By Cindy Mullet
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
“Got to have glitter when you do Christmas – lots of glitter,” is the advice Dave Steiner gives for decorating at Christmas.
Steiner decorated a tree for the Glendive Public Library’s community room and then gave a presentation describing his work to those attending a Friends of the Library sponsored Lunch and Learn session Wednesday noon.
Steiner said he had planned to leave half the tree undecorated and finish it during his talk, but quickly realized that wouldn’t work. He was making too big a mess and taking too much time. Instead he finished the tree and then explained his process.
When thinking about decorating a tree, the first step is deciding on a theme, Steiner explained. For the library tree, he chose a purple and silver theme on a basic white tree, then went to his storage area and pulled out the totes with purple and silver decorations.
Lights went on the tree first. He used two strings with 100 lights each, starting at the bottom and weaving up to the top, nesting the lights back into the tree. For a taller tree, Steiner said he would have started the lights at the top of the tree and worked down.
After the lights were where he wanted them, he chose a bow and placed it just below the top of the tree, providing a focal point. With the bow in place, he began adding netting, ribbon and ornaments, playing with different ideas until he was satisfied. Telling someone else how it all comes together isn’t easy, though.
“It just happens,” he said. “It’s hard to explain.”
Steiner does have some tips though. He advises decorators to do all the big stuff first then start adding accents such as berries and sticks to give texture. The last step is to tuck in acrylic ornaments which reflect and add to the tree lights so fewer actual lights are needed, he said.
Making the focal point bow nice and full is also vital. Steiner starts with a basic six-loop bow and glues in “cheaters” to achieve the desired shape and fullness. By his estimate, he used six yards of ribbon for the bow and a total of 50 yards on the library tree.
When he comes across an ornament or decoration he likes, he tends to buy it then and there. Sometimes he picks up items after Christmas, but he has discovered if he waits and goes back for an item, he won’t find it, he said.
Weighing in on the debate between buying a tree with lights or one without, Steiner opts for the one without. It is more versatile to work with. Unpacking a tree with lights, putting it up and discovering half the lights are out, is also very frustrating, he noted.
Working with different colors and themes makes decorating Christmas trees fun for Steiner but getting the effect he wants is not always an easy or quick process. He ended up working on the library tree for seven to eight hours before he was satisfied with it, he said.
While Steiner has always been fascinated with Christmas and decorating, he really started messing around with it after he moved to his own place. It kind of “metastasized” after that, he said.
The variety of ornaments and decorations available now make it even more fun and challenging. Decorating for Christmas means a lot of work for Steiner but seeing the joyous and festive result is very satisfying.
Reach Cindy Mullet at
crmullet@midrivers.com
