Lucy St George's Guide To Christmas Tree Decorating
Products Featured: Gold Happy Christmas Decoration & Gold Party Christmas Decoration
If you're anything like us then as soon as December rolls around your Christmas Tree is up!
With only a few weeks to go until the festivities well and truly kick off, we've started to plan our Christmas decorating and when it comes to Christmas decorating there is no better person to ask for expert decorating advice than our wonderful co-founder: Lucy St George, who in her floristry days decorated Christmas trees for a living!
At Christmas, more really is more and fans of maximalist interiors and decor are in their element. So to create an absolutely showstopping Christmas Tree we think you should embrace it all and create some maximalist magic. The key is to accessorise, accessorise and accessorise some more! So to help us create the best Christmas decor yet, Lucy St George has given us her top decorating tips....
1. Suss Out The Right Spot...
Image credit: The gorgeous home of Tina Boulton as featured in Extraordinary Interiors By Jane Rocket & Lucy St George
It may seem obvious, but where you locate your Christmas Tree is absolutely essential - it's the very foundation of Christmas Tree dressing ... get it wrong and you could end up with some issues that are not so merry and bright!
Choosing your location is as much to do with whether your tree is real or faux too. Lucy advises that if your Christmas tree is real then you should choose a spot that is cool and away from the radiator as otherwise, you could risk it drying out before Christmas day. If it's faux then you can be a little more flexible on where you locate your tree, but an absolute essential for faux or real is that you position the tree near a plug so that you don't have unsightly, trailing light chain wires across the room.
Another factor to consider is day-to-day living. Whilst we’d all like to throw our hands up in the air come December 1st and party, drink and eat the month away, there are practical issues that will need to be considered such as school and work. Therefore, our advice is to choose a spot that is away from the door and preferably does not block any natural light. Don't worry, out of the way does not mean out of sight and the dazzling decs and sparkling lights will grab your attention as soon as you enter the room making it an instant showstopper no matter where you style it!
2. Size Matters...
Another obvious, but absolutely essential step is to size your tree up!
Lucy once bought a tree from the corner shop that just spoke to her. It was her kind of tree, stunning bright and brilliant...the problem?! It was too tall for her ceilings and when she tried to put the Christmas tree in its stand it just kept toppling over! In the end, Lucy had to cut the bottom off to make it fit.
So with the potential to be a total nightmare before Christmas, we recommend sizing up the spot before you purchase the tree and make sure that you account for your tree stand or plant pot which will add a few inches to the height.
Lucy St George Top Tip: If all else fails and you do have to cut your tree down be sure to cut from the bottom. Never the top !!
3. Get Your Lighting Right...
Image Featuring: Gold Star Fairy Lights
Light chains, when styled right will make your Christmas Tree dazzle!
Lucy always opts for a few sets of the same light chains to create a full and maximalist look. Moreover, she advises that you always plug them in and try the light sets first before adding them to the tree ... there is nothing worse than wrapping the light chains around the tree, decorating it with baubles and then going to turn the lights on to find that they do not work!
Next...
Once you've checked that the light chains work, wrap the lights around the tree starting from the bottom and working your way up in a maypole style. This is always easier to do with help, so get the family involved and keep mince pies and wine nearby for encouragement! Once done, then push the lights into the centre of the tree or nearer the trunk for a fuller and more impactful look.
Lucy St George Top Tip: To ensure that your lights are evenly placed on the tree, switch them on and stand back, squint and blur your eyes. Any dark patches need more lights.
4. Dazzle With Decs...
Click to shop our fabulous Christmas Decoration collection
Monochrome, Colourful, Quirky, Classic, Maximalist, Golden Luxe – whatever theme you choose, once you have decided it's time to start accessorising!
When it comes to Christmas decorations Lucy starts with a selection pack of single-coloured baubles in your chosen colourway. Then, decorate with these baubles nearer to the trunk on and 3/4 of the way in on the branch. This gives good coverage and makes your tree look really full.
Then onto the fun bit, switch up your theme with your favourite decorations or 'glory decs' as Lucy likes to call them. Large balls work best near the trunk and the smaller ones on the end so that the tree branches do not drop. Really be imaginative at this point and create intrigue with colours and symmetry. Remember, when it comes to Christmas decorating symmetry is your friend. Always try to get even coverage with all your decs, bows, lights and bauble sizes.
Lucy St George Top Tip: Add your fave decs on the top of the tree. That way they are less likely to get knocked off!
5. Top It Off...
Products Featured: Gold LED Star Light/Christmas Tree Topper
To finish it all off, don't forget the Christmas Tree Topper! Tree toppers are a must, they are the crowning glory that will perfect the look you are going for.
However, it goes without saying that whilst a Christmas Tree Topper is the finishing touch, you have to make sure that the topper is light enough so that the tree can support its weight (after all you are attempting to decorate the weakest and most unsupported part of the tree). Lucy will be decorating her Christmas Tree with the Gold LED Star Light/Christmas Tree Topper this year to go with her magical and glorious gold theme!
Lucy St George Top Tip: You don't just have to top your Christmas Tree Topper, you could use one of your favourite Xmas decorations instead. So long as the decoration is in proportion to the rest of your tree, it will look fabulous!
And... that's it! Always up for a PARTY, Lucy recommends gathering your family and friends for the ceremonial switching on of the Christmas lights, with booze and food included of course!
Head to over to Rockett St George to shop our entire collection of glittering, colourful and a little bit magical Christmas Decorations.
