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We began our month of Chinoiserie Chic holiday decorating yesterday with a look at Meg Braff's wonderful Chinoiserie dining room decorated for the holidays. You can read it here -

Holiday Decorating at Chinoiserie Chic

Today we look at the bonsai Christmas tree. Not everyone has the space, time, energy, or desire to put up a big Christmas tree. Or perhaps you put up a big tree, but would like a smaller one for a dining room table centerpiece, the entryway, the coffee table, or to display very special ornaments.

Some of you may remember this fantastic bonsai Christmas tree from the December 2009 Martha Stewart Living. It involves taking an artificial bonsai tree, spray painting it with gold paint, dusting it with gold glitter, and adding lantern ornaments and birds. Here are the details if you'd like to create it yourself.

Asian-Inspired Christmas Tree

Who says Christmas trees have to be fir? Inspired by the bonsai collection at the Arnold Arboretum in his native Boston, Martha Stewart Living's Kevin Sharkey created this enchanting roost using an artificial bonsai.

Spray-painted gold and accented with glitter, it rises out of a traditional pot topped with moss and snow. Japanese-lantern ornaments provide a pleasing change of scale, but the crowning glories of this tree are the birds -- coated in glitter and grouped in flocks of like colors.

The crowning glories of our Asian-Inspired Christmas Tree are the birds -- coated in glitter and grouped in flocks of like colors.
Tools and Materials
Birds: B&J Florist Supply
Fine glitter: Martha Stewart Crafts, from Michaels
Shard-glass glitter: artglitter.com

How-To
1. Working in sections, paint artificial bird body with white craft glue.
2. Hold bird over bowl of fine glitter; use a spoon to sprinkle with glitter.
3. Repeat process for bird tail, using shard-glass glitter for texture.



Here's an even easier one - just hang a few choice ornaments from an artificial bonsai tree.


And here are my new favorite Chinoiserie bonsai Christmas tree ideas this year from ZGallerie.  Buy one of these beauties in silver or gold, hang some favorite ornaments, and you're done. I'm thinking one of these might be perfect for my very special collection of Jay Strongwater ornaments.

Decorating for Thanksgiving can go beyond setting a beautiful table. I found these two giant acorn ornaments for my sideboard yesterday at HomeGoods for $5.99. After Thanksgiving, they will go on the Christmas tree. I also still have all my heirloom pumpkins (uncarved) from Halloween for an outdoor display at my door. These will go out in the trash after Thanksgiving, but they still look wonderful after almost two months.

Here are more great ideas for decorating your home for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow, we will look at setting the Thanksgiving table with Chinoiserie.

Jennifer (The Pink Pagoda) and I were chatting about Thanksgiving and turkey. Do you feel like you are "required" to eat turkey on Thanksgiving? Don't tell anyone, but we are having lobster.

The front door

Orange mums in blue and white Chinese porcelain

Orange lampshades

Orange pillows

Orange mums in blue and white Chinese porcelain

Orange velvet pillows with Greek key

An orange lamp

Skulking around one of my favorite consignment stores on Tuesday, I spotted this gorgeous gold leaf Chinoiserie lamp. I knew it to be a reverse on glass painted and decoupage lamp from the 1940s. I scooped it up for $79 and they were so apologetic that it is missing its lamp shade. Look at two similar pairs I found on 1stdibs - one for $3,900 for the pair and the other $2,800. I think mine is by far nicer. It is 22" tall and in perfect condition. I used to decoupage and I know how much work went into this beauty.

For a lampshade, I think I'm going with a shallow drum shade in dupioni silk - a more modern and unexpected pairing that I like. I always find tall thin lamps the hardest to choose shades for. Here are the color choices below with more shots of my lamp.

1stdibs - $3,900 for the pair

1stdibs - $2,800 for the pair

Bronze

Chocolate Brown

Pistachio Green

Lipstick Red

Brick Red

Seaglass

Silver

Have a favorite color? What lampshade would you choose? I think I'm going with the silver. It's a subtle and elegant choice and will work well in the room it is going in.


Update - Lots of emails and comments on the plates - they are Chelsea House. I love the way they go with the Brunschwig & Fils Xian fabric on the stools.