Hello everyone! Celes here @guiademanualidades—so happy you’re here today! For this project I wanted to play with a clean background and let one big focal element tell the whole story, so I designed this “Christmas Tree Layout” using the sweet and cozy “All Wrapped Up” collection by Simple Stories. The tree sits right in the center of the page and is “decorated” with stockings, candy canes, tiny houses, and a few little photos that capture those simple December moments we love. Around it, the white space keeps everything light and bright so the *Merry Christmas* title and all the tiny details really stand out. It’s a fun, adaptable design that lets you use many embellishments without overwhelming the page. Ready to decorate this paper tree together? Let’s get started!
On this layout the structure is simple, but it’s packed with little details. The base is the 12"×12" “Elements” paper from the “All Wrapped Up” collection, with that woodgrain-style background and white dots that brings so much warmth to the page. On top I added a slightly smaller panel of the green gingham paper and, over that, a panel of textured white cardstock, also trimmed down and adhered with thin foam adhesive for a bit of lift. From that white panel I cut the large tree silhouette, letting the green peek through and become the “body” of the tree. Inside the tree I mixed small photos with stockings, candy canes, tiny houses, ornaments, and word circles, plus enamel dots and little stars that work like fairy lights and confetti. At the bottom, the “Merry Christmas” title together with the light garland helps anchor the design, while a small cluster in the top left corner balances the composition and repeats the candy detail. Just below you’ll find the full step-by-step so you can recreate this idea with your own photos and memories.
First, take the “Warm Wishes” (green gingham) paper from the collection and trim it to 11 3/8" × 11 3/8". Then take your textured white cardstock and cut it to 11 1/2" × 11 1/2”.
On the textured white cardstock, lightly sketch a Christmas tree shape. The tree will measure 7 1/2" wide at the base by 7 3/4" tall. Position this shape so the base of the tree sits about 2 5/8" up from the bottom edge of the cardstock, leaving 1" of space at the top and 2" of white space on each side (measured from the base of the tree).
Once you’ve cut the tree shape from the textured white cardstock, add 3 mm foam tape to the back of the entire white panel. Next, adhere the green gingham sheet onto your 12"×12" base paper. Just make sure to shift and align the gingham toward the top so its upper edge matches the top edge of the white cardstock—later we’ll tear that area, and we want both layers to line up perfectly.
As an extra decorative touch, you can add machine stitching all around the edge of the white cardstock panel before adhering it with foam.
Once you’ve adhered the Christmas tree panel in place, it’s time to start picking all the pieces to decorate it. For the photos, I used a scalloped circle die to cut them out—you can use any circle die or even a circle punch. The diameter of the photos is 1 3/4".
We’ll add the photos using the same 3 mm foam tape we used behind the white cardstock panel. Start by adhering the main title, “Merry Christmas,” along with any secondary titles—you can use phrases from the collection or any other pieces you have in your stash. I also added a string of lights and the number “25” near the bottom area. Once the main and secondary titles are in place, you can begin adding all the other elements. Start with the two photos that will sit just above the main title and then continue building around them with all your decorative pieces.
For the tree topper, I used a foam star sticker and layered a tiny red star sticker on top. I also added brads from the Decorative Brads set, and then placed mini enamel dots in matching colors over them to bring in little pops of shine and extra detail to the composition.
For the final touch, tear a small section of the white cardstock in the top left corner. The green gingham paper will peek through underneath, and in that opening you can add a few red and green candy canes, plus small black stars with enamel dots to finish the layout with a fun, festive detail.
And that’s how this Christmas Tree Layout came together—layer by layer, just like decorating a real tree but on paper. I love how the mix of photos, little houses, stockings, candy canes, stars, and tiny shiny details turns the center of the page into a cozy Christmas scene while still keeping the design clean and easy to adapt. I hope you enjoyed this idea and that it inspires you to dive into your own Christmas stash, play with dimension, and create a tree layout that tells your December stories in your style.
Celes
Products:
Collection kit
Foam stickers
Chipboard stickers
Decorative brads
Bits and pieces
Enamel Dots
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