This blog may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep this mama going. I love these products already and just want to share...it’s a win for everyone, really!
If you have a farmhouse inspired decor style and have been around Pinterest for any length of time, I’m sure you have noticed these themed tiered trays floating around. It seems like every rustic kitchen is incomplete without a tiered tray to mark every major holiday.
I haven’t seen too many of these in decor styles that aren’t somewhat casual or rustic. They’re mostly found in farmhouse or transitional home styles. They seem like they should take FOREVER to put together. I mean, honestly, who has time to look around to find all these different little unique elements? I’m here to tell you how to quickly bring all the elements together that you need to assemble your very own holiday themed tiered tray that won’t break the bank.
Pick Out Your Tray
I know, I know… This one seems pretty obvious. But there are SO MANY OPTIONS out there for a tiered tray. Hobby Lobby tends to stock a ton all year round. I have also seen them at Homegoods, Kirkland’s and Pier 1 Imports as well. Most of them are generally 2 or 3 tiers. Your main choice in your tray will be the material. Do you want wrought iron, galvanized metal (Like This One!) or maybe wood? That depends entirely on you and your decor style. I chose metal to complement the wrought iron accents throughout my home, but I love the look of turned wood trays (Love This!).
Choose a Color Scheme
You need a consistent color palette to pull off a successfully styled tiered tray. If you have too many different colors packed into one tiny space, the look will be thrown off and seem rushed or poorly planned (because, duh, it is!) I recommend choosing 2 or 3 Main Accent Colors. In this tray, being Christmas themed, naturally I chose Red & Green, but some other fun choices could be Red, White and Turquoise for a retro vibe, or Teal and Burgundy would make another stunning, more elegant combination.
Add Metallics
After choosing your Main Color Palette, choose a metallic accent. Unless your theme is all metallic, I would stick to one. In this case I went with gold, but copper would have gone nicely as well. If your color palette is on the cooler side (think ivory and aqua) I would choose silver. The example I gave above of teal and burgundy would look so rich and cozy with deep gold accents.
I have gold pine cones (Find them here!) scattered around the trays, and the wooden Christmas tree has a gold trimmed edge!
Choose Your Statement Pieces
Now for the fun part! You can rob items from around your home, or often there are really affordable options out there if you need to go shopping for a few pieces. I found most of my little figures at Target between their Wondershop and the Dollar Spot!!! Talk about budget friendly! Make sure you have at least two statement pieces for your top tier and three for your bottom if you have a two tier tray. If you have three levels, depending on the size you could do 1, 2 & 3 -or- 2, 3 & 4 pieces. Most of the three tier trays out there have fairly small top tiers so unless yours is huge, I would stick to the 1, 2, 3 rule.
Small figurines make great statement pieces, such as my little Santa friend and the plaid stuffed owl (both were $3 in the Target Wondershop department). I also like to always include some sort of vessel to hold either a food item (candy), paper straws or utensils such as spoons. In this case, the green cup holding the candy canes. You could use a coffee mug (Like this one!), a votive candle holder or even a small bowl…literally endless possibilities! I love the wooden Christmas tree that I propped up on my bottom tier (it was $1 in the Dollar Spot y’all!), It really adds some height to balance the candy canes, but I have included a short pillar candle on my bottom tier as well. Candles are a GREAT filler piece. They’re cheap, easy to find, and always look nice.
Mix Up the Textures and Shapes
I like to always include some sort of a “natural” element. Yeah, I’m aware that my plastic sprigs of pine aren’t exactly natural, but they give the feeling of a natural element. Also, the little bottle brush trees are a fun addition and add an extra little outdoorsy (no? too much?) touch. Little burlap bows add another “natural” element without being plant based.
You can cut flowers from artificial bouquets, or use wreath picks to add small bunches like I did here. My only tip here would be to stay with artificial. Unless your tray is only going to be around for a single day or event, stay away from the fresh flowers!
Along with mixing up the textures, include different shapes as well. I love these little wicker balls (Get them here!)that I scattered throughout my tray. The round shape is a great filler, but looks soft and fun. They are a great addition to plug holes and gaps once you’ve added your statement pieces. Another great option is to buy a bag of premixed vase filler or large chunky potpourri! You’ll get double duty out of that and can include some seasonal scents!
I hope this has been helpful in getting you started on created your very own holiday (or anytime) tiered tray! Just remember:
- Color Scheme
- Metallic Accents
- Number of Statement Pieces: 2, 3 -or- 1, 2, 3 -or- 2, 3, 4
- Mix up textures, sizes and shapes
- Add fillers
Be sure to share your creations with me by either tagging me in your Instagram posts (@Mess.Marvelous) or share to my Facebook page! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!!!
- For More Holiday Home Inspo Check Out:
