Nutcracker Themed Christmas Tree and Mantel

Dance into the holiday season with a rich jewel tone Nutcracker Themed Christmas Tree and Mantle. With dainty snowflake ballerina ornaments, handpainted Nutcracker ornaments and jewel toned decorations you can bring the magic of the holidays to life with this whimsical Christmas tree.

I can still recall the first time my mom took me to see the Nutcracker ballet when I was 8 years old. All dressed up we drove over 2 hours to the nearest city, and I remember being giddy with excitement the entire way. The entire production was stunning and I was on the edge of my seat the entire show, it was then that my love for this beloved classic grew.

Each Christmas season I look forward to dressing up and taking my girls to the ballet. This year I was inspired to bring my favorite Christmas tradition to life with a Nutcracker Themed Christmas Tree and Mantle.

I used the new Nutcracker Party Line as my inspiration and set out to create a rich and vibrant jewel-toned tree that represents the characters in the Nutcracker ballet. Since the party line has a whimsical, child-like vibe I decided to combine those elements with sophisticated jewel tones to create the perfect balance for this Nutcracker themed tree.

When it comes to Christmas ornaments I love to incorporate handmade ornaments with traditional round colored ornaments. For this tree I handmade 5 different Nutcracker themed ornaments. I created hand painted wooden Nutcracker ornaments, DIY Jewel Ornaments, Gold Glitter Ornaments, Ribbon Wrapped Ornaments and delicate Snowflake Ballerina Ornaments.

Last year I made some simple black and white paper mache ornaments with vinyl sayings for my Black and White Farmhouse Christmas Tree and loved how they turned out so much that I decided to do something similar for my tree this year too. I painted paper mache ornaments blue and then added gold foil vinyl sayings, like dream, wish and believe, that fit with our Nutcracker theme.

One of my favorite things about decorating a Christmas tree is finding unexpected ways to add details that make the decorations pop. To start I picked out a gorgeous red jewel-studded wired ribbon to use as the garland. This velvety ribbon is a true statement piece and it really makes everything around it pop.

Next, I used a few unexpected items like the crown-shaped Nutcracker Beverage Napkins as oversized ornaments. Not only do these add a bright pop of color, but they are also an inexpensive way to fill in space on the tree. I simply poked a small hole in the corner, used a clear thread to hang them from the tree branches.

I used the Nutcracker Treat Boxes to create dimensional ornaments that represent all the key characters from the ballet. I simply poked small holes in the top of the boxes and used a clear thread to hang them. You could even fill each of these treat boxes with a small surprise for the kids.

Now that the tree is all decked out with colorful, whimsical and handmade Nutcracker ornaments, it's time to decorate the fireplace mantel to match.

I created a trio of DIY Nutcracker Signs to create a whimsical focal point on the mantel. To create these simple signs I used the DIY Wood Plank Sign, felt, and Nutcracker Centerpieces. I wrapped the wood signs in felt, hot glued the Nutcracker characters to the middle of each sign and added snowy pine picks to the bottom of each one.

Next, I added a snowy white garland to the mantel and filled in the space with DIY gold glittered Tall Christmas Trees, 3D Standup Trees painted red and a few colorful ornaments. DIY Nutcracker Stocking Holders made sure that the stockings were hung by the fireplace with care. Finally, I added a whimsical Nutcracker Garland to tie everything together.

Create a cozy space by decorating the surrounding area of the fireplace too. This theme was the perfect opportunity to display my childhood rocking horse that my dad built for me one Christmas. I love that I was able to incorporate this special gift into my holiday decor.

Don't forget to coordinate your gifts with your Christmas tree theme. I made DIY Drum Gift Boxes to wrap and display presents under our Nutcracker themed Christmas tree. Wrap the rest of the presents with coordinating wrapping paper and embellish each gift with a few of the handmade ornaments.

This dreamy Nutcracker Themed Christmas Tree and Mantle is the perfect way to celebrate the childlike wonder of the holidays! Make sure you check out the tutorial for the 5 handmade Nutcracker themed ornaments, the DIY Drum Gift Box and DIY Nutcracker Stocking Holder to create your own ballet-inspired holiday decorations.