With Christmas just a few weeks away, you might have already taken to planning exactly how you’re going to get your home ready for the season. Decoration is essential for creating the right vibe, and a Christmas tree traditionally forms the centrepiece. By treating your tree to the right decoration, you can create an atmosphere that’ll get everyone in the mood to be jolly. Let’s take a look at some of the components you’ll need to assemble to get the best from your tree.
Christmas Lights
A tree without lights is a sad sight indeed. Lights are available in a host of colours, ranging from the traditional to the exotic. Your choice of light should match the overall theme of your tree, and it should create the right atmosphere. In hallways and public spaces, colder lights might work nicely; in living rooms, however, warmer colours tend to create that relaxing, homely atmosphere that you’re looking for. Lights which turn on and off create a little more visual interest, but they aren’t essential.
Baubles
When hanging baubles, it’s worth starting with the major accent pieces. They should be spread out evenly across the front of the tree, so that they each have a space to shine, and that they don’t clash with one another. If you have any special baubles that have been passed down through the generations, or ones that have been hand-crafted by family members, then they are probably going to fall into this category.
Once you’ve gotten the major baubles in place, you can fill any gaps with more standard ones. Ideally, all of your baubles should conform to the same colour scheme – though this isn’t always possible. There is such a thing as too much decoration on the same tree, so make sure that you don’t crowd it so much that you can’t see any green. On the other hand, you might look for oversized decorations to fit a sparsely-decorated tree. You can arrange Christmas cards around the tree to provide a bit of unique style.
Tinsel
Tinsel is an easy way to fill up space. It can be draped in a rough spiral, sitting between the branches. Again, look for tinsel which matches the rest of your decorative elements.
The Top
Some households put stars on the tops of their trees; others use angels. It’s a point of contention for many, but what really matters is that you have something up there, and that it matches the rest of the tree. If you want to give a smaller member of the household the honour of installing the crowning ornament, then they’re sure to appreciate it. Ideally, you’ll do it right at the end, so that the star (or angel) is the very last thing to go up.
