Wedding

Chinese Wedding Dresses

Most people can agree that Christmas is a magical time of the year. The soft glow of countless Christmas lights, the twinkling of tinsel and ornaments, and the smells of freshly-baked cookies resurrect memories of the past and make us children again. We want everything to be perfect on Christmas morning, especially with the centerpiece of our celebrations: the tree. We carefully plan out all the decorations that will accent our Christmas tree, from the tree topper to what gift wrap and bows to use on the presents underneath. One essential part of a Christmas tree, though, that is sometimes overlooked is the tree skirt. Not only does a Christmas tree skirt cover your tree's unsightly stand but a tree skirt also can be a beautiful backdrop for all your Christmas gifts. Thus, choosing the right kind of skirt for your Christmas tree and your family will make your tree even more memorable.

One option that makes Christmas tree skirts extra special is personalization. Whether you choose to buy a personalized tree skirt for yourself and your family or purchase one for a special friend or loved one, these tree skirts offer you the chance to put a personal touch on a holiday that sometimes feels much too commercialized. Here are three e-tailers that caught my eye when I was considering purchasing a personalized Christmas tree shirt for myself and my family this year:

E-tailer #1: Personalized Presents, Inc. (www.personalizedpresents.com)

Personalized Presents, Inc. offers a number of traditional quilted and embroidered Christmas tree shirts (i.e., manger scenes, snowmen, and Christmas tree designs). This e-tailer, however, also sells a number of unique tree skirts (i.e., colorful polka dots and purple velvet). The Christmas tree shirts are made out of a variety of lush, high-quality materials and are priced from $38.00 to $190.00. Each tree skirt has the option to add a name or wording with the first several characters free. (The number of free characters depends upon the specific tree skirt. Additional characters cost $.60 a piece. The buyer also has a number of other personalization options. He or she can choose (completely free of charge) from a wide assortment of fonts, as well as a number of colors, for the embroidery on his or her tree skirt. Personalized Presents, Inc. further offers gift wrap options for various occasions (i.e., wedding, birthday, Christmas) for an extra $5.00 fee. Finally, this site sells Christmas stockings (which also can be personalized) that match some of the company's Christmas tree skirts.

One of the advantages of this site over many others that sell personalized Christmas tree skirts is that it now accepts PayPal, in addition to American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa. Yet, Personalized Presents, Inc. also has a significant disadvantage. This e-tailer has tree skirts that come in many diameters between 41" and 56" (which are not clearly marked except in individual item description). Unfortunately, though, most of them have a diameter of 48".

E-tailer #2: Besigns Company (www.givethebest.com)

Besigns Company, in contrast, offers over 30 unique Christmas tree skirts. These tree skirts also come in a variety of materials, such as wool, velour, and silk, with a vast array of traditional and modern embroidered and/or applique designs. One of the most noticeable features about this site's Christmas tree skirts is that they come in many different shapes from round to hexagon to scalloped. Besigns Company also offers a broader range of sizes than Personalized Presents, Inc. This e-tailer's tree skirts come in a number of sizes from 33" to 60" for full-sized Christmas trees and 15", 20" and 22" diameters for smaller trees. The price range for these tree skirts is $27.00 to $345, and the buyer may choose to have his or her family name embroidered on the skirt in one of a few color options at no extra charge. Up to four extra words can be embroidered on the skirt for an extra fee (starting at $5.00 per word), and gift wrapping is available for most items. Regrettably, this e-tailer only accepts major credit cards (American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa) as payment.

E-tailer #3: PersonalizedMall.com (www.personalizedmall.com)

This e-tailer only offers four different Christmas tree skirts. The first one (snowflakes) is 56" in diameter and made of red and white velvet. The other three are 47". One is red and green velvet. The last two out of dark green/light green felt (Santa Claus) and red/light green felt (snowman). The larger skirt is priced at $69.95, while the other three are $59.95 each. Finally, the buyer is not given a color choice for the embroidery and can only choose up to 20 characters (which are still free). Nonetheless, this site also offers some decent advantages. First, PersonalizedMall.com has a number of other products (i.e., stockings and ornaments) that can be personalized and that would go beautifully with these tree skirts. Moreover, this site offers a preview tool that allows you to see how the personalized product will actually look with the characters you choose, allowing you to pick the best wording to personalize your tree skirt.