Some Christmas trees are elegant. Some are traditional. Some are tasteful and understated.
And some have a GIANT Dolly Parton head, a fabulous blonde wig, and a pair of four-foot butterfly wings.
Guess which kind we made?
If you're going to decorate a Christmas tree inspired by Dolly Parton, there's really only one rule:
GO BIG.
And by big, I mean giant butterfly wings, a larger-than-life Dolly head complete with an enormous blonde wig that you can probably see from space, and a whole lot of blue (yes, blue).
Last Christmas, I helped create The Caring Link's tree for Huntsville's annual Tinsel Trail, and we decided to combine two things that might not immediately scream “Christmas tree”: Dolly Parton and our nonprofit's mission of caring for local kids.
And somehow...it worked.
Instead of going with the pink, rhinestone-covered, cowboy boot Dolly theme you might expect, we gave our tree a full Caring Link makeover.
We used our signature blues, added giant butterfly wings inspired by Dolly's logo, and filled the branches with little nods to the programs we run and the students we serve, including miniature clothes hangers and handmade ornaments (made by yours truly) featuring encouraging quotes and lyrics from the queen herself.
And, of course, Dolly was watching over the whole thing.
Why a Dolly Parton Christmas Tree?
As you probably know, Dolly wasn’t just a country singer slash fashion icon slash queen of one-liners and quips.
She was also the rare kind of person who seemed to have an oversized version of just about everything: an enormous songbook, enormous talent, enormous hair, and yes, those boobs, and, somehow, a heart that managed to outsize them all.
Her recent passing was felt so deeply by so many because Dolly didn’t just talk about making the world a better place. She quietly spent decades actually doing it.
Which, when you think about it, made her a pretty perfect choice for The Caring Link’s tree.
As the sign beside our tree says, like Dolly, we at The Caring Link believe in BIG hair, BIG dreams, and even BIGGER hearts for local kids.
The hair may have been hers.
But that last part? That’s what we’re working on.
What is The Caring Link?
The Caring Link is a local nonprofit in Madison County, AL, and I've served as a volunteer and board member since 2023.
The heart of what we do is our in-school Care Closets (we currently have 28!), which provide brand-new basic essentials free of charge to any student who needs them, including clothing, undergarments, coats & jackets, shoes, toiletries, school supplies, comfort items, and more.
We also have eight additional enrichment programs, including Book Fairy, which provides funding for students in need to shop at their school book fairs alongside their peers so no one has to miss out on Book Fair Joy.
I have no doubt that Dolly would have LOVED this program since she was such a proponent of literacy and had her own Imagination Library, giving away free books so all kids could develop a love of reading.
Dolly Parton Christmas Tree Ornaments
It was my task to create the ornaments that would feature some of Dolly's quotes and song lyrics that hold special meaning to The Caring Link and our mission of helping kids.
I designed the ornaments then fired up my trusty Silhouette Cameo and cut out the words and embellishments in outdoor vinyl.
We got some wooden ornament blanks and I spray painted them Caring Link Blue (not the official name of that shade but it should be).
I then painted the ornament tops a metallic silver before applying the vinyl.
The quotes/lyrics were in white, while The Caring Link's logo and little butterflies were in baby blue, and finally, leaf embellishments were in green.
Creating Our GIANT Dolly Parton Head Christmas Tree Topper
A couple of my fellow board members tackled the most important part of the whole tree: Dolly herself.
More specifically, Dolly’s face and her enormous blonde curls.
Because our tree would be outside from November through early January, they needed something that could survive weeks of Alabama’s wildly unpredictable winter weather.
The solution? Have a giant photo of Dolly’s head printed as a weatherproof yard sign, then take a box cutter to it.
You know...normal Christmas crafting stuff.
Once Dolly’s face was freed from its rectangular confines, it was time for the hair.
Since this is Dolly we're talking about, obviously one blonde wig was never going to cut it, so a couple of wigs were snipped apart and attached piece by piece until she had a suitably enormous Dolly ’do.
Finally, a pair of butterfly wings were added behind her, completing the whole gloriously over-the-top creation.
And just like that, an ordinary Christmas tree became something you could spot from clear across Big Spring Park.
Literally.
You could see Dolly while driving down Church Street, which, I have to imagine, is exactly how she would’ve wanted it.
Decorating Our Tree at Huntsville's Tinsel Trail
Now, a little more about the Tinsel Trail.
Every holiday season, the city of Huntsville hosts the Tinsel Trail in downtown's Big Spring Park.
Over 450 trees are decorated by businesses, nonprofits, schools, churches, and other organizations to add some free festiveness to the local community.
It's always fun to take a stroll through the park with the fam and check out all the holiday creations. The creativity of the Huntsville community is truly incredible.
This Wasn't Actually My First Tinsel Trail Tree...
Believe it or not, Dolly Parton wasn't my first adventure in highly specific Tinsel Trail Christmas tree decorating.
Several years ago, I helped create a tree for my husband's company.
The theme?
Die Hard. Because it IS a Christmas movie.
So apparently my Tinsel Trail portfolio now consists of John McClane and Dolly Parton.
As one does. :)
The Caring Link's Dolly Parton Christmas Tree
Here's Dolly at the Tinsel Trail!
Doesn't she look fabulous??
We got SO many compliments on her, especially for her GIANT noggin.
So many in fact that we decided that big heads will be The Caring Link's schtick at the Tinsel Trail going forward.
That way everyone knows when they see the giant eyes of a celebrity staring straight into their soul while rocking a questionable wig, it's The Caring Link's creation.
My family had to check her out in person after my youngest son ran in the Rockey City Kids Marathon through Big Spring Park in early December.
This was such a fun way to combine my love of making ridiculous things with an organization that means so much to me.
And if Dolly made a few people smile while also introducing them to The Caring Link and the work we're doing for local kids, I'd call that a very Holly Dolly Christmas indeed.
And she looked just as beautiful at night.
Luckily, her blonde curls withstood the elements like a champ.
Resilient just like their lady.
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