Example: Christmas tree with balls, candles and snowflakes

% A Christmas tree
% By Alain Matthes
\documentclass[11pt]{article} 
\usepackage[dvipsnames,svgnames]{xcolor}  
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{%
  shapes,
  decorations.shapes,
  decorations.fractals,
  decorations.markings,
  shadows
}

\newsavebox{\mycandle}
\savebox{\mycandle}{ 
\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=.1]
\shade[top color=yellow,bottom color=red] (0,0) .. controls (1,.2) and (1,.5) .. (0,2) .. controls (-1,.5)  and  (-1,.2) .. (0,0);
\fill[yellow!90!black] (.8,0) rectangle (-.8,-5); 
\end{tikzpicture} }
\tikzset{
  paint/.style={draw=#1!50!black, fill=#1!50},
  my star/.style={decorate,decoration={shape backgrounds,shape=star},
                  star points=#1}
}  

\begin{document}
  \begin{tikzpicture}[  ball red/.style={
    decorate,
    decoration={
      markings,
      mark=between positions .2 and 1 step 3cm
      with
      {
        \pgfmathsetmacro{\sz}{2 + .5 * rand}
        \path[shading=ball,ball color=red] (0,0) circle[radius=\sz mm];
      }
    }
  } ,ball blue/.style={
    decorate,
    decoration={
      markings,
      mark=between positions 0.1 and .9 step 3cm
      with
      {
        \pgfmathsetmacro{\sz}{2 + .5 * rand}
        \path[shading=ball,ball color=blue] (0,0) circle[radius=\sz mm];
      }
    }
  }   
]

\draw[fill=Maroon,ultra thick] 
      (.75,-1)  ..  controls (.5,.5)  and   (.5,3)    .. (0.5,4) 
   -- (-0.5,4)  ..  controls (-.5,3) and (-.5,.5)     .. (-.75,-1) ;
\draw[ultra thick,fill=green!50!black] 
      (0,10) .. controls  (0,8)     and   (1,7)    .. (1.5,7) 
             ..  controls (1,7)     and   (1,7)    .. (0.5,7.25) 
             ..  controls (1.5,5)   and   (2.5,4)  .. (3,4)
             ..  controls (2,4)     and   (1.25,4) .. (1,4.5)
             ..  controls (2,2)     and   (3.5,2)  .. (4,2)
             ..  controls (1,1)     and   (-1,1)   .. (-4,2) 
             ..  controls (-3.5,2)  and   (-2,2)   .. (-1,4.5)
             ..  controls (-1.25,4) and   (-2,4)   .. (-3,4) 
             ..  controls (-2.5,4)  and   (-1.5,5) .. (-0.5,7.25) 
             ..  controls  (-1,7)   and   (-1,7)   .. (-1.5,7)
             ..  controls  (-1,7)   and   (0,8)    .. (0,10)
              ;

\foreach \candle in {(2,5),(-2,5),(0.5,7.5),(-0.5,7.5),(-3,2.5), (3,2.5),
                    (1.5,1.75),(-1.5,1.75)}
\node at \candle {\usebox{\mycandle}} ; 
\node [star, star point height=.5cm, minimum size=.5cm,draw,fill=yellow,thick]
      at (0,10) {};
\begin{scope}[decoration={shape sep=.2cm, shape size=.25cm}] 
    \draw [my star=6, paint=red]  (-4,2)
             ..  controls (0,2)     and   (1,3.5)   .. (1,4.40); 
    \draw [my star=6, paint=red]  (-1.5,5.40)
             ..  controls (0,5.40)     and   (0.5,6.5)      .. (0.5,7);  
    \draw [my star=6, paint=blue]  (4,2)
             ..  controls  (0,2) and (-1,3.5)      .. (-1,4.40);             
    \draw [my star=6, paint=blue]  (1.5,5.40)
             ..  controls (0,5.40)     and   (-0.5,6.5)      .. (-0.5,7);     
\end{scope} 
% the balls
\path[ball red] 
      (0,10) .. controls  (0,8)     and   (1,7)    .. (1.5,7) 
             ..  controls (1,7)     and   (1,7)    .. (0.5,7.25) 
             ..  controls (1.5,5)   and   (2.5,4)  .. (3,4)
             ..  controls (2,4)     and   (1.25,4) .. (1,4.5)
             ..  controls (2,2)     and   (3.5,2)  .. (4,2)
             ..  controls (1,1)     and   (-1,1)   .. (-4,2) 
             ..  controls (-3.5,2)  and   (-2,2)   .. (-1,4.5)
             ..  controls (-1.25,4) and   (-2,4)   .. (-3,4) 
             ..  controls (-2.5,4)  and   (-1.5,5) .. (-0.5,7.25) 
             ..  controls  (-1,7)   and   (-1,7)   .. (-1.5,7)
             ..  controls  (-1,7)   and   (0,8)    .. (0,10)
              ; 
\path[ball blue] 
      (0,10) .. controls  (0,8)     and   (1,7)    .. (1.5,7) 
             ..  controls (1,7)     and   (1,7)    .. (0.5,7.25) 
             ..  controls (1.5,5)   and   (2.5,4)  .. (3,4)
             ..  controls (2,4)     and   (1.25,4) .. (1,4.5)
             ..  controls (2,2)     and   (3.5,2)  .. (4,2)
             ..  controls (1,1)     and   (-1,1)   .. (-4,2) 
             ..  controls (-3.5,2)  and   (-2,2)   .. (-1,4.5)
             ..  controls (-1.25,4) and   (-2,4)   .. (-3,4) 
             ..  controls (-2.5,4)  and   (-1.5,5) .. (-0.5,7.25) 
             ..  controls  (-1,7)   and   (-1,7)   .. (-1.5,7)
             ..  controls  (-1,7)   and   (0,8)    .. (0,10)
              ; 
 % the snow
\foreach \i in {0.5,0.6,...,1.6}
     \fill [white!80!blue,decoration=Koch snowflake,opacity=.9]
           [shift={(rand*5,rnd*8)},scale=\i]
           [double copy shadow={opacity=0.2,shadow xshift=0pt,
           shadow yshift=3*\i pt,fill=white,draw=none}]
        decorate {
          decorate {
            decorate {
              (0,0) -- ++(60:1) -- ++(-60:1) -- cycle
            }
          }
        };                  
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}