For many British households, the annual ritual of decorating the Christmas tree is less a festive joy and more a source of domestic tension. From untangling stubborn lights to debating bauble placement, it can test the patience of even the most festive families.
The Expert's Guide to a Flawless Festive Tree
Thankfully, a woman named Katherine, who boasts professional experience as a florist before becoming a teacher, has shared her insider knowledge on Reddit. She offered her five top 'simple tricks' to ensure you can 'decorate your tree like a pro' and transform a potentially stressful affair into a delightful holiday activity.
Katherine's Five-Step Sequence for Success
1. The Essential First Step: Grooming and Stability
Katherine insists that a specific sequence is crucial for a professional-looking tree. For artificial trees, the first task is grooming, which involves meticulously fluffing and shaping the branches to create a full silhouette. She recommends wearing work gloves to protect your hands during this process.
If you have a real tree, your immediate priority is different. 'With a fresh tree your first step is putting it in a stand, levelling it, and making sure it has lots of water,' she advised, ensuring its longevity through the season.
2. Illuminate from the Inside Out
The next step for both real and artificial trees is to add illumination. 'Put on your lights and any other secondary lights you might have,' Katherine said. She personally uses bubble lights as her second layer, creating depth and warmth from the very beginning of the decorating process.
3. Don't Save the Garland for Last
This is where many amateurs go wrong, according to the expert. Garland should be your third step, not your last. 'You want to decorate around your garland and NOT try to fit your garland around the decorations,' she explained.
She emphasises the importance of adjustment, ensuring the garland swings freely in large, alternating loops. 'Your garland should peek and on the next level below the peek should be a loop,' she described, a technique that adds professional rhythm to the tree's appearance.
4. Crown Your Tree Early
Whether your tree is topped by a radiant angel or a gleaming star, Katherine urges you to place it now. Fixing the topper at this stage prevents the precarious and clumsy task of trying to fit it later amongst delicate, already-hung decorations. This simple trick avoids potential ladder-climbing disasters and ornament casualties.
5. The Final Flourish: Baubles with Depth
For the main decorations, Katherine advises working systematically 'from the bottom to the top'. She recommends placing larger ornaments at the bottom and progressively using smaller ones as you move upwards. Crucially, 'Each ornament should swing freely and not touch any other branch.'
She suggests using different length ornament hooks to achieve this layered effect. However, she reveals one game-changing tip: 'Hang bulbs on the inside branches.'
This technique of decorating the interior of the tree creates incredible depth and dimension, transforming your tree from simply nice to absolutely stunning. It’s this final, often-overlooked step that truly delivers that professional, florist-quality finish.
A Stress-Free Route to a Stunning Centrepiece
By following Katherine’s clear, sequential advice—grooming, lights, garland, topper, then baubles from the bottom up with internal decoration—the daunting task of tree decorating becomes a manageable and even enjoyable process. These five simple tricks promise to not only elevate your tree's aesthetic but also to restore peace and festive cheer to your living room this December.
