Winter Tray Decor – how to create a beautiful sparkling wonderland
Are you looking for some lovely winter tray decor? Then you’re in the right place! I’m participating in the Winter Wonderland on a Tray blog tour with 25 talented stylists, hosted by the lovely, gracious, and extremely organized Katherine at Katherine’s Corner.
If you’ve just come over from Jenna at The Painted Apron, I know you’ll have gotten some wonderful ideas for your own winter tray decor. And no matter how you got here, Welcome!
Katherine asked us to create a Winter Wonderland tray, and to me that means snow, frost, ice, and glowing lights. I translated that into light colors, cut crystal, metallics, and sparkle!
Where to put my winter tray decor
I have a home office/guest room in my house, and I’ve been slowly turning it into my own little sanctuary over the last several years. One of the major items in this renovation was my fireplace and mantel, which you can read about in this post. It’s white and the wall it sits against is white too, which is the perfect place to decorate.
I usually have a green plant or flower arrangement or something on the right side of the mantel, where this currently empty space is. I’m just going to leave the lovely pillar candle holder on the left side, although I’ll move the diffuser I often keep there. It’s one of my favorite scents – White Grapefruit by Truck and Barter. (Although I couldn’t find the diffuser on their website, I put the link to the White Grapefruit candle down in the shopping section.)
I’ll also leave the mirror and framed artwork by Portland artist Rae Davis.
Here’s a closeup of the corner I’m going to use. Boring, right?
Finding a tray
What kind of tray to use for my winter wonderland? I have several beautiful serving trays, but only one actual “carrying” tray, and no tiered tray, for some reason. (I really need to get one of those!) And I really wanted to have something “wintery.”
So I went looking through cupboards and storage spots, and came up with a beautiful white marble tile. (I also looked for some handles to put on it to make it more of an actual “tray,” but we were a little short on good looking handles!) So I contented myself with putting some felt pads on the bottom of my tile so it wouldn’t scrape against my mantel. And voilà – a wintery tray!
The tallest piece
Whenever I do a vignette – tray or not – I often start out with the tallest item first. In this case, it’s my piller candle holder. This is a lovely champagne colored mercury glass one, that’s surprisingly lightweight and very sparkly.
I set it down toward the back of the tray because it was tall, but was prepared to move it around when I added the rest of the pieces. This time however, I ended up not moving it at all.
Adding some Holiday to the winter tray decor
The next piece was a little shorter, but still very sparkly! This footed bowl was a gift from my SIL a while ago, and was totally in line with my winter wonderland vision, being all icy and sparkly. Apparently, nobody is making this type of pedestal bowl anymore, but you can often find something similar on Etsy or eBay.
I filled it with various metallic bells and ornaments to invoke the holiday vibe I was after. Not only did that make it a bit taller, but it added some extra shape and texture too.
A Quick Gift-Giving Interlude!
Remember to check out our new course, just in time for the holidays! Click below to find out all the surprising tips that will make gift-giving this year so much easier, less expensive, and more fun!
And now back to our Winter Wonderland tray!
Extra sparkle for the winter tray decor
The next thing to go on, was a pretty champagne colored branch. It’s super sparkly and “Wonderland-y.” And it also does the job of bridging the tall winter tray decor items and the lower items, which we’re going to add next.
The branch is bendable, so I messed around with it until one part filled the space between the two taller pieces. I laid the other on the tray surface and angled it just a bit for some interest, and to lead the eye across.
The bottom of the branch was covered in a darker brown wrapping, which I wasn’t crazy about, since it was kind of getting in the way of my white asthetic. But I suppose even in a wonderland, you’ve got some brown branches!
I found a little gold leaf ribbon, and thought if I laid it over the brown part, the vignette would look better. Plus more texture and sparkle!
And a present to top off our winter tray decor
And then to top off our winter tray decor, a bright white present with a sparkly champagne-gold ribbon. A little more Holiday for our Winter Wonderland.
Here’s the final product. Very neutral and minimal.
And here’s what it looks like on the mantel. I love how it blends with the mirror trim. And now our boring corner has a bit of sparkly holiday interest!
The whole mantel
I had another sparkle branch and that smaller candle holder, so they went on the other side of the mantel to kind of balance things out. You can’t see the actual piece of art in this picture, but it looks great with the minimal vibe of our winter wonderland.
So there we have it! I hope you got some winter tray decor inspiration, and there’s lots more coming up on our Winter Wonderland on a Tray blog tour!
Shop the Winter Tray Decor post
Click on the pictures below for links to the pieces I mentioned in this post. If something’s not available, I chose a similar replacement.
This post includes affiliate links for your shopping convenience. If you click on a link and end up buying anything from that site within 24 hours, I get a small commission with no extra cost to you. It’s a Win-Win, and helps cover the cost of publishing Mantel and Table. (You can read the whole disclosure policy here.) Thanks so much for shopping with me!
This post includes affiliate links for your shopping convenience. If you click on a link and end up buying anything from that site within 24 hours, I get a small commission with no extra cost to you. It’s a Win-Win, and helps cover the cost of publishing Mantel and Table. (You can read the whole disclosure policy here.) Thanks so much for shopping with me!
And remember, a portion of anything you buy from MANTELandTABLE.com goes to Habitat for Humanity and Proud Ground. With our purchases, we get to help people build homes for their own mantels and tables!
Now click on over to Niki at Life as a LEO Wife – the next stop on our tour. You’re sure to love her fabulous take on winter tray decor.
And here’s the whole tour!
BEE-Yoo-Tee-Ful!!!!!!!!!!!!! I like the idea of using the white felt. I’ll store that little piece of intel away for future.
Aw thanks Alycia! Hope you’re having a great holiday out there! I’m always waiting for your next table! ????????
Your tray is so stunning! I love everything about it! The placement on your mantel is perfect! Everyone needs a little sparkle in their life!! I hope you enjoy the days leading up to Christmas!
Thanks so much Donna! Hope you have a wonderful season too! 🙂
It’s absolutely stunning. Nice photography too. Well done, B.
Thanks so much Michele! Hope you’re enjoying the season over there! ????
Hi, Barbara! Your winter tray decor is so wonderful! I was super inspired by your design eye. I would love to have you link up your project at Whimsy Home Wednesdays to inspire others and have a chance to be featured https://www.artsandclassy.com/category/diy/whimsy-home-wednesdays-linky-party/
Thanks so much Meredith! I’ll pop over and check it – appreciate the invite!
Your tray decor looks spectacular on your mantel! I love the vintage pedestal bowl. That cut glass pattern may be online at Replacements. Come share at the #HomeMattersParty every Thursday 9pm EST through Monday!
Thanks so much Allyson! Don’t you love Replacements? I’ll keep my eyes open over there for a matching piece – it’s amazing how often they have something nobody else does. 🙂 Thanks for the invitation – I’ll definitely pop over. So glad you stopped over. Happy Holidays!
Wheeee! I love it so much. The colors are beautiful. I love the neutrals and the marble tray and….well …everything. Thank you for joining in the fun. Pinned xo
SO glad you like it! And thank YOU for creating all the fun – your tours are always a great time! Take care and Happy Holidays!
Oh, how beautiful! I love the mix of silver, gold and white! And, the marble!!! Well, it’s all so lovely! It’s been a pleasure hopping with you! Have a beautiful Christmas season!
Hi Kathryn – I’m so glad you like it. We do always have so much fun on Katherine’s tours. Nice sharing it with you, and hope you have a lovely holiday too!
This is lovely Barbara. I really like your mirror as well as the crystal bright decor you chose. Just the right amount of sparkle. Happy Holidays!
We can never have too much sparkle, right?! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by Maria, and Happy Holidays to you too!
Barbara, I love your winter wonderland tray. Its stunning! I love silvers, whites and golds for Christmas. You did a great job of capturing the feeling of ice and snow. So magical. Great idea with the marble! Loving touring with you my friend. Have a great week.
Thanks so much Meagan – so sweet of you! Hope you had a lovely weekend and you’re enjoying this holiday season!
Barbara, I absolutely love your idea for using a piece of marble as a tray I have several pieces of white leftover marble from when we remodeled out home. All they need are little feet. Your white and gold color scheme truly does evoke a winter wonderland. Lovely job, my friend.
Oooh you could make your own trays with that marble! I’ve seen some with gold handles that I thought would be pretty cool too. If you do it, send me some pictures – I’d love to see! Thanks so much for stopping over, and Happy December! ????
Barbara, Voila and a wintery tray indeed! Your winter wonderland tray is gorgeous and it was genius to use that piece of marble! You are just so clever. I agree with you that if we have to have winter it should be sparkly! I love mercury glass, and your sparkly branches and those sweet little shimmering balls in the compote. Just beautiful my friend!
Aw thank you Kim! We so have the same taste in decor. And teacups! ???? Hope you’re having a lovely week my friend!
Barbara this is just gorgeous!!! I love the metallic and gold color palette that you chose! So stunning! And I’m obsessed with your mirror! Did you use that leaf ribbon on Amazon to hang over it? So so beautiful! I invite you to come link up at my weekly link party every Wednesday for a chance to be featured https://www.ourtinynest.com/2022/11/30/weekly-wednesday-link-party-324/
Oh I’m so glad you like it Nicolle! Isn’t that mirror great? I got it from my mom who got it from hers, so I treasure it even more. Thanks so much for the invite – I’ll pop over to the link party. ????
Love this Barbara! Elegance on a tray! Thanks so much for sharing. Happy Holidays!
Thanks so much Denise! Hope you have a great holiday season as well. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Barbara, I adore elegance! Your marble tile is lovely with the mercury glass and cut crystal. Your mantel is now a showpiece, especially with the mirror. Beautiful ornaments add the needed pop of glam. A pleasure hopping with you. Enjoy the holidays.
Hi Linda – I know you’re a fellow elegance lover from seeing the photos of your beautiful home! I’m so glad you like the mantel – just can’t have too much sparkle! ???? Hope you enjoy the holidays too my friend!
Hi, Barbara; I love the neutral palette of your tray, so elegant! The ensemble looks so well balanced on your mantle, too, and the crystal and sparkle add a festive finish.
Hi Irene – thanks so much. Can never get enough sparkle! 🙂 Great touring with you! Happy Holidays!
HI Barbara, OMG I love this before and after! What an amazing transformation!
xo laura in Colorado
Thanks so much Laura – so nice touring with you! 🙂 Happy Holidays!
Just gorgeous, Barbara! I’m loving all the sparkle! Great touring with you and enjoy the rest of your week!
Shelley
Thanks Shelley – so glad you like it, and hope you have a lovely week too! 🙂
So pretty, my friend. I love all of the sparkle.
Yaay Sparkle!! ???? Thanks so much for stopping over, and Happy Wednesday!
Oh Barbara! I absolutely love your tray. I love the neutral sparkle tones and that glass compute is amaZing! It looks great with the Christmas ornaments but I bet you could put anything in it & it would look good. Your SIL is a keeper! That’s a beautiful piece. Lovely touring with you again & wishing you a wonderful winter wonderland season! XO- MaryJo
MaryJo you’re so sweet – thank you! Yes, SIL IS a keeper and such a good partner in tableware crime. I saw her over the Thanksgiving holiday and we found yet more beautiful cut crystal. SO fun! 🙂 Hope you have a lovely season too!
Barbara, lovely use of a marble tray as a base coupled with elegant additions in silver. I enjoy using mercury glass and that candlestick is lovely. the whole thing works really well on your mantle.
Lynne
Hi Lynne! Thanks so much. Isn’t mercury glass fun? I don’t remember that being a thing when I was younger, but I sure love it now! 🙂 Hope you’re having a lovely week.
What a pretty, sparkly tray, Barbara!! Your tray looks so lovely for winter and I ADORE how it pairs with that beautiful mirror!! So fun hopping with you today!
You too Rachel – these are always so fun! So glad you like the tray, too! 🙂 Take care out there till next time!
Barbara, your styling is exquisite and it looks perfect on your mantel! Winter surely does need a bit of sparkle. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely idea!
On thank you Marieza! We can always use more sparkle, right? ???? Hope you’re having a great week!
So elegant and rick looking!! Love it and I adore that you used a piece of marble tile… Great idea!! It looks simply stunning on your mantel…Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hugs,
Deb
Thanks so much Deb! It’s always great sharing a tour with you. 🙂 Have fun out there and thanks for stopping over!