Decorating the Christmas tree has always been THE highlight at Christmas! A week before Christmas Eve I always went with my father to buy the tree. Always with my mother’s stipulation that it should be no taller than me, please. So I am 2.20m! That’s how my father always judged me, and my mother was very happy about the big tree.
The tree then stood until 23.12. on the terrace and was allowed to spread out there comfortably, to then be decorated in the evening. always on the 23rd.11. from the whole family. The trick was to place the candle holders of the real candles in such a way that the tree would not burst into flames with a "whoosh" the first time it was lit. I never had Christmas trees without big plastic buckets next to them! Very pretty, by the way.
At that time, I did not think about how to decorate the perfect Christmas tree. But at some point I realized that some Christmas trees look nicer than others. What is the reason? Is there a right way to decorate a Christmas tree? Is there anything wrong with it and why do others always get it to look so perfectly symmetrical with all its decorations, lights and tinsel??
Ok, you know me: without research it does not go! Here are 10 steps to decorating the perfect Christmas tree.
Step 1: The purchase& the preparation for the perfect Christmas tree
The bargain at the end? Rather not! Buy your tree a few days before Christmas and store it in the time until the installation best nice and cool in the garage or basement. Or on the balcony or terrace, where it stands protected. Let it slowly get used to the changing temperatures.
To keep it fresh for a long time and to prevent it from needling so quickly, it is best to put it in a bucket of water.
But how can I tell if the tree is fresh??
The easiest way to tell is to look at the interface. The lighter it is, the fresher the tree is. The needles can also give a clue: If they shine, the tree is fresh.
Step 2: Set up
Very important: put up the Christmas tree one or two days before, so that it has enough time to spread its branches and get volume. How to do it best?
Note: the netting is not removed until the tree is in the stand!
First you have to remove the small branches at the bottom of the tree trunk so that they are not in the way when you put it in the stand. Then the stump is cut off a little. Now slide the tree into the Christmas tree stand and align it so that it stands perfectly straight. The best way to remove the net now is to cut it open from the bottom upwards.
Step 3: Find the perfect place
Where is the tree best placed? Everyone has their preferences – whether it’s in the living room, entryway or dining room – but there are a few important tips you should keep in mind:
Choose a place that is symmetrical and can be seen from all angles. This way everyone has a good view of the beautiful tree and it can be appreciated from all sides. If you have a specimen that is not symmetrical, look for its chocolate side and turn it forward.
Do not place your Christmas tree in the immediate vicinity of a heater, as this dries out the tree very quickly – as well as direct sunlight and drafts.
Make sure that you can easily water the tree and that the water tank of the stand is easily accessible. A large fir tree, for example, consumes about one liter of water in three days!
Step 4: Lights – light my fire!
Lights are the most important thing on the tree, because they make the whole decoration shine first. Real candles are especially beautiful, but because of the risk of fire is usually resorted to fairy lights.
Which fairy lights are the most suitable? When buying, look for warm light and do not take "cold white" – so the tree is much more homey and cozy. LEDs have the great advantage that they are energy-efficient and do not generate much heat. The smaller the bulbs, the more sparkling the tree will be!
Once the tree is up, the first decorating step is to attach the fairy lights. My tip: Turn on the fairy lights – this is the best way to see if they are placed evenly and look perfect.
Never use strings of lights that have a few bulbs broken on them! If one or more of the bulbs is defective, the rest of the bulbs will get more electricity and can overheat and even ignite the tree.
Step 5: The style and colors
Tinsel or bows? Baubles or homemade? Natural or pompous? Childlike or stylish? Tinsel or straw stars? Now it’s your turn and your preferences!
It’s like decorating: A well thought-out color palette is the basis for a stylish appearance. Choose basic colors that harmonize well with each other and as a highlight is a contrasting color.
An example: red, orange as a base. A shiny green as complementary fare. And if you add a metallic tone like gold, silver or copper, you will get the touch of festivity and glamor that you want to have at Christmas.
Step 6: Decorate
First make sure the lights are on while you decorate, so you know where to fill empty spaces. But how many decorative pieces do you actually need for the perfectly decorated Christmas tree? So that it is well filled, but not overloaded, the following rule of thumb applies: per 25 cm of tree height approx. 10 to 15 decorative elements. The larger the individual elements are, the fewer are needed.
Instead of scattering the baubles wildly around the tree, you can create small groups of baubles of the same color (feel free to mix matte and shiny baubles). This way you get a much deeper color effect. Other hangers, now complement the look and loosen up a bit. Don’t hang the kugles on the very edge of a branch so they don’t drag them down. It looks especially nice if you use beautiful ribbons to hang the baubles.
Since most trees are a bit bushier at the bottom, you should hang large and heavy elements rather downwards, filigree and light decorative objects upwards. This visually emphasizes the natural shape of the Christmas tree.
And on top? what do you have on the spike? One angel or one star? If you don’t want to use religious symbols, decorate the top of the Christmas tree with bows.
Step 7: Under the tree
A nice basket in which the tree stands? Or rather the Christmas tree blanket you loved as a child? Now it’s time for the "underneath! From the USA comes the trend to build small villages around the tree, with us there is always the crib.But what should not be missing is the above mentioned bucket with water, if you use real candles.
Step 8: Safety first
While we’re on the subject of safety: I’ll just say "small children and animals". If you have small children in the house or a cat, then it makes sense to leave out the lower part of the tree and decorate only higher up. Do not use tinsel on the tree if you have an animal and use baubles made of plastic. And, I said it already: Don’t forget the bucket&
Step 9: Finetuning
Your Christmas tree is the star at Christmas time! Give it room to develop its effect perfectly. If you have a small tree, put it on a small table at eye level. Look for his chocolate side when he’s done decorating and adjust again. Still gaps in the decoration? Then fill it up carefully. At the very end, by the way, the tinsel is distributed to the tips of branches – so it makes the tree sparkle best.
Step 10: Another tip
If you use tinsel, you should always keep in mind that you have to completely remove the thin silver threads before disposing of the tree again. This is really important because they like to get stuck in the needles and the tree can’t be recycled without problems. A tree can be composted, tinsel cannot.