have amazing tree toppers from the classic star to character pieces.

If you’re decorating a tree for a corporate client or looking for that wow factor, get creative. This Venetian styled wreath was suspended from the ceiling and is a much more theatrical tree topper. If you don’t have space for a large piece individual snowflakes or baubles can be suspended around the tree with fishing wire it will add another dimension to the overall design.

You don’t need expensive products to create a colourful tree topper, ribbons and baubles can look very effective. I looped two ribbons (burgundy velvet/gold mesh) throughout the top of the tree and secured with plastic Christmas baubles which are threaded onto floristry wire. Another option is to make a triple bow and leave a longer tail on the bow, this fills in the tree nicely. Once the bows are attached you can add more decorations.

The main issue with any tree topper is balance. Most trees have a single tip (green tree sprig) that sticks up at the top. This does not provide the stability that most tree toppers need. These tricks of the trade may help.

Fold the uppermost green tip  over and then wind any surrounding tips around the base of the topper.

If your tree topper is heavy attach a narrow pole to the topper with floristry wire or cable ties. Then cable tie the base of the pole to the centre of the Christmas tree pole. This allows your topper to peek out effortlessly from the top of the tree.

Floristry wire is also ideal if you need to give your topper a bit of help.