How to Decorate a Christmas Tree
The season of festivities is upon us, and like all other specifics of your home decor, you should strategize the decoration of your Christmas tree. There is no guidebook to decorating the perfect tree- you can do it your way. But a couple of tips never do any harm, do they? So here are some expert protips on how you can get your tree to look like a shining, shimmering, gorgeous piece of art.
The most important aspect of decorating a tree is deciding where to put it. Ideally, your tree should be near a plug point, so that extension wires do not create an unattractive mess near your handiwork. It could also be near a window, so that the neighborhood gets to behold your artistic talent. So, choose a location, shift a few drawers and sofas to create space, and set the tree down. In case you use a real tree, do not put it near the radiator or the fireplace, since it will dry out. And nobody likes a dry Christmas tree, no matter how snazzy it looks.
Now that you've got the location sorted, make sure the tree has plenty of space all around it. Don't back it up against the wall, because then the back of the tree will remain bare. Make sure the tree has room around for you to decorate it on all sides.
Next come the lights. Please, dear God, please untangle your lights and make sure they function before decorating the tree, or else you'll be stuck plucking and pulling for the rest of the night. Start positioning your lights from the top and work your way towards the bottom, leaving six to eight inches of space between each loop. You can have as many loops as you want, although 170 lights per meter of the tree is a bare minimum.
Colour schemes are important when it comes to tree decoration. You can go the traditional way and work with red, green and gold. To get a wintery effect, add some silver and purple, with a dash of blue here and there. If you are not in the mood to jazz up your tree, plain white and silver decorations work fine as well.
Garlands lend some much needed texture to your tree. Use ribbon, foil, or beads, and just like the lights, start at the top and work your way down. Keep plenty of material in stock so that you don't run out midway.
Baubles can make your tree look real good. Start hanging the baubles on the inner branches first, and then move to the outer branches. You can use only colourful spheres, or a variety of different shapes and sizes- it's all up to you. Get the little ones to help you hang the decorations- they will have a jolly good time.
Selecting the perfect tree top requires a lot of patience. It needs to be attractive so that it draws attention to the tree. You can use a simple Star of Bethlehem, or an angel motif, or something more elaborate like birds and snowflakes. Personalized toppers are also available, so you can have them customized. But whatever you choose, make sure that it's not too heavy, because you won’t like replacing it when it falls off every five minutes.
