For as long as we can remember, Christmas trees have been a major part of our Christmas celebrations. For most people, Christmas would not be complete if it did not have a Christmas tree. This brilliant Christmas tradition dates back to 1510 when men from Latvia ornamented a tree using synthetic flowers to celebrate Christmas. And from there, the Christmas tree tradition slowly picked up. And soon after, people could put travel Christmas cards, presents and gifts under their Christmas trees to celebrate their Christmas. No, there were no fantastic electric toys for kids or fancy gadgets loved teenagers. But people made due with what they had.
Initially, people used roses to decorate their Christmas trees. This was believed to symbolize the Virgin Mary. In the 17th century, people included apples as means of decoration of their trees. It was not until the 18th century that candles and edible candies and many other innovations were used to decorate Christmas trees. Safe to say this great Christmas tradition has had one-to-many transformations to get to where it is today. Moving on. Now that you some basic knowledge of how the Christmas tree came to be, let us get to how you can decorate it and make it look magical.
- Getting the right tree
To have the perfect Christmas tree is the first step towards celebrating the best Christmas yet. You do not want a Christmas tree whose branches are weak and may not hold the many ornaments and other decorations you intend to hang on it. You want to, first, study the product descriptions and understand the tree you are about to buy. Ask yourself if the tree with soft or delicate branches can support the weight of everything you plan to hang on it.
If you plan to hang many ornaments on your Christmas tree, then it is best to get the tree whose branches are a little separated. This helps give the ornaments room they need to be seen. If, however, you do not have many ornaments for your Christmas tree, then a fuller tree will do as they look better with fewer ornaments.
- Placing the tree
After finding the perfect Christmas tree, your next step is to find the perfect place to put it. you want to place your tree near the window where light can come in and make it more visible in your home. You also want the tree in a spot where you can easily spot any pins that get loose and drop on between your celebrations. Have it in a spot where you can also groom it and make it look neat. This will give your Christmas tree a fresh look and help keep your Christmas tradition alive.
- Hanging the Christmas tree lights
This is your next step, and a crucial one too at that. Many Christmas tree lights come in green or white wire strands. You want to choose the wire strand color that that matches and blends with your Christmas tree. Try as much as possible to make the wire strand hidden from view. You only want the lights to be visible. Illuminating your Christmas tree is one of the reasons you bought it in the first place. Make the lighting stand out from the inside out. This will give your Christmas tree the most dynamic look especially at night. To successfully manage this fete, start from the base of the tree trunk and work your way up. Wrap the wire strands around the major branch up to the tip and then all the way back down. There are four types of lights you can choose to illuminate your Christmas tree and they include:
- LED lights
- Traditional incandescent lights
- Bubble lights
- Globe lights
- Experiment with different lights until you find the one that best fits your Christmas tree.
- Hanging Christmas tree ornaments
Your next stage is to hang your tree ornaments. You want to showcase your favorite ornaments by hanging them at the prime spots of the tree first. After that, you want to hang the larger ornaments on the tree. Ensure you space them evenly all around the tree. Then fill the remaining spaces with medium- and small-sized ornaments. You can then finish the dressing by adding specialty items like clip-on ornaments and icicles. Metal-based jewelry also work great and add more shine to the tree as they reflect amazingly in the lighting.
- Color pairing
If you want your tree theme to be specific colors so you can use elegant or fun ornaments or maybe a bunch of random ornaments, then be more specific about the ornament color pairs. Some color pairs work great on Christmas trees. For example, you may opt for:
- The same ornament color but in different shades
- Charcoal, rose, and ivory
- Champagne, gold, and white
- Taupe, cranberry, and cream
- Red, white, and blue (a favorite among many tree owners)
- Bright orange, deep red, caramel, ivory, and butter-cream
- The traditional red and green
- Add Christmas tree garland
As you may have known by now, there are no strict rules for decorating Christmas trees. It all depends on your level of creativity and imagination. And the same goes for when draping garland. You, however, want to be careful to prevent the tree branches from bulging between the tightly clinched garland strands. You can also avoid a bushy look on your Christmas tree by decorating it with a variety of garlands. For example, you can use a mixture of plain and fancy garlands to get a dynamic look on your tree. If you prefer thin, beaded garlands, you can hang them from one branch to another around the entire tree.
Final thoughts
Finding and decorating a Christmas tree can be stressful. But if you know what you are doing, then it may be a breeze. However, you also want to be careful not to overdo the decoration. Otherwise, you will only end up with a Christmas tree that looks clumsy. Use the tips mentioned above and you will have the best Christmas tree yet for this Christmas.
