Tips for Decking the Halls Like a Pro

Every year, we try to outdo one another with our Christmas tree decorations in terms of style and festiveness. But in practice, it's much simpler to say than to do. If your home is your pride and joy and the Christmas tree is the centerpiece of your home on the holiday, decorating it can be a daunting task, especially for the perfectionists among us.

We consulted several interior design professionals, including those at Balsam Hill, whose prefabricated Christmas trees have been seen on the sets of The X Factor and other popular television shows. Shows like Good Morning Britain and This Morning have featured segments on how to fake a professionally decorated Christmas tree.

However, before we get started, you need to have the right tools to ensure the safe and proper set up of your Christmas tree. Cotton gloves are included for the arduous task of trimming and shaping branches. safety-handled scissors for cutting materials, packaging, or equipment, and a stable ladder or step stool for arranging ornaments atop taller trees.

Your equipment is ready; now try your hand at effortlessly achieving a look worthy of an Instagram post. Learn from the experts' advice below.

1. Purchase a realistic-looking fake tree.

High-quality Christmas trees last for many years and reliably hold ornaments. Excellent quality trees last longer and look great year after year, year after year.

In order to avoid having to replace your tree every few years because it's "out of date" due to shifting fashion, it's best to stick with a classic design.

An unlit Christmas tree gives you the freedom to decorate it however you like, while the convenience of a pre-lit tree makes it the clear favorite. Although 7-foot trees are all the rage these days, you should pick one that won't make your living room feel too claustrophobic. There are some wonderful slim Christmas trees on the market, including narrow pencil designs, which may be a better fit if you're short on floor area. Also, to save your Christmas tree from unnecessary wear and tear, look for a model with convenient advanced features like easy assembly and compact storage.

When shopping for a Christmas tree, it's a good idea to also pick up appropriate containers for storing other holiday decorations like wreaths, garlands, and lights. This will make it easier to put everything away after the holiday season.

You can also find a wide variety of real Christmas trees for sale at local tree farms, markets, and home improvement stores. Check out our real Christmas trees guide to learn about all the options, like the Nordmann Fir and the Norway Spruce.

Shape and fluff the limbs.

You can make your Christmas tree look more full and natural by fluffing the branches. While this may seem like a daunting task, the benefits will be well worth your time. Spread the limbs apart to cover more ground, and don't be afraid to bend them to fill in any empty spots. No matter how simple or elaborate your tree ornaments are, a well-shaped tree is always a sight to behold. If you want to keep your hands and arms from getting scraped, you should, of course, wear gloves and long sleeves.

Create a concept or concept around a design theme

A well-designed Christmas tree will have a cohesive theme that unifies all of the ornaments. Choosing a theme for your tree before picking out ornaments helps set the mood and provides direction. In search of motivation This year, John Lewis has six distinct Christmas themes to choose from, ranging from the rustic Winter Fayre to the whimsical Santa's Rainbow Workshop. To help you achieve a look that is quintessentially Christmassy, Homebase has provided four different festive themes, ranging from Party Nights to Refined Nature.

A good color scheme (and appropriate materials) is step four.

Select a color scheme that complements your chosen theme. If you're going for a classic, luxurious feel, stick with red and gold; if you're going for a Scandi, layer white and neutral shades; if you're going for a chilly, futuristic vibe, go with blue and silver. Limit your color scheme to no more than three colors, and preferably just two. Consider the tree's style before purchasing ornaments; a plush velvet tree topper works well with a posh setting, while paper and wooden ornaments are perfect for a minimalist or Nordic tree.

In general, less is more, but it is Christmas, so if you feel like going all out, go for it! At Christmas, the rules for decorating your home are much looser, so go ahead and have some fun with it.

Five, turn on the lights first

Pre-lit Christmas trees are convenient, but if you have a plain tree (either real or artificial), you'll need to add lights. The professionals at Lights4fun recommend using 100 lights per 2 feet of Christmas tree, or 5 meters. Accordingly, 300 bulbs, or 15 meters, of lights, would be required to decorate a tree that is 6 feet tall.

When decorating a Christmas tree, the lights are the first thing to go up because they are the most finicky to set up and take down after other ornaments have been placed.

Balsam Hill suggests beginning at the plug and working your way up the tree by wrapping the lights around the trunk. After you've finished draping the lights evenly around the lower branches near the trunk, begin weaving them upward from the crown's midpoint.

Balsam Hill suggests that once you've reached the top, you weave your way back down while spreading the lights further along the branches. In order to reach the ends of the branches, you must continue weaving the lights. '

Also, keep in mind that when weaving, the bulb goes under the branch, the next bulb goes over the branch, and so on.

6. Keep the room's decor in check

It's important to make sure your Christmas tree is evenly decorated with all the ornaments you plan to use. Decorate the tree from the top down. As you decorate your tree, you can quickly and easily verify your work.

Seven, group your ornaments

Brad Schmidt, a consultant for Balsam Hill, suggests combining three ornaments of varying sizes for maximum visual impact. Both matching and contrasting combinations are possible.

The White Company agrees that using ornaments in sets of threes, sixes, or twelves and hanging them in a 'Z' formation first helps to create a more visually appealing tree. For a fuller tree, use larger ornaments closer to the trunk and smaller ones further out.

Put fragile glass ornaments near the top of the tree to avoid dropping them, and hang important ones at the end to make sure they're in the right spot.

How many ornaments do you anticipate needing If you're aiming for a size 7, The White Company suggests putting 80 ornaments on your tree. 5ft tree

8. Build up your ribbons in different layers and designs

A layering of decorative ribbons is another trick of the trade that will take your Christmas tree to the next level aesthetically. You can use just one kind of ribbon, or combine different textures and widths of ribbons for a more striking effect.

Brad suggests using wired-edge ribbons because they are more flexible and will not sag as easily when shaped into loops, rolls, or bows. Use these easy steps to decorate your tree with ribbons.

Tree picks, number 9.

Tree picks and floral sprays come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from decorated branches to twigs to berries to pine cones, and should be used sparingly to accentuate the overall aesthetic of your tree. Using floral wire to cluster picks is a clever way to add visual interest to your tree without competing with other ornaments.

Not only are they wonderful for decorating Christmas trees, but they can also be used to spruce up wreaths and garlands with some festive color. Picks with flexible stems are preferable for shaping because they can be manipulated more freely.

Decorate with fragrant ornaments

Using scented ornaments, you can make your artificial Christmas tree mimic the aroma of a real tree and fill the room with holiday cheer. To give your Christmas tree that just-cut aroma, pick up a bottle of Scentsicles scented paper tube sticks (hooks are included) and place them strategically throughout the ornaments. Scents like cinnamon, berry, or winter fir will give your space an instant burst of newness. If you're getting a tree from The White Company, they sell scented ornaments to go with any theme.

Selecting the perfect tree topper is step number eleven.

Adding a bold tree topper can really bring the whole tree's designer look together. You should think about the height of your ceiling, the size of your room, and the overall feel you want to achieve when selecting a tree skirt. Traditionally, star tree toppers and angels have been the most popular, but there are many other designs from which to choose, including personalized options and even opportunities to make your own topper.

Put on a tree skirt as the final touch.

A Christmas tree skirt is the final touch to your decorations and helps to keep the tree's overall look harmonious, but it's often overlooked. Tree skirts serve multiple purposes, including hiding the tree's legs, trunk, or stand and keeping pine needles from scattering across your floor (if you have a real tree).

It highlights the base of the tree in a natural way and contributes to its overall aesthetic appeal. Further, it serves as an ideal background for Christmas presents. Or, if you prefer, you can use a tree rug with a potted or basketed Christmas tree.

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