Celebrate the holidays this year with this whimsical Grinch Christmas tree that will make all your little Who’s squeal with delight.

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Dr. Seuss’ classic tale of the Grinch who learned the true meaning of Christmas was always part of our family’s holiday traditions when I was growing up. So I was delighted when Oriental Trading introduced this fun Grinchmas line. It’s definitely a change from my usual elegant trees, but the bright colors, quirky shapes, and the opportunity to use interesting textures just appealed to me. Plus I just couldn’t resist the nostalgia my old Whoville pals evoked.

Seuss Whimsy

I wanted the tree to have that bent-over top that you see in the books and the movies. It took a little engineering, but it worked out really well. I took an old wreath form, bent it in half then slipped it over the top of the tree. After wiring it in place, I shaped it and covered it with garland. Naturally, it had to have a festive ornament on the end so I chose a large polka dot ball because it reminded me of the Christmas tree decorations you see in the original cartoon Grinch.

Whimsical Whoville Inspired Grinch Christmas Tree

Whimsical Tree Decorations

I’ve found that putting the garlands on the tree first makes it easier to get everything looking professional and coordinated. In this case, I used a double pleated red ribbon topped by the Grinch green ribbon that accompanies the Oriental Trading line. I supplemented that with green feather boas to add even more texture.

Next, I filled in with DIY Holiday Village Houses that I’d painted and decorated, and some really cute polka dot jumbo balls I’d found at Hobby Lobby. It’s always best to start with the larger decorative elements and then fill in blank spaces with the smaller ornaments.

Make It Yourself Seuss Style

In addition to the ready-made decorations, I fashioned some Grinchy ornaments from clear plastic balls. I filled the large-size ones with green pom poms and added a red vinyl heart cut on the Cricut. The Cricut also came in handy when making the smaller Grinch green balls. I simply spray-painted these DIY Ceramic Ornaments lime green then added vinyl Grinch faces and the growing hearts (one of my favorite parts of the story!)

The Extras

You may have noticed that a fashionable trend in Christmas tree designs is to extend the theme beyond the actual tree itself. Fortunately, Oriental Trading has designed some clever 3-D decorations to add to your treescape. Of course, the Grinch, life-sized, has to make an appearance. But my favorite extra is the Whoville signpost. It reminds me of all the places I imagined when I was a kid. Woo Hoo! Who wants to race me to the top of Mount Crumpet?! My mom’s favorite character has always been Max the dog, so she was ecstatic when she was able to place him next to the gigantic red velvet gift bag on one side of the tree. And don’t you just love the 3 stacking gift boxes that look like the Grinch?

A Who Holiday Celebration

Best of all this special tree is only the tip of the iceberg. The line also includes plates, cups, fun signs, photo masks, and a plethora of other fun party accessories. Your heart will definitely grow at least two sizes when you bring this classic Who-Holiday to life.