Artists, designers share favorite holiday decorations

Lights framing the house. Stockings hung above the fireplace. Garland strung along the stairs. Baby Jesus sleeping in the nativity. We all have that decoration that says, "it's the holidays" to us. Here's what some Milwaukee-area artists and designers said were their own favorite ways to trim the tree— or even create the tree.

Brent Budsberg was in the midst of renovating his Riverwest home during Christmas five years ago. He and wife Shana McCaw, who together work as a collaborative artistic team, wanted Christmas cheer, but they didn’t have time for serious decorations.

So Budsberg took an old closet rod and screwed it to a piece of plywood. Then he nailed random scraps of molding, stir sticks and wood to the curtain rod to create branches. The castoffs from their renovation project became a makeshift Christmas tree.

“It’s the world’s lamest Christmas tree,” Budsberg said. “But it’s just beautiful.”

The couple string lights and hang tinsel and ornaments from the branches. As they continue to renovate their home, they add more pieces to the three-foot-tall tree.

They set up the tree in their front window to show off to passers-by.

Pamela Anderson, artist in residence at the Pfister Hotel, collects ornaments for her children. For one son, now 25, she collected nature ornaments, depicting things like turtles, beetles and butterflies.

"From a small child early on he was absolutely entranced with anything that moved outside in the woods," Anderson said. "He was always prowling around for insects."

Most of the ones she buys are glass just because they're so pretty, Anderson said. One golden beetle has glittery legs and a rhinestone shell. Some are different, such as a spider ornament made from beads.

Over the years she bought about 15 different ornaments for him from Christmas shops and holiday sales.

"They're a little bit harder to find because not everyone thinks bugs and insects are beautiful," she said. "When I see one, I grab it."

Libby Castro never liked traditional Christmas trees, leaving needles everywhere as they do. Even as a kid, Castro hated the idea, especially un-decorating the tree. So at her house in Fox Point, Castro and her husband, Patrick, now create a lantern tree in their picture window.

Castro assembles about 60 white lanterns of varying sizes attached to the ceiling with fishing lines. She arranges them into in the shape of an evergreen tree that stands eight feet tall. Atop the "tree" is a glass star that Castro's mother bought in Mexico. The stars in Mexican tradition are a sign of hospitality.

"It ends up being a sculpture," she said. "It's really beautiful."

Old-fashioned Christmas lights — not LEDs — are strung around the lanterns, emitting a warm light. The lanterns hold special significance; they're repurposed from the couple's wedding 15 years ago. The lanterns had been strung along the top of the tent in her sister's backyard where the couple wed.

She is a designer, and the couple own LP/w Design Studios, Castro said she's never received more praise for any one design project.

Vedale Hill considers his Christmas tree a record of life's major events. A glittery, shimmery peacock ornament is one of his favorites.

He bought it for his wife, Coreisha, three years ago before their wedding, which ended up being peacock-themed. An artist, Hill appreciates the beauty of the colors.

"I like its effortless beauty," Hill said. The peacock's feathers are all shades of blue, green, orange, red and purple.

It's also a tradition in his family to buy ornaments to represent people who passed away in the last year to represent their time together. Also on his tree are a pallet and brush to represent his art and a cupcake for his wife's love of baking.

Ashley Smith was pillaging through castoff items at an estate sale in Milwaukee eight years ago when she came across a vintage aluminum Christmas tree. The center pole was broken, which her dad since fixed, but Smith was thrilled.

"I don't know if I'll find another one in this good a shape," she said.

The silver tree from the 1950s stands about six feet tall. At the end of each branch is a little pom. At night the tree is illuminated and rotates changing color from red to green and yellow to blue. Growing up, Smith's mother would always set up tinsel trees in their home at Christmastime. She had a pink one.

Smith sticks with the mid-century look for the ornaments she puts on this tree. Some are vintage that she finds at sales around town; others she bought at retailers such as Stein's.

This year she set up the tree in her shop, Alive and Fine in Bay View. She also constructed a "tree" out of vintage pant hangers and tinsel. When people ask if her beloved tinsel tree is for sale, she politely replies no.

Michael McKinley, an artist and designer in Milwaukee, likes the nostalgia of Christmastime.

For 25 years, McKinley has collected handmade and glass ornaments from the 1950s and '60s to decorate his tree with a vintage feel.

"Decorating this tree with the old big ornaments like I do, it makes me feel nostalgic in a romantic way," he said.

The collection started when he came across an ornament that looked like a green chandelier at an estate sale. Strands of green beads hang about eight inches long with gold accents.

"It was so beautiful," McKinley said. He wanted more and now has dozens. Many in his collection are handmade from Styrofoam ball and bead kits.

Paula Jones found her favorite ornaments in Edinburgh while shopping on the Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare of the Old Town, nine years ago. She bought three felt doll ornaments of Shakespeare, Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I from a Christmas shop. Jones, a community artist, was in Scotland to study northern Renaissance art, literature and history for a master's degree.

She puts the ornaments on her little tabletop tree from her childhood. Jones said these are unusual mixed in with her other vintage and glass ornaments. The three felted dolls are beaded with lace and applique.

Jones said Shakespeare is her favorite author and the queens are two of her favorite figures in history. She loves the poet, playwright and actor so much that she tops her tree with a Shakespeare finger puppet.

Her favorite work? "Romeo and Juliet probably because it makes me cry," she said. "It's ultimately tragic."