10 Things Quilters (and other Creatives) Can Learn from Disney Holiday Decorations

1. If you stick with one theme you don’t have to stick to one color palette.

So long as you carry your theme throughout you don’t have to stick to one simple color palette. For example, if all of your blocks are stars (and they can be any type of stars) they are unified by theme, and can all be different colors. 

Encanto Tree, Disney Springs, 2022

2. Sometimes simple is better. 

We often get carried away with the idea that the more detail you add, or the more advanced the technique, the better a quilt will be, but sometimes your best position is to just go for something simple that conveys your idea very clearly. 

Disney+ Tree, Disney Springs, 2022

3. An impression can have just as big an impact as the actual object.

Just because a Christmas tree is conical doesn’t mean you have to make it with triangles. Try using whatever shape you would like, and remember you can always use the quilting to reinforce the design. Think about using a series of curved blocks (similar to round ornaments) to build a tree and then quilting around it in a traditional tree shape. 

Modern Tree, Disney Springs, 2022

4. You have more than one side, work with both!

Don’t focus on just the quilt top. You have the quilt back too. This can be a great opportunity to make a two-sided quilt, or feature a fabric that you love but that scale-wise didn’t fit on the front. We always seem to take the perspective that the work can only be viewed one way, but there are at least two sides to every quilt. 

Coco Tree, Disney Springs, 2022

5. It might not be traditional, but it can still work.

Just because red and green may be the traditional Christmas colors, it doesn’t mean that you have to use them in your Christmas quilt. The pattern can carry colors that wouldn’t normally be associated with the season. In many cases going with something unconventional yields beautiful results. 

Lion King Tree, Disney Springs, 2022

6. You can add a ton of fun with the details.  

While the devil may be in the details, so is all the fun. Adding little details can help you add your own special touch and change the entire mood of a project. 

Princess and the Frog Tree, Disney Springs, 2022

7. The star can still be a team player.

Just because something is typically the star doesn’t mean you can’t make it a team player. Here poinsettias (usually a central floral feature at Christmas) became a beautiful garland for the tree. Think of your different main fabrics -  while we tend to focus a quilt around them, they can also become great borders, accents and even bindings. Remember any block, technique or fabric can be a team player. 

American Tree, EPCOT, 2022

8.  “Off-Theme” doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.

Really there is no such thing as “off-theme” -you decide the theme and how to build it out, so you decide what is “on-theme”. If you love Halloween but need to make a Christmas quilt why not make a set of trees out of Halloween fabric, and it will even span two seasons! 

Nightmare Before Christmas Tree, Disney Springs, 2022

9. If in doubt add it in.

Remember before when I said sometimes simpler is better, well other times the more you add the better it becomes. I love to think of Victorian crazy quilts where all different colors, patterns, and stitches coexist harmoniously. 

Haunted Mansion Tree, Disney Springs, 2022

10. If you love it, add it.

And when it comes right down to it, if you love it, add it. Because you love it you will be able to get it to work. Whether it is C3-PO as a tree topper, or turning a Wookie belt into sashing, you can absolutely find a way to make it work. 

I hope this has given you a few new ideas and empowered you to break the rules when it comes to choosing your next quilt design. 

Star Wars Tree, Disney Springs, 2022

Until next time, Happy Sewing! 

-Siobhan