In a collaborative effort, the Creative Home and Paint Decor Special Interest Publications decided on the theme "Christmas Kaleidoscope" for this tree. The theme is based on the idea that all creative efforts start with color, so this team hung 800 colorful ornamental balls to create a rainbow-like kaleidoscope.

To add a personal touch, 200 of the larger ornaments were handcrafted using clear acrylic craft paint and glitter. The rest of the tree is filled in with smaller brightly colored ornaments. The colors are broken down into three different bands with the yellow and orange family at the top, the pink, purple, and red family in the middle, and the green and blue family at the bottom.

This tree is an example of how you can bring colors that you don't normally live with into your home, says Amy Panos, Senior Editor of the Special Interests Publication Creative Home. Don't be afraid to use color at least one time a year, especially around Christmas, she says.

You can tie the whole color scheme together by making a tree topper that incorporates all of the colors used. Create a large bow out of ribbon to make your tree look like a giant gift. You can also tie lengths of ribbon to the base of the tree making a fun and simple tree skirt.