Christmas Tree Decorating 101

A beautiful tree helps set the perfect mood as a room’s majestic focal point to celebrate Christmas during the holiday season. Whether you prefer an elegant, designer tree or have a more modest taste, you can add some creative details to make sure your tree is festive and fun. Before you plan or begin decorating your tree, check out the following basic tips Independence Bunting has compiled for Christmas tree-decorating.

Overall Design

If you want a more polished look, think about decorating your tree with a theme or motif. Instead of a variety of colors or decorations, choose monochromatic ornaments. Silk flowers, ribbon, and other designer elements help pull off a magazine-worthy aesthetic. Alternatively, consider giving your Christmas tree a natural look. Rather than adding commercial decorations, use pine cones and holly to adorn your tree’s branches. Even using large burlap ribbons wrapped around the tree can give a natural or rustic feel. Either way, a themed look can be achieved with planning and effort.

Lighting

Lights bring life to any Christmas tree. Before you begin draping strands on branches, though, consider the type of lighting and motif you wish to display. Soft, white lights add a cozier element while multicolored illuminations give a playful and joyous ambiance. Solid color strands like blue or purple make a bold statement and add a dramatic and sophisticated feel.

Other lighting options offer dynamic displays that create an energy in the room and make your tree a more lively centerpiece to your room. Some create a gentle sparkle or can mimic a light snow fall, while others give a more frenetic energy.

Whichever option you choose, be sure you push each strands deep inside the tree’s branches, allowing a warm glow to emanate from the tree’s trunk. This also helps feature the other elements of the tree besides just the lighting itself.

Bunting

While lights provide the foundation for your tree’s overall design, Christmas bunting gives it its spirit. If you have a small tree, consider wrapping it with beaded garland. For an old-fashioned look, stringed cranberries or even popcorn works well. This can be a fun craft to create with children!

If your tree is larger, however, a more substantial garland would be a better fit. Ribbons and oversized ribbons are a great and relatively easy way to decorate your tree. Different styles of draping or tying the ribbon, in addition to the color or pattern also distinguish between a playful or elegant look.

Of course, tinsel garlands are a classic way to decorate the tree as well, and gives an extra sparkly look when the tinsel catches the light.

Decorations

Once you have lighted and wrapped your tree, the real fun starts. Sentimental or otherwise special decorations add extra meaning to the tree’s decor. Place the heaviest ornaments on the sturdiest branches first, and save the daintier ornaments for the ends of the branches.

If you prefer a more cohesive look or don’t yet have a solid collection of sentimental ornaments, using matching ones throughout the tree gives a stylish, fanciful, and modern look.

Candy canes and gingerbread men are also fun and playful options, and can be especially entertaining for any younger ones in the household. Just be careful and make sure they don’t eat anything off the tree!

Crafts

No holiday tree is complete without some kind of hand-made ornaments or adornments. When you are planning your tree’s design, take some time to make your own decorations. Recording the year on each ornament you make will help you recall special memories every time you decorate your Christmas tree. If you aren’t especially crafty, many arts and crafts stores carry easy DIY kits. Hand-made ornaments or paper garlands by children are also a cute way to adorn the tree.

These are just a handful of things to consider for making your Christmas tree the pièce de résistance for your holiday season.

Want to decorate the trees outside of your home as well? Check out Independence Bunting’s selection of Outdoor Christmas Bows! Our hand-tied bows are weather-resistant to withstand the elements and keep your property looking festive and bright throughout the holiday season!

Independence Bunting loves taking part in the festivities and holidays all year long. Shop our holiday and patriotic decor, which include pleated fans, bunting, flags, pull-downs and more! Need customized colors for a special event? We do that, too! Give us a call at 800-995-2129 or check out our Custom Bunting and Custom Pull-Down options.