She Went Viral for Her Toddler’s ‘Sad Beige’ Tree. This Year, Fans Are Loving Its Bright Christmas Makeover (Exclusive)

Nattie Jo Powell explains how she ended up trading brown and taupe for pink and purple

• Nattie Jo Powell, an influencer and mom, went viral on TikTok last year when she gave her daughter’s Christmas tree a neutral makeover, leading commenters to dub her a “sad beige” mom
• Powell went viral again this year when she repainted the tree with a brighter, 'Candyland' theme
• Powell tells PEOPLE why she made the switch and why she hasn’t totally abandoned the neutral aesthetic commenters disliked so much

In December 2023, Nattie Jo Powell, an influencer and mom, posted what she thought was just a fun video as she re-did her toddler’s Step 2 plastic Christmas tree to make her own aesthetic. Instead, her video, in which she spray-painted the traditional green tree and bright ornaments to more neutral colors, went viral, racking up millions of views.

Many of her follow-up videos were also seen by millions, with commenters criticizing her for taking the color out of Christmas. She was soon dubbed a “sad beige mom.”

But Powell, 29, never expected to get all that attention. “The response was wild,” she tells PEOPLE. “People had some very strong opinions, to say the least.” She only made the video for “kicks and giggles,” and had no idea it would become so popular.

There was a mix of positive and negative responses, as well as some “threatening” direct messages, she recalls. “Part of me learned to block out the haters, because a lot of people that did end up commenting hadn’t ever watched any of my videos before.” She saw them make assumptions about her life, so in some of her videos, she decided to “play it up” and dip into satire.

@nattiejopo

Sad beige Christmas tree gets a little ✨glow up✨