Ornaments are this Wichitan’s Christmas passion (VIDEO)

When it comes to Christmas trees, some people like real ones, while others prefer artificial. But some people also prefer to hang either more lights or more ornaments on those trees.

Wichita seamstress Felicia Serrioz is definitely in the ornaments camp – so much so that she has started making small trees out of vintage ornaments.

The new works of art made from the old ornaments – which also include wreaths – are often drizzled with a spray of mica to look like snow. Serrioz (whose charming garden in south College Hill you may remember from garden tours of yore) buys vintage containers on eBay and glues the ornaments to small artificial trees.

The bauble creations range in price from $125 to $250 and can be purchased at her A&M Upholstery shop at 106 N. Hillside and around the corner at Traditions at 3220 E. Douglas. She buys a lot of her vintage ornaments next door to Traditions at Juliana Daniel Antiques.

Serrioz has already been involved in a flurry of Christmas decorating for Traditions and some houses in Wichita. When it comes to decorating her own Christmas trees, she chooses real concolor firs, because their open branches are better able to show off her ornaments.

“I have so many ornaments. I want to display them all,” Serrioz says. She doesn’t just hang them on the tips of the branches, she also sticks them deep into the tree.

She likes real trees over artificial ones because “they have a little bit funkier look. It’s more of an asymmetrical shape as opposed to a symmetrical look.”

When you’re buying a real tree, your options include Christmas tree farms, garden centers and pop-up Christmas-tree lots.

Serrioz flanks her fireplace with flocked concolor firs from Hillside Nursery, then hangs lighted garland across the mantle to visually connect the two trees.

“I usually buy several other trees and cut the branches off to use the greens. For some reason, I feel like I have to put greenery in every pot I own. I like it to look nice outside, too.”

Here are some of Serrioz’s tips for tree decorating:

▪ Plug your lights into a power strip and tuck it under the tree skirt so you can easily turn the lights off and on with the flip of the switch on the power strip.

▪ Rather than wrangling to get a topper to fit on the tree every year, Serrioz has cup hooks in the ceiling above the trees; she hangs angels from the hooks and slides the trees under the angels.

▪ To protect ornaments from breakage, straighten ornament hooks and wrap them around both the ornament and the branch several times so that the ornaments don’t fall off. “I’ve broken many an ornament just walking by and knocking into it,” Serrioz said. She is then careful and takes her time when she takes the ornaments off the trees; she tosses the hooks and buys new ones each year, though they could be reused.

▪ “I use ribbon as garland. As of late, I’ve been using that wider mesh because I like the effect of it. I like the tree to look really full, kind of overdone, lush.” The trick is not to wrap the ribbon or garland tightly, she said. The ribbon should be wired to the branches to keep it in place, or, in the case of an artificial tree, the branches can be bent to hold the ribbon in place. Ornaments can be hung in front of or behind the ribbon. Sparkly ornaments especially shine from the interior of the tree.

This story was originally published November 27, 2014 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Ornaments are this Wichitan’s Christmas passion (VIDEO)."