Beach Theme Christmas Tree
If you can’t go to the seashore for the holidays bring it home to you. Create your own Beach Theme Christmas Tree with these great ideas!
My Beach Theme Christmas Tree
I have to be totally honest and admit that I’m not a huge fan of “themed” Christmas decorations. My usual style is traditional all the way, maybe to the point of boring!
Part of that is due to my sentimental side. The majority of ornaments on my Christmas tree are those made by my children when they were little. They are decades old, some made of paper and terribly fragile. None are fancy, but to me each and every ornament is beautiful. I see lots more that the scribbled crayon. I see all the memories that go with it.
As you might imagine then, my big Christmas tree in my family room is the same this year as it has been for many, many years past. It may not be gorgeous to anyone else, but for me it is a lovingly decorated masterpiece.
Then one day I was in our local At Home store and stumbled across a collection of coastal Christmas decorations. They weren’t just cute. They were adorable! They called to me, drew me in, demanded that I stop and stare and admire.
It was love at first sight, which totally surprised me. I’m such a traditionalist. My Christmas tree topper has always been either an angel or a star because I am ALL about the true meaning of Christmas. In fact my absolute favorite part of the holiday is and always has been the Christmas Eve candlelight church service.
But then, my holidays have also always included gift giving and Santa and fun ways to celebrate the season. It occurred to me then that the reason themed decorations had never had any appeal for me was that I’d never seen any that I really loved. Oh, but the beach tree ornaments changed all that!
Besides, there was no need to give up my wonderful traditional tree that I love so much. I simply bought a small tree that is just the right size for my home office.
A Few Close-up Photos
Now I’m certainly no great photographer, but hopefully you get the gist of it. Below are closeups of a few of the ornaments. Altogether the tree looks great in person.
DIY Beach Theme Christmas Tree – Step-By-Step
My tree is just an example. You can make your own beach theme Christmas tree in any color or style you choose. Create anything from whimsical to elegant. I’ve even see a tree that combined a farmhouse look with coastal colors.
Here’s my step-by-step guide to help you make your own beach style tree this year.
1. Location and Size First
First determine where you plan to place your tree. Will this be your big tree in your family room? Other options could be a home office like mine, a guest room or any bedroom, a sun porch, a gameroom, or even the kitchen or breakfast room if you have the space.
Once you know that, decide on size. You can do anything from a massive live tree to a tiny tabletop tree. Artificial trees come in a wide range of sizes, and you can also choose from green, white, or silver.
The tree in my photos above is 4 feet tall. Mine is quite old, but Amazon has lots to choose from in that size. The 4-foot artificial Canadian Fir tree below is pre-lit which is a nice time saver. Click the image to see it on Amazon.
2. Ornaments Next
My original ornaments came from At Home. That was a year ago, and this year they don’t have any beachy Christmas décor, none! For that reason I recommend you start with ornaments first. You may have your heart set on a certain look, but whether you can achieve it depends on what’s available.
One caveat here – before you start shopping read about the Tree Skirt below. That could possibly play into your color selection.
Your search for ornaments can be a year-round adventure. Whenever you travel keep an eye out for gift shops, souvenir stores, and anywhere else that sells holiday decorations. I once stumbled across the most amazing Christmas store while visiting the Outer Banks. It had thousands of Christmas tree ornaments for every style or theme you can imagine. Closer to home, I’ve seen lots of ornaments while shopping at the Natchitoches Christmas Festival, from elegant to interesting to whimsical.
Of course you’ll also find lots of options online. Here are some interesting places to start your search:
- Etsy
- Christmas Mouse
- Completely Coastal
- Old World Christmas
- Zazzle (selection will vary from time to time)
- Bealls (2022 selection – not sure they carry these every year)
Then there is Amazon, and you may be surprised. They have some really nice ornaments in a wide range of styles. Here’s just one example:
The entire collection is huge. Click here to see all the beach ornaments on Amazon.
3. Lights
Now that you know your overall style and your colors, choose lights that will enhance the look rather than overpower or distract from it. Clear is a good match for most coastal colors, but you may also be able to find lights in just the right blues or greens.
Amazon has these clear lights with white wire that would go well with lots of beachy color choices, and especially if you’re using a white tree:
Only use traditional red and green lights if those colors are on at least some of your ornaments. You need that to blend your Christmas and beach themes into one nice look.
4. Tree Skirt
My personal choice for this is a towel. Any bath towel you have around the house will do if it’s the right color. For full size trees you could use one or more beach towels.
As mentioned above, think about beach towels before you start shopping for ornaments. You may have something in colors you love. You might also be willing to buy a brand new beach towel just to get the colors or the look you’re after.
Unless you’re planning this in summer, you’ll have better luck shopping online for a beach towel. You might try these sites:
5. A Little Something Extra
I got lucky and found that cute “Seas and Greetings” sign. If you don’t find something similar, come up with your own idea. Such as…
- Buy small picture frames that match your theme, and frame family photos of past Christmases.
- Wrap real gifts or empty boxes in paper to match your theme and place them under your tree.
- Scatter your tree skirt with seashells. You can use real ones that you have collected or shop for “fake” seashells, starfish, or sand dollars.
- Place nautical-look items such as rope or small buoys around the base of the tree.
Finally, if you need more ideas on any of the above, the best place on earth to look is Pinterest! The only problem with that is you’ll find so many ideas you love it will be hard to choose just one!
What about gifts for under that cute tree?
If you’re shopping for others who love the seashore, you might like to see:
Please share!
