Decorating the Christmas Tree for 2010

Decorating a Christmas tree isn’t as simple as setting up the frame then hanging the trimmings. A little planning needs to go in to it.

The last thing any decorator would want to do is to re-do everything if things don’t look right.

So I’ve put together a few tips to help you when you finally decide to roll up those sleeves and break a sweat.

Before you start, there is one rule I adhere to when setting up the tree: Balance.

Everything, from the size, weight, and even color needs to be properly balanced so the tree looks like it is effortlessly carrying all those trimmings.

Themes

In the old days, Christmas trees just used to be one color – green. But this is not the case anymore. One can buy a purely white tree or even one with a mixture of both. I have even come across a blue tree.

After choosing the color, you’ll need to think about decorations.

Some themes include using Christmas balls, flowers, cartoon characters, shapes, fruits, and the like.

A trend that started a few years ago was to use cartoon characters for either Disney or Warner Brothers.

Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy make great trimmings, especially for kids. The same goes for Pooh and friends, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, and the Tasmanian Devil.

You can also choose a color scheme of your decorations.

Some people prefer to just stick with gold and silver Christmas balls. While others like to purchase translucent, glass balls in either green or pink. I have even come across Christmas balls that have lights in them.

 

Lights

After deciding on the tree, you’ll need to keep its size in mind when decorating it.

A regular Christmas tree is a triangle, with the thinnest part at the top and the thickest at the bottom. Following its size and shape, you will need to make sure that the lights are shorter at the top and longer at the bottom.

They should end up equally spaced, so this may take a little trial and error before getting the right balance.

Make sure the lights are plugged in as you string them around the tree. Having the bulbs lighted will allow you to step back every now to see if the balance right.

Also make sure that the tree is in the middle of the room before you start. This will allow you to walk around the tree as you string up the lights.

Walking around the tree, as opposed to reaching around it, is more efficient and will allow you better control one what braches they rest on.

After hanging the lights, you can then stick the star at the top of the tree before moving to the next step.

Size

To achieve balance, your decorations need to be arranged in such a way that the smaller trimmings, such as hanging balls, go at the top. While the bigger, heavier ones, all hang from the bottom branches.

The main reason for this is to make sure that your trimmings are adequately supported by the proper branches.

If you stick the heavier ornaments at the top, chances are the branches will sag and ultimately deform the tree.

The second reason is that you want people to enjoy the entire tree, not just parts. To do this, you need to avoid making your decorations to stick out like sore thumbs.

And having big stuff on top, tend to look out of place, drawing attention from the rest of the tree.

So make sure you follow the size of the tree by dividing it in to three zones. The smallest ones go at the top, the medium-sized ones in the middle, and the large ones at the bottom.

Color

Another thing that needs to be balanced is color.

Again, it is a good practice to decorate the tree in such a way that people’s eyes are drawn to the whole tree in their first look. This means that the colors need to be balanced throughout the entire tree.

You’ll need to keep equal parts of red, green, gold, and silver scattered all over the tree.

Again divide the tree into three zones and scatter the colors based on these areas.

Start off with one color first, say red, and then move to the others after finishing it.

By choosing the small trimmings, you begin by scattering them all over the top zone. Then you do the same thing for the medium trimmings, then finally the large ones at the bottom.

Make sure to go around the tree as you decorate it. This will make sure that every viewable angle will be covered by your decorations.

Icicles

These are simple strings of foil and are very cheap to buy. And though inexpensive, they have a great impact on your tree.

You should be able to find them at any mall. If you can’t find them displayed, just describe them to a saleslady and she should be able to point you in the right direction.

Icicles are applied at the very end as they will form an outer layer of your tree.

You start by pinching around five to seven thin strips in your hand and dropping them on your tree, like you would drop spaghetti noodles with you bare hands.

As always, you need to start from the top zone and make your way to the bottom.

Make sure to wake around the tree as you finish every zone to make sure every part of the tree is covered equally. If you find some empty patches, simple pinch off some of the thicker ones and move them.

At the end of this stage, you tree will now look like it shimmers, especially if a light breeze or electric fan is nearby.

Skirt

A skirt is similar to a round table cloth. With the difference being that it covers the base of the tree, softening its unsightly tripod legs.

And just like the varied colors of today’s trees, they also come in a multitude of colors.

In keeping with the theme of your decorations, try getting something with a similar color to your tree and decorations.

While the skirt may end up being covered by all your gifts, it will reveal itself once more on Christmas day since people will be opening their gifts by this time.

In my case, it takes me about four hours to complete the decorations. But then I’m less than six feet tall working on a six foot tree, so things may vary from person to person.

And while it may feel like hard work as you are doing the decorations, you will be rewarded with a nice shimmering tree at the end of your efforts.

May you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!