Dress form Christmas trees have been seen in window displays of retailers for decades. But now they are gaining in popularity among private individuals.
Some people are displaying them instead of a traditional Christmas tree. And some are displaying a traditional tree in their living room and displaying a dress form Christmas tree as a secondary tree in a dining room, foyer or bedroom.
If you are new to the world of Dress Form Christmas trees, here are five reasons why you might fall in love with them and want to make one of your own.
1 They are Eco-Friendly.
No living tree has to be cut down. You can use faux garland OR if you love the smell of fresh pine or cedar at Christmastime, you can just use the branches from a tree. That is what was used on this ONE which was part of holiday decorations at the White House in 2014 when the Obama’s were in office.
2 They can be used 24/7.
Even if you buy an artificial version of a traditional Christmas tree to be eco-friendly, you can only use it during the Christmas holiday. A dress form tree can be used all year round. Just remove the skirt and you can use the dress form to display clothing or accessories
3 They can be repurposed.
The dress form Christmas trees that you make yourself (versus the pre-made ones from a store) can be repurposed. You can remove the pine garland on the skirt and replace it with other types of foliage to use for other holiday and seasonal displays.
Creators make dress form holiday trees for every imaginable holiday and special event. See the two examples below, one for Thanksgiving, one for a wedding. On our Facebook group, CRAFTY FUN WITH MANNEQUINS, people post examples of how they repurpose dress forms all year long.
4 Versatility.
A dress form Christmas tree, just like a regular Christmas tree, can be placed indoors or outdoors. But what gives a Dress Form Christmas tree even more versatility is the different ways you can decorate it.
The skirt can be decorated in a traditional style with ornaments, garland, ribbon, lights etc. and the bodice is where you can flex your fashion design muscles.
Whether you want to decorate it with a leather bustier —
— or your favorite necklace with a top that you designed using deco mesh.
5. Your creativity can be acknowledged.
Did you know that you could win a prize for a designing a dress form Christmas tree? Mannequin Madness initiated a dress form Christmas tree contest last year and we were pleasantly surprised at the number of entries, We were even more delighted with the beauty and creativity displayed among those entries. What we heard from our entrants was how wonderful it was to be recognized — and, in some cases, rewarded — for their efforts.
For a second year, Mannequin Madness is sponsoring a DRESS FORM CHRISTMAS tree contest where the prizes are Amex gift cards. Are you ready to try your creative hand at making one? See contest details HERE.
I became fascinated with dress form Christmas trees back in 2010 when I saw this image below.
I thought they were so creative and fashion forward and was surprised that more people had not heard of them. I went down the rabbit hole researching them and created this PINTEREST BOARD with subcategories by theme to make it easy for others to find a design they liked.
At the time, very few people outside of the retail industry decorated with a dress form Chrsitmas tree. And retailers were using them to attract people to their holiday window displays and lure them into the store. This image below is from the 1960’s.
That is because in the past, it was only retailers who had easy access to purchase mannequins and dress forms. And they also had a trained visual merchandiser on staff with the design skills.
However, the internet has made it convenient for anyone to purchase a new or used dress form in a variety of styles and price ranges. (Check out the selection of DRESS FORMs we have for sale at MANNEQUINMADNESS.COM) And there are DIGITAL and YOUTUBE TUTORIA ls demonstrating how to make a dress form Christmas tree.
Now, anyone can DIY a dress form Christmas tree (also known as Diva Tree, She Tree or Mannequin Tree). So can you!
