Paula’s tips for Star Wars holiday decorating

Nothing says “Peace on Earth” quite like a generational story about war in a galaxy far, far away. And recently, fans have been showing off their Star Wars Christmas trees on the StarWars.com Twitter feed. When my tree covered entirely in Hallmark ornaments was featured, I got a surprising number of questions from people all over the world asking me about it. So let’s make like an intergalactic Martha Stewart and see what I can share.

I’ve been collecting the Hallmark ornaments since they first started coming out. I have always gravitated towards the more realistic sculpts and Hallmark has really paid a lot of attention to detail. I started getting them because I liked them better than the action figures that were out at the time. (Still do, actually. And I don’t want to spend the money on the Gentle Giants statues. Can you say cheap?)

When I first got them, I started posing them on my bookshelves. (My real passion is collecting the Star Wars books.) But the collection soon grew too numerous even for my insane number of shelves, so I decided to take the plunge and get a tree to display them during the holidays.

I started out with a 4-foot tree, but after a while I had to move up to a 6-foot tree. I now have enough Hallmark ornaments to cover the 6-foot tree. The old 4-foot tree holds the non-Hallmark ornaments. But there’s no way I could collect all the Star Wars ornaments that are out there. I limit my non-Hallmark purchases to the ones that amuse me.

The real irony is that I grew up in a Jewish home. I can remember us having one Christmas tree when I was little because I think my parents got tired of explaining why we didn’t have one. My brother calls it a Chanukah bush. I just call it the Star Wars tree. Star Wars is universal. It doesn’t have to be about religion. It’s about having fun with your collection.

So what holiday decorating tips can I offer to someone just starting out?

1. Don’t try to be a completist. Leave that to the Super Collectors like Steve Sansweet and Gus Lopez.
2. Pick up only those ornaments that make you smile. The holidays (no matter which ones you celebrate) should be about fun.
3. Arrange them different ways. I alternate between putting them on in story order and grouping them by “family tree.” (Y’know. Momma Padme and Daddy Vader at the top. Luke and Leia. Han next to Leia. And so on.)
4. Don’t display them year-round. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of rediscovering your collectibles once a year. Put them away, kids.
5. Most Hallmark ornaments are released in mid-July and then again in October. Get them in July. It’s less strain on your holiday shopping budget. Plus, hey, Christmas in July!
6. There are tons of Star Wars-themed holiday decorations out there. Cruise the internet and witness the awesome.

So embrace your inner Gormaanda and have fun with it!