It’s finally that time again! If you’re anything like me this article is three weeks too late but hey, it’s never too late to learn a thing or two on how to decorate a Christmas tree! I’ve been decorating Christmas trees since the beginning of time. Our living room always donned a beautiful Christmas tree and we all looked forward to putting it together. Even when we didn’t have much money and we had to make decorations with things lying around the house, it was still the best time of year for us.
So that brings me here. I’m about to dish out all the knowledge on decorating Christmas trees. LOL! This year in particular I was surprised at the number of people asking me for help because they had no idea where to start. And well, this is my forte so all is in luck.
I’ll preface this by saying, the more in numbers, the more fun you have. Meaning, the more people to help, the better and more enjoyable. Trust me, there are always so much laughs you can even give some away!
1| Find a location
Know for sure where your tree is going. This will tell you how large a tree you can get and whether you should get a live tree or a synthetic one. In my neck of the woods we don’t have live trees indoors so it’s pretty much which corner is best. Make sure it’s in a place that’s close to a socket and won’t be in the way of foot traffic. I love mine next to a window as I love how the lights peer through my drapes and you can see if from outside.
2| Have a color scheme
Probably THE most important element for me. A color scheme. As a child we had none. Lol. Whatever we had is whatever we used. I’m not big on color and not a fan of traditional Christmas colors so I always stick with neutrals with hints of gold and silver. Popular themes are silver/gold and red, purple, pink and teal, purple and silver/gold and of course white and anything. Traditionally you find red, gold and green. Whichever floats your boat, go for it. Don’t be too matchy matchy and make sure your lights are coordinating.
3| Test your lights
Never will I forget the year I put all the lights on only to realize later they weren’t working. I test my lights before I do anything else and they always go on first!
4| Fluff your tree
This step gets bypassed many a time to the detriment of the overall end result. Fluffing the tree fills it out and you no longer see those pesky gaps in the tree. It’s as if the tree only comes to life when it’s all fluffed up. It can be a laborious task if you have a big tree, but if you start from the bottom and take your time (with a glass of wine maybe), it’ll be done in no time. If you can get a couple pairs of extra hands, you’re even better off.
5| Get the lights right
Again (saying it louder for those in the back) put your lights on first. After you fluff the branches, start from the bottom of the tree (or the top if that’s what you prefer) and loop the lights in an up and down fashion. That way the tree looks covered proportionately and there are no dark spots. I always keep the lights plugged in when I’m doing this so I can fix to suit as I go along. I have a seven foot tree and use three strings of lights. Four would be more ideal if you’re seeing the entire tree and need to light all the way around. Mine is in a corner so the part that faces the wall gets no lights or decorations. I use white lights to match my gold, silver and neutrals theme.
6| Place your Garlands and ribbons
When lights are on, go in with your garlands. Be it string of beads, ribbons or foil, it’s easier to place without ornaments getting in the way. The tree is also bare except for lights so you can buff up a couple places with these if you see some areas looking a bit scanty. I always use strings of beads and ribbons. They add texture and variety. I place them in a swooping form that seems to go naturally with Christmas trees, and I squish the ribbons a bit to appear more natural. It looks perfect.
7| Hang your Baubles and Ornaments
We’re almost to the finish line. This is the fun part for kids. Hanging the ornaments. I like when there are different ones with different hues of the colors you’re using. I have no method per se to adding these except not concentrating one part of the tree too much with them. Hang them evenly through out but not too uniformed. Have plain ones, patterned ones, clear ones, frosted ones, big ones, small ones and so on. If you have little hands around, put the expensive or glass ones to the top where it’s hard to reach. Don’t clutter the tree with every ornament on the market. Choose them wisely and step away from the tree to make sure it looks balanced.
8| The Tree skirt!
There are tons of options for tree skirts. Some trees don’t need it because the branches come all the way to the ground but if your tree is like mine, it feels like the job is incomplete without a skirt. Try to match with your color scheme as much as possible. I bought one yard of cheap thin paper like shiny cloth and simply wrapped it around the tree stand. This doesn’t have to be a costly piece at all as you can do the same. Skirts hide all the messiness under the tree and keeps it all cozy and inviting.
9| Tree topper
The final piece to the puzzle! The grand ending! The piece that’s saved for the one who is highest esteemed in the household (usually the three year old, lol) The topper! You can get pretty creative with this. I love stars. Some people have angels and bows and sprigs and all sorts of stuff. This is your tree and you can top it with whatever you fancy. Try to keep it eye catching and scaled size wise to the tree. Don’t go too big or too small. You don’t want it to over shadow the tree nor be consumed by it.
So tell me! What else is there to add on how to decorate a Christmas Tree?
Thanks for stopping by!
PS ~ Budget gift guide for new homeowners and Gift ideas for cool minimalists!
