Have you ever wished you knew how to decorate your Christmas tree like a pro? Let me tell you, I vividly remember a few years ago, walking into my church one Sunday morning to see the most gorgeous, towering, beautifully decorated Christmas tree I’d ever seen in my life. I’ve never seen the Macy’s tree in person, so this was as good as it had gotten. That time, over 2 years ago, I promised myself that I would figure out how to decorate a tree that I wasn’t secretly embarrassed by. Well, I kept my promise my myself and figure out the steps to decorating a beautiful Christmas tree. And I can’t wait to share them with you! But before we get started, go ahead and grab my FREE Christmas Styling Cheat Sheets. You’ll have exactly what you need to jump-start your holiday decorating for any area of your home. Now let’s get started.
How To Decorate Your Christmas Tree Like A Pro
Step 1: Choose a theme – unless you’re choosing the same theme as last year, this step should happen at least a few weeks (or months) before you start to decorate your tree. Because choosing a theme really sets the foundation for the rest of your decorating. The theme will determine the type of tree you choose, where you’ll set the tree, the size of your tree, it’s height and width, how many decorations you’ll use, whether you want full or sparse décor, as well as the color and type of ornaments you choose.
In other words, your theme impacts a lot.
For choosing a theme, I always recommend you start with a style you have in mind and putting that through the filter of considering your current lifestyle. You know, what fits you, your family and how you want to live. If you have young kids, you might not want delicate ornaments, or might only want a tabletop tree. There are a lot of reasons that go into choosing the best tree for your home this year, and that’s why you want theme to be your first decision.
Step 2: Add a tree topper – once you’ve decided on a theme, the first step in the actual physical decorating part is to set the tree topper on top. I know several people like to place the tree topper on last, but I think that’s a mistake. And here’s why – there have been several tree toppers I’ve used have been hard to secure in place. It took me standing on the ladder and getting really close to the tree and using a bit of elbow grease to securely attach it. I know for certain if I had ornaments, garland and light on the tree, they would have been messed up by all the moving I was doing. Adding the tree topper as the first decoration allows you to work from the top down without having to mess up the beautiful decorations below.
Step 3: Add lights – After you have the tree up, with the tree topper secure, it’s time to add the lights to the tree. If you have a pre-lit tree, of course, you can skip this step.
But if you are going to add lights yourself, listen up…Adding the lights now is best since it’s more difficult to add lights after decorations are already placed. My family has used a pre-lit tree for several years but one tip I remember from a child is to test the lights, make sure they work, and replace any bulbs before you actually string them on the tree. You’ll thank me later. 😊 Make sure you grab my free Christmas Styling Cheat Sheets to get the exact number of lights you need for your specific tree, no matter its height.
Step 4: Add garland – garland can add dimension and texture to your tree. And you know what, using garland is a great way to fill in any bare spots in between the branches. Garland comes in so many forms. You can go old-school and use popcorn on a string, tinsel, a beaded garland or make a paper chain. The garland I’ve most admired on professionally decorated trees is the ribbon garland. I’ve got a cool trick to help you quickly and easily (and properly) hang ribbon garland on your tree…use chenille pipe cleaners! Tie them around the ribbon and the tree branch to secure the ribbon. You can see a step by step video tutorial to walk you through this as part of the Christmas Styling Guide.
Step 5: Add ornaments and filers – after the tree has a topper, lights and garland are on, it’s time to get to the fun part and add the ornaments! Use ornaments to create balance with the tree. My tip to do that is to add ornaments in groups. So, I’ll add the same or similar shaped or colored ornaments in groups. This helps me visually space the ornaments out on the tree. Alternate between your favorite ornaments, specialty ornaments, and large and small ornaments. Your filler ornaments can be added on as another way to hide any remaining bare spots between branches.
Another tip before you get started with your ornaments – work from the top down and from the inside out. So, start placing ornaments at the top of your tree and work down. And place ornaments as close to the trunk of your tree and work your way out. This will help keep you “mentally organized” so you don’t miss any sections, and also help you fill in any of those bare spots.
Step 6: Add a tree skirt – the poor tree skirt sometimes seems to be last on the totem pole just because it’s last on the list. But this really is a great way to finish off the tree. The tree skirt has both beauty and function. The skirt will cover the unsightly transition from the tree trunk to the floor. And you can get a tree skirt to match any theme or style of tree your heart desires. I do want to say that you could very well add the tree skirt first, or right after you add the tree topper. Out of habit, I just happen to add it last.
How To Decorate Your Christmas Tree Like A Pro
We just covered the six main steps to help you decorate your Christmas tree like a pro. As you plan your holiday decorating this year, I hope you take a few extra minutes to set the atmosphere. Schedule extra time so you don’t feel rushed. Play some of your favorite Christmas jams, or have a classic movie playing in the background. If you’d like some more helpful tips to take the stress out of Christmas decorating this year, make sure you grab my FREE Christmas Styling Cheat Sheets. They’ll definitely jump-start your holiday decorating for any area of your home.
And please, take a few minutes and leave a comment below and let me know how these tips have helped you.
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