Do you want a show stopper tree but aren’t sure how to do it. I will share with you how to decorate a Christmas Tree in 5 easy steps.
I love Christmas and it is one of my favorite times of the year to decorate. The evenings get cooler and darker so setting a cozy atmosphere is so important. Nothing says cozy like the twinkle of the Christmas tree lights. I posted my Christmas tree on Instagram the other day and so many of you loved how it was decorated so I thought why not go over how I did mine. I will show you how to decorate a Christmas tree in 5 easy steps.
I also just decorated a smaller tree in my dining room not quite to the scale that I did the one in my family room but I still made it cozy and primitive in my own way. Over the years I have amassed a nice collection of primitive ornaments and decided to use them on that smaller tree instead of our traditional family tree which we have not put up yet. That tree holds all of our family ornaments and my boys ornaments that they have collected throughout the years. Let’s get started!
Start with a theme
I love to have a theme for my trees. This to me is what kind of style do I want it to look like or give off. Y’all know I am a rustic girl at heart and so this one is my rustic farmhouse theme. Then you purchase the ornaments and other embellishments that fit your theme or you gather what you already have and see what fits into your theme and then fill in what you need. This year I didn’t purchase anything new for the trees. I loved what I had the last couple of years so I didn’t have to go out for something new. I tend to stay with a similar style and so that helps.
Gather all your ornaments and embellishments
This helps me see what it is going to look like in my head once I have all the items gathered. This way I can see how the ornaments will all look together. I love a mix of ornaments and picks. Mixing textures and sizes adds so much interest to your tree. I have traditional round fabric ball ornaments in red which is my favorite color to use at Christmas. Also I have some rusty round ball ornaments with star cutouts because if you know me you know I love stars. Then I have a mix of handmade chippy ornaments and other store bought ones. Mixing handmade with new is my favorite way to decorate.
Let me also let you in on a new found secret for me…picks! Oh my goodness I never knew the magic of a good greenery pick on a Christmas tree until I tried it and now I will never go back. I used several picks from Hobby Lobby with the green leaves and red berries on this tree. There is literally a pick for every style! Also let me tell you that ribbon or burlap will also be your magic finishing touch to your tree…try it trust me!
Put it all together
Start with lights first on a tree but if it is a wonderful pre lit tree than you can get started decorating right away. I start with my picks first before my ornaments. Adding symmetry I tend to add one to each side all the way down my tree. You can hide the stick in the branches. Then comes the ornaments. These I like to add them in a nice mix of sizes and textures. Once I decide on the ornament placement I add in the ribbon or burlap. I used a mix of both on this tree. Using ribbon fills in the gaps and adds a nice finishing touch.
Put a star on it
You know I love my stars so when I spotted this one at my favorite little prim shop I had to buy it. The star I found last year and planned on hanging it up somewhere in the house but once I had my tree done last year I was like wait a minute. It needed a bold topper because nothing seemed to look just right and so cue the star. I fell in love with it the minute I knew it would stay put! Lots of you were curious on how I got the star to stay put and I was lucky enough that it just sat perfectly on top with the top branch slid through one of the open parts of the star.
I say put a star on it but what I mean is find a fun bold item that fits your style and use that as your topper. Think outside of the box and don’t be afraid to use something vintage or unexpected to see if it may just be the perfect finishing touch.
Don’t forget to dress the bottom
I have used a lot of different things to go around the bottom of my trees. A cute tree skirt or an old blanket or quilt are favorites. For this tree I had a tree basket that I bought years ago and thought it added to the rustic feel of the tree. The other tree has an old quilt remnant as cozy dressing. If you have a small tree think of using a scarf or small child’s blanket or quilt. I love using something that fits into the theme of the tree.
Have fun with it all and enjoy the process. I love digging out all of the things that have been stored away and bringing new life to them even though I use them year after year. You can get creative and don’t have to break the bank on new stuff trust me that is what I did last year and this year.
