Green room with trees and wreaths made from recycled magazines and newspaper

It took an hour for 90 people to get through three security checkpoints to get inside the White House.  They were super thorough. 

Once inside, it was easy to move about the public areas of the house.  There was a screen set up in the lower cross hall to screen the President and First Family as they came and went.  I am certain they have little privacy, so this was understandable.  The house is really beautiful.  It feels very intimate for the President’s residence, which surprised me.  It is a big house, don’t get me wrong, but the overall feeling is very approachable and welcoming. 

Our first task was to unload all the trucks with the supplies we had been working on at the warehouse.  This took about two hours.  You would get a box, take it to where it needed to go, and then go get another one.  Some of the things took two or three people to carry, so it took a while.  I was one of a few volunteers who got to walk through the Palm Room and Rose Garden to help unload things that were destined for the West Wing.  This area is typically totally off limits, so it was great to see it first hand.  The oval office was visible and within a few hundred feet of me.  The rose garden is beautiful in person.

Once the trucks were unloaded we started working in our assigned rooms.  I worked in the East Room.  Bill was the room lead.  He is an 82 year old man who has been decorating during the holidays at the White House for more than 40 years.  He is amazing at the stories he tells….and can referrence looks from so many different administrations.  One thing he said is that the recycled newspaper trees in the Green Room are a direct take off of something that was done in the 1940’s when there were no additional resources from which to make decorations.  I was in charge of designing the way the ribbon was placed on the East Room trees.  We used four ribbons:  a really wide gold satin ribbon, a blue silky ribbon, a blue brocade ribbon, and a soft blue.  The soft blue would be made into rosettes along with a plum color.  The color scheme in the East Room was derived from the peacock theme in that room.  Ultimately, the “Simple Gift” of the East Room was the “Gift of Nature’s Splendor”.  We had six large peacocks that a Michigan artist had made from dried flowers he had gathered from the woods around his home.  We used one of these at the top of each tree, and worked gold leaves and some of the large rosettes arund them so they appeared to be nesting in the trees.  The other two peacocks would be used in the garland over the entrance door to the East Room.  With the help of two other people, I tied the peacocks into the tops of all four 14 feet tall trees in the East Room. 

A completed East Room tree with ribbon and peacock theme

Peacocks on top of the East Room trees during the Reception

Monday morning started another amazing day.  When I got to the White House this morning at 7:30, I could not believe what a giant mess we had left the night before.  Even though we spent an hour straightening up, it was still a disaster.  I was relieved to know that even in the President’s house, a fantastic Christmas decorating job makes an enormous mess.  By mid-day there were scads of volunteers just breaking down boxes and carrying trash out to the trucks. 

I continued to work in the East Room.  After I got a team working on each tree, I took on the task of decorating the garland over the entrance door to the room.  Alison was my helper.  We placed lengths of all four ribbons, two giant peacocks made from dried flowers, and many of the gold leaves that had been used before.  We also added some glass ornaments, and it was spectacular when it was complete. 

We had lunch today (and every day at the White House) in the State Dining Room.  There was an array of things to choose from, and everthing we ate was delicious.  In the mid-afternoon each day there was a special treat.  Sunday we had chocolate chip cookies, today popcorn.  The smell of these things baking filled the rooms just like it does at home.  It really made you feel like you were working on something for yourself. 

There are layers of detail everywhere.  The Blue Room tree is really interesting with all the decorations being made by SCAD….Savannah College of Art and Design.  It really does have the “Simple Gifts” theme, with all of the decorations being made from recycled or 100% sustainable products.  The East Room is probably the most elegant room.   The Red Room is my favorite.  How could you not love that color?  It is such a pretty shade of red, and this year they have mixed purple and hot pink with the red.  It is rich and beautiful. 

The Red Room with the Simple Gift theme of "Christmas Traditions." The White House tradition in the red room is the cranberry tree, and this year, Chief Floral Designer Laura Dowling created a modern interpretation with a deconstructed cranberry ball.

The cranberry ball in the Red Room

The elegant mantle in the Red Room

Garland over the East Room entrance

There are many people on the White House staff who have been there for years.  Bob, one of the carpenters who helped me on this day has been there for over 20 years.  He came to the rescue when the large garland I was working on broke in two.  It had to be competely disassembled and re-done.  Everyone on staff is really friendly. 

Tuesday was my favorite day.  The house shaped up fairly quickly, and the majority of spaces were completed by 2:00.  I had to hang all the wreaths above the mantles in the East Room on the mirrors and do bows and gold leaves on them.  The paintings of George and Martha Washington by Gilbert Stuart and Eliphalet Andrews that had been covered up while we were in the room decorating were uncovered, and the 18th century creche was also uncovered.  It had been hiding behind the curtains of the large windo in the East Room.

Creche in the East Room

One of the wreaths on the four mirrors in the East Room

One thing that has been amazing to me is what a great job the Social Secretary’s office did in selecting the volunteers.  Both people who are gifted with a knack for design and those who aren’t are totally necessary.  They had the mix perfected.  There is really a place for both types of people.  I could not have done the work that I did without the help of someone preparing the things I was working and handing them to me.  Otherwise, I would have been coming up and down the ladders every minute. 

The Grand Foyer was the last room to be completed.  The trees were done yesterday, but the garlands weren’t started until 2:00.  All of the lead designers from each room ended up working on the Grand Foyer garlands.  There was a great energy here.  It was great so see everyone who had created the centerpiece of each room come together as a team in the foyer.  We covered the garlands with red poinsettia blossoms made out of ribbon, gold pinecones, repurposed gold leaves, and whatever ribbon we could scrounge together from the different rooms.  The garlands were amazing, and would become the backdrop of the First Lady’s address at the reception I would attend on Wednesday. 

One of the four garlands in the Grand Foyer

Beautiful garland and wreath in the Grand Foyer

Detail of garlands in the Grand Foyer

Fun poinsettia ribbon flowers for the Grand Foyer

There are many other beautiful spaces in the White House, and each had its own special “Simple Gift.”  Scrolls were added to each tree explaining the symbolism.  It was very emotional to see the meanings that were intended behind all the work that was done.  Following are photos of more of the spaces along with descriptions of their “Simple Gifts.”

East Colonade and the "Gifts of the Garden" with wreaths made from preserved gourds

"The Gift of a Child's Joy" in the East Entrance. All the gingerbread decorations were made by children whose parents are in the military.

"The Gift of Music" in the Vermeill Room

"The Gift of Stories" in the Library.

Lower Cross hall and the "Gift of the Poinsettia"

Diplomatic Reception Room

Mantle detail in the Diplomatic Reception Room

China Room and the "Gift of Family." The table is set with the Reagan china.

White chocolate gingerbread White House in the State Dining Room

State Dining Room and the "Gift of Celebrating with Friends and Family"

Sconce detail in the State Dining Room

Beautiful garland in the Diplomatic Reception Room

First, it is great to set the mood.  Christmas music always helps, as does some cider on the stove, and on a cold day, a fire in the fireplace.  The sounds and smells of Christmas are unmistakable.  The first photo shows the corner where the tree goes before the tree is added.  We have removed a chair that normally occupies the space to creat a little more room for the tree.  My client wanted a large tree, and I accomodated her request with this nine foot tree.  When you measure for an articifial Christmas tree, remember that the last 8 to 12 inches of the height is going to be the single sprig of green that sticks out the top.  It is easy to bend that part of the tree over, so you can cheat a little bigger tree in a space sometimes by using that trick.  

When possible, I like for a tree to almost touch the ceiling.  This tree is heavily laden with decorations which makes the lower branches touch the floor when the tree is finished.  I gave the tree a little extra boost in height by placing it on a pedestal of concrete blocks.  The pedestal lifts the lower branches perfectly, which you will see in the last photograph in the post.  Make sure that the base of the tree is stable on the blocks.  We also placed a carpet remnant under the blocks to prevent damage to the wood floor.

The next image shows the lights.  This tree was pre-lit with tiny clear lights, but for more visual interest, we added pinceone lights.  The pinecone lights are clear, large glass bulbs in the shape of pinecones.  They add a great deal of sparkle to this tree.  Pinecone lights are available at Bobby Todd Antiques.  The following image shows the tree fully lit.

The next step is ribbon garland.  It is easiest to put the ribbon on the tree before the tree is decorated.  This way, you can get it draped perfectly and put the ornaments in the areas that won’t be covered up with ribbon.  I like nice deep swags with the ribbon.  For this tree, we used five different ribbons for a look rich in color and texture.  Don’t be afraid to incorporate colors from your room into your Christmas decorations.  You can always add a touch of traditional red and green in with your colors.  Ribbon garland is easiest to apply when two people are helping with the tree.  One person can be draping the ribbon while the other person is holding the ribbon bolts and keeping the ribbon straight.  I run all five ribbons at the same time.  The look is just as good as running them seperately, and the time it saves is priceless.  For this tree, we used a total of 30 yards of each ribbon used.

The next photo shows the tree after we put glitter twigs and berry picks on it.  Picks and twigs add a fun element to the tree, and really make it look like it has just been brought in from outside.  Picks also help to fill in some holes which might be in the tree.  I like to put a cluster of picks and twigs at the top of the tree to make it seem more full, and then also have them sticking out of the tree all the way down.  When you put them in the tree itself as well as the top, the twigs and picks seem more a part of the whole concept of the tree and not just a “topper.”

Place the largest ornaments on the tree next.  Large ornaments can be used to fill in holes in the tree, and also used deep within the tree to add visual depth to the tree.  Pick a spot to start, and evenly place the ornaments on the tree.  Don’t be afraid to put a large ornament near the top of the tree.  This really helps keep your color scheme tied together, and keeps the tree looking uniform.  A good idea before you start placing the decorations on the tree is to group them by color.  Typically, I cover a sofa  with a sheet to keep glitter off the upholstery, and organize the ornaments for the tree there.  Group by color and size, and put all of one type on the tree at the same time.  Start with the biggest and work down to the smallest.  

The next photo shows the addition of yellow gold balls to the tree.  This color adds a brightness and freshness to this tree, and incorporates the yellow that is in the room.

Continue to layer on the ornaments.   The final thing we add on this tree is a peppermint garland.  Decorative beaded garlands like this should always be added last.  You want them to be completely on the outside of the tree and not hidden by other ornaments.  When you “coat” the tree with a garland like this it really acts as a unifying factor in your design.

The next image shows the completed tree. 

The final image shows the tree skirt.  I had this skirt custom made for my client using scraps and bits of trimmings left over from the drapery and upholstery projects we did in her home.  Every room is represented in this skirt.  This is a fabulous tree skirt, but a couple of yards of red velvet  or an old quilt would work just as well.  I find that tree skirts you buy in stores are not large enough.  They never show because they aren’t large enough to stick out from underneath the tree.  A few yards of fabric will most always be a better choice. 

Now that the work is done, the cider is hot, and the fire is cracklin’, sit back and enjoy your beautiful creation.  

Christmas tree empty corner

Blocks to elevate tree

Decorative lights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fully lit Christmas tree

 

 

 

 

Ribbon garland on Christmas tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berry picks and glitter twigs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large ornaments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold ornaments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Addition of large figures and colorful ornaments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More ornaments added

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Completed Christmas tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas tree skirt