How to Decorate a Christmas Tree? A Practical Guide

Now that you've chosen the perfect spot for your tree, it's worth thinking about the right stand. This gadget will protect your Christmas tree from falling over and ensure its balance and stability, and for a real tree – it will also make watering easier.

Your Christmas tree...

...must be firmly seated in the stand, standing straight and stable – especially if you have children or pets who, in an attempt to knock off an ornament, could bring the whole tree down on themselves. That's why it's worth investing in a good Christmas tree stand that will guarantee safety for everyone in your household. When buying one, you need to consider the size and weight of your Christmas tree, including decorations. Choosing a high-quality stand is a guarantee of the Christmas tree's longevity and beautiful appearance.

If you opt for a real cut Christmas tree, you must ensure it's properly hydrated. Buying a stand with a recess for the trunk that allows for easy refilling of water is an excellent idea. The liquid in the reservoir provides additional weight, protecting the tree from tipping over, while the ring with fastening screws helps to stabilise the tree.

If the tree is real, remember not to place it right next to heat sources. The Christmas tree should be at least a metre away from a radiator or fireplace. This way, it will stay fresh for a long time and won't shed its needles as much. On the other hand, a real Christmas tree cannot be near a source of cold or in a draught. Freezing air can damage the tree, so don't place it near a window or balcony door. The ideal room temperature for a Christmas tree should be around 20 degrees Celsius.

The basic rule you should follow when positioning both artificial and real Christmas trees is to avoid common thoroughfares – those areas where we most frequently pass through or spend time in our home. That's why it's suggested that the best spot for the tree is in the corners of rooms. This way, you don't lose valuable space in the room, the Christmas tree is properly showcased, and at the same time, such placement ensures comfort and convenience for the residents.

Decorating the Christmas tree is the biggest Christmas tradition. Without this tree, the holidays just wouldn't have the same charm. Do you want your Christmas tree to be truly beautiful and unique? We all dream of a tree that will captivate with its originality and striking appearance. Check out our ideas for decorating a Christmas tree!

• Prepare your Christmas tree for decorating

Before decorating, we should prepare the Christmas tree appropriately. Before bringing it into the house and placing it where it will stand throughout the holiday season, its branches should be cleaned. If you have an artificial tree, simply wipe dust off the branches. However, a real tree requires a bit more effort. You need to carefully inspect its branches and clean them of soil and other dirt. Remember too that a freshly purchased Christmas tree, if brought straight into a warm room, will lose much of its beautiful colour and start to shed. That's why it's worth acclimatising a real tree before decorating, by leaving it for a few days in a slightly cooler room, e.g., a garage, and only then starting to decorate. How do you decorate a Christmas tree? Below you'll find a handful of practical tips!

• Christmas lights first

How do you beautifully decorate a Christmas tree? Nothing illuminates and brightens our tree quite like Christmas lights, without which most of us cannot imagine this festive symbol. How do you hang them quickly and efficiently? There are essentially two ways to put lights on a Christmas tree. The most popular is to wrap the lights around the Christmas tree. It's best to start hanging them from the very top of the tree, which will also illuminate the topper or star. A slight inconvenience might be walking around the tree with lights in hand, making sure nothing gets tangled. So, if you plan to put the Christmas tree in the corner of the room, you can decide to decorate only its sides and front. This will certainly make your work easier. The second idea is to place the lights from top to bottom. In this case, the lights can form stripes or waves.

No matter which hanging method you choose, it's recommended to start decorating the Christmas tree by putting on the lights, as it makes it easier to add other decorations, and you don't have to worry about an unsightly cable obscuring some baubles. Remember to match the colour of the lights to the rest of the decorations. If you intend to use baubles and garlands in one colour, opt for white lights or lights in the same tone. And finally, one more tip. Before you start hanging the lights on the Christmas tree, check that all the bulbs are working!

• Large at the bottom, small at the top

How do you decorate a Christmas tree? The larger the decoration, the lower it should be on the tree, which means that large glass baubles or other massive Christmas decorations should be hung on the lower branches of the tree. Most Christmas trees have finer and sparser branches at the top, so extravagant baubles don't look good there. They disturb the tree's proportions and also bend the individual, delicate branches. Fill the space between large baubles with small and medium-sized ornaments to balance the tree's appearance.

The same rule applies to hanging decorations within a single branch: large decorations should be hung deeper, smaller ones closer to the end of the branch. And if you decide to include edible decorations, such as gingerbread cookies or sweets, hang them last; then it will be easier to snack on the treats without having to dismantle the entire tree.

• Don't forget the tinsel and the topper!

It's worth finishing off the Christmas tree decoration with garlands or angel hair, which perfectly complete the whole look. Once the baubles and all other ornaments are on the tree, hang the garlands in a spiral, starting from the top of the tree. Angel hair, on the other hand, should hang straight and be fragmented, so beautiful reflections from the Christmas lights will be created on them.

The crowning glory of our Christmas tree should be an impressive, richly decorated, and eye-catching – pointed topper or a Bethlehem star, which is hung at the very top of the tree.

• Maintain a consistent style

The Christmas tree should have its own style and match the interior décor, creating a cohesive aesthetic together. The enormous selection of baubles and other hanging ornaments, garlands, and lights can be dizzying. To avoid getting lost in it all, it's worth thinking in advance about how to decorate the Christmas tree so that it looks fashionable and splendid, while not being overwhelmed by too many sparkling trinkets. The most beautiful trees in an interior are those kept within a specific colour palette, whose arrangement is planned as early as the stage of purchasing Christmas decorations. White and silver, white and gold, red and gold Christmas trees, or those entirely in white, silver, or gold, are very popular.

How do you decorate a small Christmas tree, and how do you decorate a large one? Remember to choose Christmas decorations that match the style of the room where it will stand, and don't go overboard with the number of ornaments; just try to maintain proper proportions, and you'll see that both the small and large Christmas tree you've decorated will charm with its stylish and fashionable look.

Artificial, or real?

Every year, the same dilemma arises: which Christmas tree to choose – artificial or real? Which tree will create a more unique, festive atmosphere? It's difficult to give a definitive answer to such questions. Both artificial and real Christmas trees have their pros and cons, which we present below. The choice is yours!

We hope that thanks to our tips, you now know how to decorate your Christmas tree, and thanks to the stunning Christmas decorations available at FormAdore, your tree will be a beautiful, unique, and one-of-a-kind decoration for your home.