It’s November. Halloween is over (yay), and Christmas is only 8 weeks away. Decorating your Christmas Tree is probably the first thing you will attempt this Christmas season (I’m guessing). The decorated Christmas tree is significant because it sets the stage for Christmas in your home. How you adorn your tree will determine the decor throughout your home, and there is amazing flexibility when in comes to Christmas tree decoration. In this article I will cover all the different ways your tree can be decorated, with some inspiring and creative ideas.
Choosing the Perfect Tree
Possibly the most divisive issue come Christmas time is choosing whether to have a real or artificial Christmas tree.
With a real tree you get that beautiful smell that brings back waves of nostalgia and plunges your home straight into a sensory experience of Christmas. It can be a wonderful Christmas tradition to go and choose the tree, cut it down, lug it home, and bring it to festive life.
But, real trees have their difficulties: some people are allergic, plus they shed and leave a mess, requiring constant maintenance and upkeep.
Artificial trees lack that Christmas aroma, but come perfectly shaped, require little maintenance, and last years. You can put it up as early as you want and leave it up as late as you want, without worrying about it sagging. Plus, with the range of artificial trees available, you can choose white, red, pink, snow-capped … the world is your oyster!
If you do decide to use a real Christmas tree, here are some top tips to keep it looking good the whole season:
- Trim the trunk about a 1/2 inch to help with water absorption.
- Keep your Christmas Tree in water at all times
- Keep away from heat to stop the tree drying out
- Look for a healthy, green tree with the least amount of brown needles.
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Decorating with Classic Elegance: Traditional Tree Decor
A Classically elegant Christmas Tree will have timeless colour schemes and ornament choices. Think red, gold, silver, or green. Ribbons, bows, and baubles are traditional, as well as nativity inspired stars and angels.
Heirloom decorations will create a sense of nostalgia, and handmade ornaments will bring sentiment and fond memories.
Modern Marvels: Contemporary Tree Decor
Whereas a traditional Christmas tree will be elaborately studded with decorations, a modern Christmas Tree will have a minimalist approach. Ornaments will be sleek and uniquely coloured, and tree toppers will be innovative and different.
With modern colour palettes and simple, sleek decorations, a modern Christmas Tree can bring a touch of sophistication and calm to your space. While a Traditional Christmas tree can be dazzling and bright, a modern tree is sleek, cool, and restful.
Rustic Charm: Nature-Inspired Tree Decor
Using natural elements like pine cones, twigs, and burlap can make your Christmas Tree look beautiful. Natural ornaments have their own aromas and textures which complement the tree, especially if you have decided to go with a real one.
The great thing about going natural is that you can usually get your ornaments inexpensively by foraging or making yourself. Think orange garlands, burlap stripes and bows, or dried flowers. Incorporate woodland creatures and textures for a cozy feel.
Things that definitely do not belong on a natural Christmas tree are tinsel, plastic, or anything too gaudy and bright.
Winter Wonderland: White and Silver Themes
A white and silver Christmas tree does not have to be tacky. White and silver decor can create a magical snowy atmosphere without looking gaudy and over-the-top. Take this Christmas tree (pictured) from Decor Gold Designs. Elegant and sophisticated ornament choices make the tree look magical yet grown up, beautiful, yet tasteful.
Adding shimmer with metallic accents and lights will really enhance the winter wonderland effect.
Whimsical and Playful: Kid-Friendly Tree Decor
Get your kids excited about the Christmas Tree this year by choosing a theme they can relate to, or getting them to make decorations. Incorporating fun and colourful ornaments will dazzle them. Salt dough ornaments or paper snowflakes are easy, kid-friendly activities you can do with kids when the holidays start.
Theme Trees: Specialized Decorating Ideas
Creating a themed tree based on hobbies or interests will evoke a bunch of fun memories and bring positive nostalgia into your home. You could base it on your favourite holiday, movie, sport or leisure activity.
Just because it’s themed, does not mean you have to throw artistry out the window. This pretty-in-pink Christmas tree is a gorgeous rendition of what a themed tree can look like.
Holiday movies which would translate well to Christmas tree are: The Polar Express, Frozen, The Santa Claus, The Nativity Story, and even the Grinch could be quite humorous.
You could also use your tree to showcase a collection, such as nutcrackers, model cars, or vintage ornaments. There really is no limit! The tricky part will just be making sure it still looks good.
Lights and Sparkle: Illuminating the Tree
Perhaps the most crucial part of the tree is the fairy lights. Illumination is what brings magic to your tree, what makes it look fairy-like, and enhances whatever decor you have decided to go with.
There is more decision making involved with choosing lights than one might think. Do you want warm yellow lights, or colder white ones? What will go better with your chosen theme? A traditional Christmas tree begs for warm yellow lights to enhance the golds and the reds of the tree. A winter wonderland tree, on the other hand, may look better with white Christmas lights.
Another consideration is whether to buy battery-powered or regular plug in lights. The battery-powered variety frees you up to position the tree wherever you want, not just where the closest available plug is. It’s something to bear in mind if you live inan older house with fewer sockets.
You want to make sure your string of lights is just long enough for sufficient illumination but does not choke your tree with light. This will depend on how large and bushy your tree is. A delicate tree will not need as many lights, whereas most artificial trees are amply branched and need a lot.
You can save yourself a lot of hassle with a tree which has lights built into it.
Tree Skirts and Bases
The final thing to complete your tree is to shroud the base with a skirt or other clever disguise. There are some really clever ways you can hide the ugly feet or trunk of the tree, which you may want to do since it takes a while for the present build-up to do the job.
A real tree could be planted in a rustic bucket, basket or box. For an artificial tree, you could make or buy a quilted or knitted skirt, or you could even use a braided rug to do the job.
Just remember to coordinate the tree skirts with the overall theme, be it rustic, classic, or winter wonderland!
Conclusion
There are so many options when it comes to decorating your Christmas Tree. Whether you’re craving elegance or minimalism, a White Wonderland or a novel theme, your Christmas Tree will oblige. The great thing about a Christmas Tree is that it tends to dictate the decoration for the rest of your home, so if you begin with this, the rest of your Christmas decor will fall into line.
I really hope this article has inspired you to think outside the box and get excited about decorating your tree…because this will open the door to your festive season!
Happy Decorating!
