With Christmas just around the corner, many households will be looking to get their Christmas tree out of the loft or planning a trip to pick up their real tree, ready for the festive decorating to commence!
Decorating your tree is mainly a case of personal taste when it comes to colour scheme, layering and adding a theme, but are there any hard and fast rules that you should be following to make your Christmas tree look fabulous? Here’s our quick and easy guide to decorating your Christmas tree like a professional.
One of the key tasks that many people forget to do until it is too late, is to fluff and shape the branches on your tree. If it has been folded down in the loft or tied together on a farm for months, it is likely to look a little flat and have lots of gaps in the foliage. Gently move the branches around to fill any obvious gaps in order to achieve your desired shape and it will make placing your decorations so much easier.
When you shop for decorations you will find that the options are endless, with so many colours and designs to choose from. You can of course choose a little bit of each available theme to feature on your tree, but it is often so much nicer to pick a theme and stick to it. For example, a Scandi style will be white and silver colours, or a traditional theme could be reds and greens. When you know your theme, lay everything out on a table rather than placing it straight on the tree from your storage box, as you may have forgotten some really great pieces that you want to display, but have run out of room by the end.
Unless your tree is pre-lit already, then placing your Christmas lights on the tree will be your first main task. It is best to start from the plug end of the lights, so that you can be sure you have enough space to reach the socket you have finished. Work your way up the base and move around the tree as evenly as possible, weaving your way up to the crown. Try to achieve a system where you go under a branch, then over a branch in order to keep it consistent.
Starting from the top of your tree, arrange your decorations on the branches, trying to be as balanced as possible. Step back every so often so that you can see if you're achieving your desired finish, it will be easier to change it as you go, rather than wait until the end. If you can use a few different sizes of bauble it can really add to the finished look, with larger baubles towards the centre to add depth and smaller ones at the end of the branches. If you have special baubles that you want to have pride of place, make sure these are added last.
Tinsel is a very outdated decoration that is not environmentally friendly, so many are instead using colourful ribbons to add layers to their tree. Using different colours, textures and sizes can offer a lovely finish, in pre-tied bows that are simple to place.
If you still feel like your tree is missing a few finishing touches, or there are some smaller gaps that are hard to fill, perhaps try using some small floral sprays, pine cones and berries.
Finally, add your tree topper to complete the look. Remember to check the height of your ceiling if your tree is particularly tall, then decide if you are going for a star, an angel or something a little more unique. Perhaps get the family involved in this last stage, as it often signals the start of Christmas festivities in many households, with children loving the honour of adding that final piece of the tree.
At Country & Home we stock some beautiful and unique Christmas decorations, many of which will look wonderful on your festive tree. Browse our wide collection and we’re certain that you will be inspired with a brand new theme for the festive season.
Sources
https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/decorate/display/a910/christmas-tree-professional-decoration-tips/
