They say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and for many families it’s a chance to spend time together and share precious memories. Having a beautifully decorated tree is a sure way to make your Christmas unforgettable. Take it up a notch this year and impress everyone with these simple steps to learn how to decorate your Christmas tree like a professional!

Making All the Important Decisions

Before you get started, make sure you have a detailed plan of what you want to do so you know what materials to buy. You can make specific choices based on what is available while you shop, but you need to at least have a general idea of the results you are looking to achieve, otherwise you might end up with an uncoordinated mess.

You can choose to get an artificial tree or a real one depending on your preferences. Many people insist on getting a real tree, but a branched artificial tree is a perfectly good option as well. They come without the natural flaws a real tree has, and above all else you can reuse them year after year. Many artificial trees look nearly indistinguishable from a real tree, and can also come in a variety of colour options that you wont find in nature. Some artificial trees already come with lights built into their branches, which can make decorating a lot easier. Just make sure that the lights are white or clear and do not flash or blink. If the lights do not fill in enough space on the tree, you can always add some more later.

Theme

By choosing a theme when decorating your tree, you are essentially creating a glue that makes everything come together and make sense as one whole idea. There are endless options for choosing themes that have a connection to Christmas.

Some theme ideas:

Traditional

• Presents tied with bows
• Tartan patterns and fabrics
• Warm, cosy lighting (warm white)
• Deep, rich colours – red, green, gold
• Simple, round baubles
• Star or angel tree topper

Winter Wonderland

• Snow, snowflakes and icicles
• Pinecones
• Winter berries, holly and mistletoe
• Woodland animals (deer, robins, foxes)
• Light, desaturated cool colours – white, blue, forest green, silver
• Cool white lighting
• Clear glass or glitter baubles
• Snowflake tree topper

Santa’s Workshop

• Christmas characters – Father Christmas, elves, reindeer
• White fur fabrics
• Presents or gift sack
• Wooden ornaments (toys, nutcracker, animals)
• Hand-blown glass baubles
• Main colours red & white, green accents
• Warm lighting
• Santa tree topper

Frosty the Snowman

• White tree base
• Snowman ornaments
• Monochromatic white & silver, with an accent colour (red, green)
• Clear glass or glitter baubles
• Silver or white tinsel
• Cool white lighting

Sweet Treats

• Candy cane, gingerbread man/house, swirl lollypop ornaments
• Pastel colours (rainbow/multicolour)
• Multicolour lighting
• Rainbow tinsel
• Colourful and varied baubles

You do not have to get very specific with your theme – it can be as simple as “a colour you like” – just use it as a rough idea of the look you are going for.

Colour Scheme

When choosing a colour scheme, choose combinations that work well together. There are a few colour schemes that are commonly used for Christmas trees. For example, red & green or white & gold are common choices. However, choosing a unique colour combination can make your Christmas tree design stand out. Once you do choose your colour scheme, make sure to stick with it and keep it in mind while you are putting up the rest of your decorations.

When going for metallics, try to choose one or the other. Gold and silver can clash and fight for dominance. Think about whether you want your colour scheme to be warm (use gold) or cool (go with silver).

Purchase Your Chosen Decorations and Accessories

Now that you made all your choices, you can go buy everything you decided you will need. Feel free to get anything extra that catches your attention if it fits into your overall theme and colour scheme. An improvised addition is usually what makes a design unique.

It’s also important to think about any decorations you may already own – are you able to make use of them in this year’s theme? If you enjoy crafting, can they be customised in any way to fit? It’s not necessary to start from scratch every year, and you can save money and storage space by repurposing things for multiple themes.

Work With Someone Else

You should have someone with you when you decorate your tree. This will ensure that all angles are being looked at, but also that different ideas and perspectives are being considered. It also makes the experience much more enjoyable. Having a second opinion will help you see things you might normally overlook. This becomes even more true when you start losing energy and your inspiration begins to dwindle.

Having a decorating partner will also come in handy for some of the tasks you will do. It is always nice having a second pair of hands to assist you. Putting up garlands, lights and long ribbons is hard to do by yourself.

Set Up Your Tree and Lay Out Your Decorations

Get your tree raised and secured in the position you have chosen for it. Adjust each branch and fluff them a little to get the tree to look as full as possible. This works on both real and artificial trees. Bare spots can quickly become eyesores on Christmas trees.

Now it is time to get all your decorations and accessories out of their packaging and remove any tags or labels they may have. Then, you need to lay them out on the floor in organized groups. This way you will be able to see how much of everything you have left while you decorate, and you will know where everything is.

Lights

Some artificial trees come with lights built in. If this is the case for you and you are satisfied with how the lights look, you can move on to the next step. However, feel free to add more if there are not enough on there for your liking.

If you have a real tree or an artificial one that does not already have lights, you will need to apply them yourself. You may want the lights to be either clear or white, so they do not attract too much attention, unless you are going for a very colourful overall look. You also want to make sure they stay on (preferably with an auto-timer) and consider if whether or not you want them to flash or blink.

Garlands and Tinsel

Garlands and tinsel should be used very sparingly and leave enough room for other decorations to shine. Having too much, or a style that clashes can make your Christmas tree look tacky or overcrowded. Luckily there are lots of styles available that look amazing when just the right amount is used.

Ribbons

There are two main ways that ribbons are added to Christmas trees. The first way is by using one continuous string of ribbon and manoeuvring it in nicely around the tree. The second way is making individual ribbons and adding them to the tree one by one. Both ways have their advantages, and there are many techniques for each one.

Commonly, two or more styles of ribbon are combined to create a beautiful result. Some ribbons have wires threaded through them, making them easy to handle and keep in place. Try putting your ribbons on the tree in a variety of different angles to give it an interesting look instead of horizontally.

You want to decorate the tree with just the right amount of ribbon. While it is an important part of your design, you do not want to overdo it. You also want to avoid not having enough ribbon on your tree. Find that perfect medium. Also, consider the size of the tree and the size of the ribbon. Try to find a nice balance there as well.

Christmas tree picks

If you are unfamiliar with Christmas tree picks, they are like artificial branches or bunches that can be stuck directly into your tree. A great use for these picks is putting them into the bare areas of your tree, giving it a fuller look.

There are lots of different styles of Christmas tree picks. Most of them resemble real branches from a few different plants. Some have artificial berries, bare sticks, or fake pine needles. There are also many that have been painted or covered in artificial snow. It looks nice when you take a few picks and connect them together as one before sticking them into your tree. Just remember to put them in evenly spread-out spots.

Picks with animals, characters, or other non-botanical designs are also available, and may work well for many non-traditional themes.

Ornaments and Baubles

Ornaments come in all shapes, sizes, and colours. It is always fun to get some of the new stylish ones, but you should also include simple, small traditional baubles. In fact, this variety will give the Christmas tree character and help the fancier ornaments stand out more.

When decorating with ornaments you want to spread them out so they all have their own space. However, a few clusters can look nice on a Christmas tree too. It also looks good when ornaments are put on branches at different depths, rather than only at the very ends of the branches.

Tree Toppers

We are far removed from the days when all tree toppers were either a star, a snowflake, or an angel. If you want a unique and personal look, you could make a custom tree topper using picks or other crafts. There are some great natural-looking picks with fake berries on them that look amazing at the top of Christmas trees. You want to choose something that looks interesting but does not distract from the tree’s overall look. If you have children around for Christmas, you can also find plush character tree toppers that can be a great addition!

Step Back and Adjust

When all your decorations are in place, you will need to take time to truly look over your Christmas tree from multiple angles. You want to make sure that everything is exactly where you want it and looks nice from anywhere in the room. This is a great time to get the opinion of your designing partner and anyone else that is available.

Slowly look over the entire tree and adjust as needed, filling in any bare spots and spacing out anywhere that’s too concentrated. Don’t go too crazy trying to make everything perfect, though – a little imperfection is a good thing and will give the tree its character!

Extra Tips

It is usually best to decorate in order of size, starting with the largest decorations (after the lights, of course). If the order listed above is not accurate for your decorations, adjust accordingly. You should also remember that rules are meant to be broken. If it makes more sense to apply the decorations in a different order, do whatever works best for you. Always remember to pay close attention to the room the tree is in to make sure everything blends properly and does not clash. Even a perfectly decorated tree can look bad if it doesn’t match its environment.