Tree Decorating Tips and Tricks

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Merry Christmas everybody!
I'm guilty of having my tree up since the middle of November... but hey, that's still later than last year!
We like to put up our decor early so we can get the most out of it since we will be heading home to our parent's houses for Christmas!
Also, it's just extra fun and I can't wait much longer than mid November ;)

I've seen quite a few trees in my time and not to be a tree snob or anything but... I just cringe at tinsel and want to take down all those random ornaments that you got in the Bahamas!
While I'm no pro, like not even a little bit, I do like the way our tree turned out and have gotten a few questions from friends on how it all came together!
So, here's my tree decorating 101

1) Lights. Obviously.


This one is simple. The more the merrier.
A tip: buy the net lights and wrap them around your tree!

2) Garland (or the not so secret treasure: deco mesh)


Last year was our first married Christmas and while I liked our tree... I didn't love it.
It was glittery, gold. and pretty but I just wanted more.
I love Christmas trees with tons going on and I especially love gold!
It glitters so nicely and I love the different variations of it.
So I kept my ornaments and stuck with an all gold (and some white) tree.
I started looking on good 'ol pinterest for more ideas and was drawn to all of the deco mesh trees.
I loved that it took up so much room and made the tree look more full.
I went to my local hobby lobby and found out it was ridiculously cheap for a roll that covered a whole lot of tree.
It was much cheaper than all the ornaments and even ended up being cheaper than lots of ribbon.
So, I went with it!
And I must say, I'm really loving how it turned out.
If you aren't into the "tumors" as Hunter calls them (he just doesn't understand) then stick with traditional ribbon and remember, the thicker, the better!
Or, do both! That's what I did this year.
Put your ribbon on first (well after the lights of course) 



3) The Stuffing (aka statement pieces)


No, not the kind you eat on Thanksgiving. I mean the fun things you use to stuff your tree with other than ornaments. Ornaments are great, but add some flowers, leaves, picks, etc... and you've got a way cooler tree than your neighbor. These are your statement pieces that just add more fun and excitement. You know, like a statement necklace. I could use some more of these, but this'll do for now. Stuff away my friends! It'll add the depth you want!


4) Ornaments (the bigger the better)


Last year I had several different kinds of ornaments on my tree but they were all around the same size. This year I decided to get a few new ornaments that were different sizes! I went with big and Bigger and love how much fuller my tree looks! There is so much more dimension to it and the bigger ornaments are definitely a great statement piece. These have become more and more popular so they can be found almost everywhere but the cheapest places to go are hobby lobby and wal mart.

5) The tree skirt




I actually don't have a picture of just my tree skirt but it is burlap and it is from hobby lobby. It matches our stockings and I'm a fan of it. However, I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to love it because my style preference changes very often! If you're anything like me, then take my advice on this one, DO NOT splurge on the tree skirt! They're lovely but they just get covered by presents anyways and they can be crazy expensive. Since I bought mine early and I had a coupon, it was fairly cheap. Next time around though, I'll just be bunching up some fabric or a blanket around the tree. It looks wonderful, costs much less, and you'll get the pattern you want.

6) The topper



Angels and stars are lovely so if you want to continue using yours, have at it! However, I'm a fan of a statement piece when it comes to the topper. I've seen several different things but my favorite is oversize bows and flowers. You can bunch up a ton of different flowers at the top or do what I did and add a large bow to the top! I also got those sparkly curly stick like things at Hobby lobby and added them around the bow. 


7) Shop Smart


So you're walking around an expensive store and they have the dreamiest tree on display. All of the ornaments they used are down below and you start to fill your cart. You get to the checkout and it's over $200. HOW?! Guys, ornaments are expensive! You want your tree to look good but you really don't want the cost to come out to some crazy number. When shopping look for items that will fill more space with less money. If you stick with little ornaments it'll cost you a fortune to cover the whole space. So, look for things like bigger ornaments, flowers, deco mesh, etc... Of course if you have all the money in the world just go for it! Then again, you probably won't be reading this. You'll probably be hiring someone to do it for you... So, where are my favorite places to shop? Hobby lobby before December. Yep, Merry Halloween! I started purchasing things for our tree as soon as they put the Christmas stuff out. At that point everything is around 50% off and you can download the app to get their coupon to make things dirt cheap. The dollar store. You'd be shocked at what you can find there! There are some steals! Wal Mart. They have 3 packs of large ornaments for around $6.

8) Plan, plan, plan


Have a plan before attacking your tree. Why? Because otherwise you'll get overwhelmed and  frustrated and probably give up and say "the dream tree will happen next year." If you plan a color scheme, a budget, look on pinterest for inspiration, and start decorating when you have plenty of time, you'll be sure to get the tree you want!

So there ya have it! Those are a few tips and tricks to get the tree you want!
If you have any more questions feel free to email me at ajoy94(at)gmail(dot)com and we can discuss putting together your dream tree!

What are your favorite tips and tricks when it comes to tree decorating?
Let me know in the comments!

All my love,
Aleigh Joy

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