Decorating a Christmas tree takes time, especially if you’re a perfectionists! The baubles, decorations and lights need to be coordinated, festive and evenly placed amongst the branches. If your tree takes pride of place in your living room, here are our tips to ensure you’ll achieve the perfect tree this festive season.

Invest in a high-quality tree.

A high-quality tree is more realist of the real thing, more durable and will last for years, giving you a beautiful look for years to come.  These days, artificial trees can also come pre-lit, removing the hassle of achieving the perfect balance of lights or untangling lights from previous years.  If space is tight, slim or pencil trees are a great alternative that provide the festive feel without taking over the living room.

If you’re a traditionalist and want a real tree, our recommendation is to look for one that is symmetrical, good foliage and stands straight.

Decide on a theme.

To achieve a professional look, decide on a theme that ties everything together.  You may want to consider a Winter Fairytale theme – with a concentration of white, neutrals, muted pastels, and even beaded unicorns this is the perfect theme for those that wish to be swept away to a magical Christmas place. Rainbow theme – a burst of bright multicoloured décor that’ll bring a smile to everyone’s face as they enter your home, this theme is perfect for those with young children or just young at heart. Christmas Cottage theme – warm copper tones, gold details and plenty of it.  More is better with Christmas Cottage and finally Polar Planet – an emerging trend that concentrates on the wonders of our natural world.  Seek out different shaped ornaments, natural materials and concentrate of the colours of the world such as neutrals, greens, and blues.

Time to decorate.

If you’ve gone with an unlit Christmas tree, start with the lights first. It becomes a lot more difficult to add lights once you’ve decorated with baubles and ornaments. Start at the bottom of the tree and start working your way up.  Adding the baubles is the next step, to give your tree more depth, hang the larger baubles close to the trunk and smaller ones at the end of the branches.

Wired ribbon can give the tree that extra something special and cover up any gaps.  The wire in the ribbon also makes it easier to fashion the perfect bow. Tree picks and floral sprays add a subtle touch, giving a more professional look to a finished tree. Scented ornaments are a great way of adding that festive aroma that’ll last for weeks.

Adding a skirt

Finally adding a tree skirt that complements your theme is a must when striving for the perfectly decorated tree.  It’s also the perfect background for those magnificently wrapped presents underneath.