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Win Christmas with these festive AvGeek tree decorating ideas

Dec. 06, 2019
•
3 min read
blue background with Christmas tree
Win Christmas with these festive AvGeek tree decorating ideas
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It’s time to wrestle a Christmas tree into a stand again and dust off boxes of decorations from Christmas past. For ‘travel-tree’ people, those boxes are filled with souvenirs from around the world.

I used to collect fridge magnets on my travels. Then I bought a Christmas decoration at Dolly Parton’s Dollywood. When each December rolled around, that twinkly gold decoration brought back a flood of memories — but I realized had stopped noticing that Dollywood magnet months earlier. Just like that I had a new favorite thing to collect and decorate my travel tree.

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Christmas shops are open year-round for people like me. Usually the shop will have a variety of items on theme for the destination; others will have the year painted on or will invite you to add a message so you can remember where you were and who you were with.

(Photo by Amanda Woods.)

Sometimes a travel-tree collector has to be creative: The right souvenir luggage tag or key ring can easily be given a new purpose if you can't find the right decoration in a shop. Any cute souvenir that’s small enough to tie a ribbon around and hang on a tree will do the trick.

Your travel tree can also celebrate the fun of getting to your destination. If you want a New York-JFK, Atlanta Airport (ATL) or London Heathrow (LHR) ornament on your tree, companies like Airporttag have Christmas decorations featuring airports and airline codes.

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Red ‘Remove Before Flight’ ribbons can be purchased as a key chain (rather than actually removed from an aircraft) to add an extra AvGeek pop of color to your tree, and tiny airplane ornaments are easily found on Amazon, Etsy and Ebay.

One way to get your friends interested in your travel tree is to invite them over to "drink the tree."

(Photo by Amanda Woods.)

First you’ll need to get your hands on lots of those tiny bottles of alcohol you usually only find on airplanes or hotel minibars. These nip-size bottles are so light (when they are empty) they can be attached with colorful pieces of curling ribbon.

Tie a piece of the ribbon around the bottle cap, leaving enough room on either side for attaching and curling. Then take your scissors and curl one side in the direction of its natural curl, and tie the other side to the tree. Voila!

You can invite your friends to bring their own tiny bottles to a tree-trimming party. If you’re feeling extra crafty, you can keep the empty miniatures to create your own string of Christmas lights next year.

According to Martha Stewart, there’s no wrong way to trim a tree so why not have a little fun with it? Forget the boring baubles and make your next tree one that takes you on a happy trip down memory lane.

Featured image by Getty Images/iStockphoto

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  • Annual Fee is $325.
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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

American Express® Gold Card

TPG Editor‘s Rating
4 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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2XEarn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
1XEarn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.