How I Styled My Christmas Tree For My First Holiday Away From Home

Who knew brown paper bags could look so cute?

Despite the year not panning out as imagined, the spirit of the holiday season has given me some joy and comfort. While I don’t get to see my family, I am lucky and grateful to be spending Christmas with Martín. We got our first tree together, and in Emily fashion, I took my time wrapping and decorating our presents with upcycled paper, glitzy ribbons, and adorable gift tags.

I never want to forget this tree because to me, it represents the magical moments of this otherwise unconventional and tumultuous year. Martín and I prioritized getting this fake Alberta Spruce as we moved into our very first apartment together last month. It now sits in the corner, glowing as we enjoy home-cooked meals, play Overwatch with James, or watch cheesy Christmas films—all memories that make me feel merry and bright. I am so thankful for these delightful times and want to document how it all came together.

Music from AShamaluevMusic

Starting with our pre-lit tree, we got a variety of gold, bronzy-orange, green, and dark blue ornaments that compliment the furniture in our living room. Of course, I had to throw in some glittery icicles and pine cones for some sparkle, too. I hope to collect new, personal ornaments every year, and to get that going, my father gave me a Snoopy one and a Beatles one! Then, we also got a 2020 snowflake to commemorate the year. Finishing the tree is a glistening golden star on top!

Next, as always, I went pretty hard on wrapping our gifts because I think they're decorations, too! Cute wrapping paper, ribbons, and gift tags are an absolute must for me, but I wanted to be a bit more sustainable. I put all the presents in whatever boxes we were going to recycle anyway—empty pasta boxes, boxes from other deliveries, whatever I could find. Not only do boxes make wrapping look neater, but they make the tree look so full!

Since we can't bring our own bags to the grocery store anymore, we have unintentionally amassed a small army of paper bags. I decided to cut them up, draw on them, and use them for wrapping! Most wrapping papers have dyes on them that you can't recycle, so this was a great option.

One of my favorite wrapped presents was this bear. I found the idea on Pinterest and had to try it out for myself! It's so cute!

I also utilized some packaging paper from the mail.

Then, I cut up the Trader Joe's Thanksgiving Fearless Flyer!

I love the way everything turned out, and all the fancy bows just tie it all together, (literally). This is my first Christmas away from home, but this tree gave Martín and I all the warm and cozy vibes this season. I will cherish the memories of this Christmas forever. Happy Holidays!