It’s that time of the year again! To kick off advent this year, we’ve compiled our top tips for styling your Christmas tree.
So whether you’ve got a trusty plastic tree from years past, or the real deal potted fir tree, read on to find out how to make it really pop in your space and get you in the Christmas spirit this silly season.
Fluff out those branches!
There’s nothing worse than a sparse-looking tree, so step one is to fluff your branches out to ensure there are few gaps. A tree that looks full and bushy will give your decorations a nice backdrop and look more natural.
Start with the lights
The lights tie together the whole Christmas tree, and they’re the hardest to arrange because they’re often all connected on one long lead. So make sure they’re the first to go on the tree, and they’re perfectly positioned before anything else goes on. We recommend a soft and warm light with an orange tinge for the cosy Christmas feeling. But if you prefer a snowy look, opt for a whiter light.
Pick a primary and a secondary colour
For the decorations, it's useful to have a game plan with a colour scheme. Choose a primary colour that takes precedence, and a secondary colour that adds accents to the tree. Here are some colour pairings for inspiration:
- Gold (primary) and red (secondary)
- Blue (primary) and silver (secondary)
- White (primary) and red (secondary)
It’s all about the layers!
If you’re going all the way and adding tinsel, baubles, lights, other decorations and ribbons, then think about each item as having its own layer. The lights and tinsel can lie further back, deeper in the tree, whereas baubles can be closer to the edges of the branches, and ribbons tied at the ends.
A tip for baubles is to create clusters of different sizes and shapes together. So in one cluster, there may be three baubles ranging from small to large to add flare to the tree in multiple areas.
Decorate with your favourites
Of course, your Christmas tree should be styled your way, so add decorations that may have sentimental value. Or, if you don’t have a collection of your own, then you can hand make decorations for added sentimental value and a fun activity that the whole family can participate in. To reduce waste, you can make these out of leftover wrapping paper, ribbon and paper scraps from your gift wrapping.
Here are some that Eva’s resident arts-and-crafts expert Steph made!
Paper Houses
- Collect any plain or printed paper that has some weight to it
- Draw out the template and give it some windows or a pointy roof if you like (make sure you mark the folds!)
- Cut it out carefully and fold along the lines before taping together
- Add a piece of leftover ribbon or string and add to your Christmas tree!
Floral Bouquet + Ice-Cream
- Scrounge up some craft paper, cotton balls and any foliage you might have lying around or go for a walk - you’ll be surprised by what you’ll find
- Cut out circles and cut a slit halfway
- Roll it up to a size of your choice, tape it closed and add your cotton or foliage of choice
Paper Baubles
- Collect an assortment of coloured cardboard or leftover wrapping paper
- Cut them out into circles or teardrop shapes, fold in half and glue them together (about 4 shapes per bauble is perfect!)
- Loop a little piece of leftover ribbon or string, tape it to your bauble and it’s ready to be hung on your tree
Add a skirt
This is particularly important if you have a real fir tree, but is advantageous for those with an artificial Christmas tree. Adding a fabric skirt around the base of the tree to catch fallen pieces or bristles can really cut down the post-Christmas vacuuming time. Again, reuse some wrapping paper or fabric if you can!
Share with us pictures of your Christmas tree by tagging us on instagram @eva.home - we love to see them!
