A contestant’s notebook from the Great Neighborhood Tree Contest, where the grand prize was a $25 gift card and unlimited bragging rights.
Entry rules (taped to the community mailbox): One tree per household. Judged by Mrs. Okafor, retired art teacher, who has strong opinions and a clipboard. Budget cap: $50.
I entered because my husband dared me. I’d just spent $38 on a single ornament that broke before it hit the tree, and I was feeling stubborn. Fifty dollars sounded like a joke. But I kept a notebook, one page per decision, and I’ll show you exactly what I did. Here are my twelve pages.
Page 1. Take Inventory First
Spent: $0
Before buying anything, I dumped every box onto the living room floor. I found three strands of lights, a pile of mismatched balls, some leftover ribbon, and a plastic cardinal with one eye.
Sort by color and keep only what fits a plan. High-end trees almost always run on two or three colors. I chose cream, gold, and green, and the rest went back in the closet.
Page 2. Fluff Like You Mean It
Spent: $0
My artificial tree looked like it had been sat on. I spent twenty minutes at the bottom, pulling each branch tip apart and fanning the needles outward, bending the small side branches up.
It nearly doubled in fullness. If you have a real tree, let it sit in water a few hours first so the branches relax. This is the cheapest “designer” trick there is, and nobody notices it, which is exactly the point.
Page 3. Warm White Lights Only
Spent: $14
I swapped my cool white strands for two warm white ones. Cool white looks like a parking lot, and warm glows like candlelight.
Plan on about 100 lights per foot of tree. Weave them deep into the branches rather than wrapping the outside, so the tree glows from within. Strands run $8 to $15, and you should test each one before starting.
Page 4. Ribbon Is the Secret Weapon
Spent: $18
I bought three rolls of wired velvet ribbon in deep green, about $6 each. Wired edges hold a loop exactly where you put it.
Tuck it in long, loose waves from top to bottom, using about 2 to 3 yards per foot of tree height. Let it droop and dip. Stiff, perfect lines look cheap, and soft ones look expensive.
Page 5. Fewer, Bigger Ornaments
Spent: $9
Instead of a giant bag of tiny balls, I bought one box of six oversized shatterproof ornaments in matte champagne. Big pieces fill space fast and look deliberate.
Tuck the largest deep into the branches for depth, and keep the small ones near the tips. Mix matte, shiny, and glittered finishes within your color family, so it looks layered.
Page 6. Gather Something From Outside
Spent: $0
I walked the block with a paper bag and came home with pinecones, a few bare twigs, and cedar sprigs a neighbor was trimming. A little gold spray on the pinecone tips made them look store-bought.
Nature adds texture plastic can’t. Tuck stems into the branches for an organic look, and your tree will smell like the season.
Page 7. Dry Some Oranges
Spent: $4
Slice oranges thin, pat dry, and bake at 200°F for about three hours, flipping once. They turn amber and nearly see-through, like tiny stained glass windows.
Tuck them into the tree where the lights can hit them. The whole house smells like a bakery while they bake, which is a free bonus.
Page 8. Make a Topper From Scraps
Spent: $0
I looped leftover ribbon into a big, puffy bow, tucked in two pieces of eucalyptus and a pinecone, and wired it on. It looked softer and more personal than a plastic star.
Whatever you choose, size matters. A topper that’s too small looks lost, and floral wire keeps it from leaning.
Page 9. Hide the Stand
Spent: $0
I wrapped a cream bath towel around the metal stand and set a woven basket I already owned over it. Nobody could tell.
A velvet skirt costs $15 to $40, but improvising works just as well. A covered base makes the whole tree look finished, and a basket hides wrapping paper too.
Page 10. Wrap Gifts to Match
Spent: $5
Kraft paper, plain white, and cream ribbon look boutique-level stacked under a tree. I added a sprig of greenery to each package.
Short on gifts? Wrap a few empty boxes in the same paper. Nobody has to know, and the tree looks full.
Page 11. Dim the Room
Spent: $0
Designers always lower the other lights. I turned off the overhead and the lamp, and the tree took over the room.
A tree looks best against a dim wall, and everyone around it looks warmer. This costs nothing and changes everything.
Page 12. Hang the Crooked One
Spent: $0
I hung my daughter’s lumpy clay star, covered in too much glitter, right at eye level, front and center.
It didn’t match anything. It was also the first thing every visitor touched. A tree that looks planned is nice. A tree that looks loved is better.
The Final Tally
| Item | Cost |
| Warm white lights | $14 |
| Wired velvet ribbon | $18 |
| Oversized ornaments | $9 |
| Oranges | $4 |
| Kraft paper and ribbon | $5 |
| Total | $50 |
I came in at exactly $50, which Mrs. Okafor noted with one raised eyebrow.
Notes From the Contestant
- Edit before you buy. Putting away what doesn’t match did more than any purchase.
- Spend on light and ribbon. They cost little and change the most.
- Use odd numbers. Three of anything looks more natural than two or four.
- Step back often. Squint from across the room to find gaps.
Quick Questions
How much does a high-end-looking tree cost?
Most people spend $50 to $150, depending on what they already own.
What’s the best single splurge?
Wired ribbon. It’s cheap and makes everything look finished.
Can I do this with a real tree?
Yes. Let it rest in water first, then follow the same steps.
Is it safe with pets and kids?
Use shatterproof ornaments, keep breakables high, and anchor the tree so it can’t tip.
The Judging
Mrs. Okafor arrived at four o’clock on the dot, clipboard in hand. She walked around my tree twice without speaking. She touched the ribbon, peered at the orange slices, and spent a long moment with the crooked clay star.
My heart pounded. My daughter, in her pajama top, held her breath beside me.
“Who made this star?” Mrs. Okafor asked.
“I did,” my daughter whispered. “In first grade.”
Mrs. Okafor nodded slowly. She wrote something down and didn’t show us.
I didn’t win. A family two streets over had a tree with a train, which seemed unfair. But on the way out, Mrs. Okafor stopped on my porch and said, quietly, “Yours was the only one I’d want to sit beside.”
I thought about that all evening. We’d spent $50, and the best review of my life came from a woman with a clipboard. A tree isn’t high-end because of what it costs. It’s high-end when someone can tell you cared.
So this year, pick a few pages from my notebook. Fluff the branches, warm the light, and hang the crooked ornament up front. Then turn off the lamp and sit down.
Somebody might want to sit beside you.
