Whether or not you paint the town red over the holidays, the family Christmas tree can be Champagne, pink or even black while still getting you into the Christmas spirit.

Carrie Chen, vice president of marketing for Treetopia.com, which specializes in colorful holiday trees, offers these tips for introducing a few creative ideas into holiday decorating:

Choose a color theme: Select a color that complements the home’s decor. Treetopia.com’s Chocolate Truffle- or Winter White-colored trees, wreaths and garlands make a festive statement, and they break from the traditional red and green.

Decorate for the seasons: Make holiday decorations work for more than one holiday season. A black, silver or Champagne-colored tree can work from Halloween through New Year’s. Dress up the tree with Halloween decorations and candy in October and Christmas ornaments for a modern look in December. These trees will still look festive through New Year’s Eve.

Stay simple: If decorating a home for the holidays feels like too much to handle, keep decorating to a minimum. Try trimming a tree with single-colored glass balls for a uniform look. Treetopia.com’s Happy Fun Ball Lights do double duty as single-colored ornaments by day and whimsical balls of light at night.

Have multiple trees: Let the kids enjoy a colored tree of their choice in their own room, but don’t give up the traditional green tree for Santa. Girls and boys will love a Pretty in Pink, Purple Groove, Tuxedo Black or Candy Apple Red Christmas tree. They can also support their school team with a tree in one of the team’s colors.

Jazz up the traditional: In keeping with a semi-traditional approach, Candy Apple Red, Cranberry Crush or Oz’s Enchanted Emerald green-tinsel trees add a new twist on red-and- green holiday decor.

Showing holiday spirit can be subtle or full throttle, whether it is a silver-colored tree or just a Champagne wreath for the home. For some fresh holiday ideas or to view the entire collection, visit www.treetopia.com. – Courtesy of NAPS.