Joanna Gaines's Message About Decorating the Christmas Tree Is Surprisingly Poignant

There are Christmas trees that come down after Dec. 25 without much of a backward glance, and then there are trees that become part of the fabric of the holidays for years to come. Joanna Gaines's Christmas tree is part of the latter group. The Fixer Upper star recently shared a picture of her family's statuesque artificial pine standing pretty in their Waco, TX, living room. Not surprisingly, the tree, which exudes Joanna's signature modern farmhouse style, is a classic stunner.

You can re-create this beautiful holiday look in your own home by sticking to a few simple rules like Joanna. First, she gives the tree a healthy sheath of white lights. Next, she covers the branches with a plethora of charming ornaments that all abide by a red, white, and green color palette. Then, she grounds the evergreen tree with a pom-pom-encrusted skirt ($82) from Magnolia's holiday collection. Perhaps even more stirring than the Christmas tree's aesthetic, however, is the meaning it holds. In the caption, Joanna delivers her most final and poignant Christmas tree decorating lesson.

She writes, "This family tree gets me every time. Emmie asked why I always get so sad when we put this tree up and I told her it's a good kinda sad. I explained these memories on this tree are so sweet and time just goes by so fast. This tree is full of firsts for each of us, many meaningful ornaments, and lots of handmade who knows what. It's my favorite and I treasure this time every year ❤️."