Judy Hardaway of www.amazing-christmas-ideas.com has a unique way of styling her Christmas tree with doves.
"When decorating my Christmas tree, I never neglect the final touch. I always hang doves from the ceiling with strings of beads in their mouths as though they were flying in and decorating the tree. I use white thread to suspend the birds and pushpins to secure them to the ceiling."
-Those are the words of Judy Hardaway who writes her compendium of encyclopedic Christmas celebration knowledge in the pages of her site. It just shows you how very creative she is, and you can be, too, with inspiration to fully explore the joys of the Christmas season.
What you will need for hanging your birds:
White thread
Two pushpins for each bird
Two straight pins for each bird
Optional hot glue
Bird Hanging Tips
Hanging the birds in a manner that looks natural and graceful can be tricky. Here are some quick tips:
- Use thread that is the least visible when hanging from the ceiling. I use white cotton thread.
- Attach two strings of thread to the bird’s back.
- Cut the strings long enough to reach from the ceiling to the level you want your bird to hang. Cut twice as much thread as you think you’ll need. It’s easy to cut off extra, but it can be frustrating to have to start over.
- Wrap the first thread around a straight pin with a white ball head. Insert the pin at an angle near the head of the bird. The white head of the pin should be toward the head of the dove and inserted toward the tail. The angle is important in preventing the thread from slipping out when the bird is hung.
- Wrap thread around a second pin and insert at an angle, but this time the white head will be near the tail and inserted toward the head.
- You now have two threads inserted in the back of the dove. Wrap the end of each thread around a clear pushpin to be inserted in the ceiling. You can adjust the distance of the dove from the ceiling by adjusting the number of turns around the pushpin.
- When your threads and pins are in place and the birds are ready for hanging, you can temporarily insert the ceiling pushpins in the back of the birds. When you’re at the top of your ladder and you’re ready to hang your doves, just remove one pushpin at a time and insert in the ceiling.
- After hanging your birds to the ceiling, if they are not hanging in the direction you intended, you can control the direction by repositioning one of the strings.
- Occasionally, repositioning the beads they carry in their mouths or feet, to a different limb on the tree can also help to control the direction.
These are Judy's directions for a fail-proof way to complete this special effect for your holiday interiors.
Symbolic of Peace
The dove has long been a symbol, sometimes representing peace, purity, love and the Holy Spirit. I like tree ornaments to remind me of important things to think about during the Holy season of Christmas, so this means that the white bird of peace is always welcome in the Christmas decor.
