Many families have a tradition of how they go about decorating a Christmas tree, they follow the same steps each year, and end up with a tree that always looks the same, while that’s not a bad thing it also tends to get a bit boring after a few years. Then there are the others who may be striking out on their own for the first time.
In this article we’re going to look at ways of decorating a Christmas tree. If you’re still new to it and want to get it right first time, or just looking to try something different this year, then these are the things you really need to know about.
Decorating a Christmas tree step 1: real or artificial?
The first thing you need to have is a tree, right? So the two choices you have are whether you go for a real one i.e. was growing in the ground a few days earlier, or an artificial one.
There are many pluses and minuses with both. The real one has the look, feel, and smell of Christmas, but tends to shed and needs replaced each year; the artificial one is easier to move around, doesn’t tend to add to your cleaning, and comes in more than just green.
Real trees tend to look better than artificial trees if you add organic decorations, but artificial Christmas trees can be bought that have a number of fibre optic lights built in – which saves you a lot of time.
Decorating a Christmas tree step 2: picking a colour scheme
There are certain colours that are more in harmony when they’re put together on your tree. If your tree is green (no matter whether it’s real or artificial) then other primary colours like red and blue work really well with it.
A handy tip is to go to your local hardware store and head to the paint section. In the paint section they will usually have a chart that tells you the paint colours that work best with each other, this can also be a useful way of picking the colours that are going to work best together on your tree.
Decorating a Christmas tree step 3: let there be (small and twinkly) light
Each year there seems to be more and more varieties of lights available to you.
If you have a large real tree then you’ll want to go with larger lights. The size of the tree can make it easy for much smaller lights to just get swallowed up by the tree, and this means you have to buy a whole lot more of them to get the impact you’re after.
As mentioned earlier you can get artificial trees that have lights built into them, but you can still add your own. Because artificial trees don’t usually have the same strength as a real tree i.e. the branches can fall off a lot easier on an artificial tree, it’s usually best to get smaller, lighter lights.
Colours and shapes will vary, but if you stick with the colour scheme tip then you should be able to get lights that compliment the tree.
Decorating a Christmas tree step 4: the decorations
This is really up to your own taste, and if you have decorations that have been handed down to you then use them by all means, but here are a few ideas:
Are you traditional or modern? There are many traditional decorations that just don’t seem to sit right with some of the newer more modern decorations. If you have more traditional decorations than modern then go with them and keep the tree traditional – you can always find other places to hang the modern decorations , want to buy new tree than buy from sustainable christmas trees wholesale.
Homemade decorations go well no matter when they were made because handmade always has a ‘traditional’ feel about it. Tinsel is another decoration that works well for modern themes and old schemes. Try hanging your tinsel in small bunches rather than a single strand at a time – it saves time and has a far more interesting effect.
Decorating a Christmas tree step 5: the show stopper tree topper
Are you a star, or an angel person? Either is good, but there are other options out there; it all comes down to your taste.
If you have kids and want to start your own family Christmas tradition then why not have them take turns to make a new tree topper each year? They are quite cheap and easy to do and are a great way to bring the family together – and stop the kids feeling left out when the adults take over the decorating job – and make the basis of a lovely new tradition.
Decorating a Christmas tree step 6: giving the tree a mat finish
Originally having a mat around the base of the tree was to ensure that all of the needles and dripping candle wax were collected somewhere other than on your floor or carpet, but they’re actually a very nice way to add to the often over looked base of the tree.
Having a mat there is also a very good way of covering all of the electrics going to the tree, and gives it a tidier look and feel.
If you want to add a bit more interest to the bottom of the tree then why not have a nativity scene? Or, as they tend to have in the old movies, a toy train circling around the base of the tree?