How to Decorate Your Christmas Tree Like a Designer (Without Spending any Money)

There’s a good chance that you’ve been decorating the Christmas tree every year since your childhood. There are lots of different approaches, and the way your family did it isn’t necessarily the path you have to take. If you’re in charge of the tree for the first time this year or you want a more sophisticated look, we’ve got you covered.

This guide on how to decorate a Christmas tree covers topics like how to choose a theme, how to arrange lights, and how to fill the tree with garland and ornaments.

Choose a theme

Deciding what direction you want your tree to take before immediately purchasing ornaments sets you up for success and saves you the trouble of making a return.

There are several approaches you can take towards Choosing a TopicThis can be as simple and flexible as sticking to a limited color palette or more narrow and focused, such as taking inspiration from a story like The Nutcracker. Or, choose an era to emulate, whether it’s a homemade Victorian look or 1950s nostalgia.

Your theme will be a good framework for reference when choosing all of your tree decorations.

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blow up the tree

Whether you go with a real or fake tree, you’ll have to spend some time blowing branches To help it take its proper shape. Begin spreading out the branches, working from top to bottom and from the inside out. If you have a fake tree, you may also want to bend the ends of the branches slightly to give them a more organic look.

Take a step back to assess how your tree looks. Check for any loose areas and re-inflate where needed.

hang lights on tree

Unless your tree is already lit, you will need to take some time to attach the lights to your tree. If you’re working with traditional mini lights a good rule of thumb is to buy 100 lights per foot of tree. You may need more or less if you go with a different type of light.

Make sure each strand is in working condition, and begin placing your lights. Work horizontally from top to bottom (although this is an option). apply them verticallyWeave a string of lights between the branches, making sure some of the lights are near the interior of the tree as well as the tips of the branches.

Step back and look for any dead spots, and make adjustments where necessary. If your tree topper requires power, make sure you have an input plug in a convenient location near the top.

Hang Garland, Ribbon and Tinsel

Before you get to the fun part of hanging your ornaments, you need to continue completing the base of your tree decoration. if you want put ribbonStart at the back and wrap it diagonally across the tree. Other types of garland, such as beaded garland, may look better when strung horizontally. Experiment with spacing and application method until you are satisfied with the look.

There’s still time to hang up your tinsel. You can give it an organized look by wrapping it in bundles on each branch or spread it out in random order for a more casual appearance.

hang basic ornaments

Your classic ball ornaments make a great base. Using wire ornament hangers, begin placing them on your branches. Try to spread each color evenly across your tree, and create depth by hanging some inside the tree and some outside.

hang unique ornaments

Now it’s time to start storing all those fun shaped ornaments you’ve been collecting or making In the last few years. Take a step back from your tree and start filling in the blanks with your diverse collection. If you have a pair of matching ornaments, try hanging them on opposite ends of the tree and not too close to each other.

how to fill the gap

Growing your jewelery collection takes time. If you’ve already hung them all on the tree and you notice some bare spots, there are some cost-effective ways you can compensate. For example, you can dried oranges And use them as ornaments or buy a roll of ribbon and tie a bow on your tree. Adding extra tinsel can also help.

add skirt

Once you are satisfied with your tree and have cleaned up or vacuumed up scattered needles, finish your tree. down with skirtIf you don’t have a tree skirt, you can make a makeshift skirt from a large blanket. Alternatively, you can place your tree in a large basket or galvanized steel container, but it is best to do this before planting the tree.

place topper

Although you can technically do this step at any point, there is something symbolic about placing the topper last. If your tree topper is heavy enough to bend the top of your tree, you may want to purchase a stable tree topper holder.