Secrets shared by designer of Amway hotels' Christmas trees
Penny Diephouse decorates more than 100 trees in just over a two-week period around Thanksgiving, including some pretty big ones.
The Eastern Floral designer and her team's holiday artistry is on display at Woodland Mall, JW Marriott Grand Rapids, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Van Andel Institute and Grand Valley State University's downtown campus.
At the Amway Grand, the team dresses up a small forest of Christmas trees, since each ballroom has one to two trees.
One of the most photographed is the 25-foot in the Pantlind ballroom. Done up in gold and silver with pine cones at the top, decorating this tree requires the use of a cherry picker and 12-foot ladders.
How a team of professionals decorates a tree In time-lapse video, Eastern Floral team gives tree a Christmas makeover.
A time-lapse video shows the more than two hours her team decorating a 18-foot tree in the Amway's Ford ballroom in less than 20 seconds.
This year, two 9-foot reindeer, stationed at the hotel's registration area, were added the mix of decorations.
While designer trees aren't for everyone, Diephouse has some tips on hanging ornaments, using lights and selecting themes:
Use lots of lights. While most people wrap lights around a tree, professionals thread strands so each branch is lit.
"We are going to run that cord straight into the center of the tree and then we are going to come back out and go down," said Diephouse. "It's sort of an in-and-out motion until we get to the top of our trees."
This method allows a lot of lights without the cording showing up and it's also easier to take down, she says.
On big trees, the team uses an extension cord that is run down the center of the tree and held with zip ties.
Then, the strands of lights are plugged into the cord. This way, it is easier to replace a strand of lights that goes bad.
With energy efficient lights, fewer are needed.
"You don't want it so bright that you don't want to look at it," Diephouse said.
Don't let ornaments lay. Ornaments should be placed so they hang off branches. Putting some toward the center will give the tree more depth.
"It's a lot more professional look if you put the ornaments more further back in the tree," Diephouse said.
Another tip is to use the bigger bows and ornaments at the bottom of the tree, and smaller ones at the top.
"Otherwise, it's not proportional," Diephouse said.
For those who are looking for a tree topping other than the traditional star or angel, she recommends silk flowers or sticks that give trees an almost crown effect.
Avoid color schemes that are "distracting." Diephouse isn't afraid to use lime green green or turquoise on trees, but the hues should be in harmony with their surroundings.
A good example of this is the "peacock" Christmas tree at the JW Marriott hotel done up in lime green and shades of blue that match the decor of the upscale downtown Grand Rapids hotel. The moniker comes from the peacock feathers at the top.
She decorated another Christmas tree at the JW Marriott in multi-colored ornaments to highlight the shades of the surrounding carpet.
At the Van Andel Institute, a contemporary tree twinkles in turquoise, silver and lime green in a nod to a Chihuly Sculpture that hangs nearby.
"It's more soothing to the eye to have things that go together," said Diephouse. "Too many different things can be distracting."
Designer trees aren't for everybody. Diephouse is also a fan of the traditional family Christmas trees covered in kids ornaments that evoke memories.
"That's important to have those on your tree, too," Diephouse said.
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