Melania Trump unveils White House Christmas decorations

America the Beautiful is the theme for the first lady's final festive decorating attempt

US First Lady Melania Trump stands in front of the White House Christmas Tree at the North Portico of the White House.  Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg

The Trump family's final Christmas decorations for the White House have been revealed.

In a video on Twitter, first lady Melania Trump unveiled this year’s decorative theme to be America the Beautiful.

Consisting of traditional red, gold and silver decor, this year's theme seems to be a safer bet than some of the festive ideas favoured by Melania during her four years at the White House.

Showing several rooms and hallways in the White House, the video gives viewers a glimpse of the elaborate festive decorations. Among Trump's trimmings are 106 wreaths, 360 metres of garlands and over 3,200 strands of lights. There's also 62 Christmas trees spread throughout the house and no less than 17,000 festive bows.

The official White House Christmas tree for 2020 is a Fraser Fir that stands over 5.4 metres tall in the Blue Room. Students from across the country were invited to send decorations to adorn the tree, each depicting what makes the state that they live in special.

In the East Wing, Trump has draped The Gold Star Family Tree in blue. Traditionally, the tree pays tribute to the American military. This year, it is adorned with ribbons bearing the names of American servicemen and women who have lost their lives.

In the East Colonnade, black urns display foliage from the official trees of each American state. Christmas cards sent by first families over the past twelve administrations are displayed in the East Garden Room. Stockings for Donald, Melania and the rest of the Trump family hang on a fireplace in the China Room, which is one of 28 fireplaces found throughout the property.

An edible gingerbread model of the White House is laid out in the State Dining Room. Created from 173 kilograms of dough, it includes replicas of the Rose Garden and the First Ladies garden. There's also a model train dubbed the White House Express, which circles around a festive wreath.

The decorations mark the last Christmas in the White House for the Trump family. President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office on January 20. Trump has confirmed that he will leave the White House, despite continuing to insist that he won the 2020 election.

Despite her traditional take on Christmas this year, the first lady did not escape critics. American comedian and television host Jimmy Kimmel released a spoof of her festive video.

Scottish comedian Janey Godley dubbed a videoclip of Mrs Trump's guide to her festive decorations. As the camera panned over the toy train, the voice-over says: "Donald stayed up all night playing with that."

Melania Trump's Christmas trees over the years

For her final year in the White House, Melania Trump has opted to keep things tradition, much like her 2019 theme, which also included green conifers and an edible model of the White House.

This was a departure from the colonnade of blood-red trees that Trump opted for in 2018. The trees were part of her American Treasures theme, but some critics suggested they looked as if they belonged in Hulu's dystopian drama series, The Handmaid's Tale.

In 2017, her first year decorating the White House at Christmas, the first lady unveiled a sparse, ice-cool decor consisting of Balsam fir trees, fake icicles and glass ornaments. Critics were quick to call the theme haunting, cold and barren.