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No need to call in Santa’s elves – in this post we’ll jingle you through 8 easy steps on how to decorate your Christmas tree!
It’s time to pull out all the dusty decorations and fancy-up the faux foliage that’s taking pride of place in your living space!
No need to feel overwhelmed – there’s no ‘wrong’ way to decorate your Christmas tree … unless you forget to put a little dinosaur on it.
Picture this: you, a mug of hot chocolate in hand, transforming your living room into an enchanted forest of glittering pinecones, cozy critters, and rustic charm!
Whether you want your tree to scream “elegant woodland chic” or “what abomination is this” – this post will walk you through 8 delightfully simple steps to achieve holiday perfection.
Trust us, by the time you’re done, your tree will look so good even Saint Nick will be jealous.
So, grab your ornaments, sip your chocolate, and let’s get cracking on creating a tree that’ll have your guests saying:
“Wow, this looks tree-mendous!”
“Christmas Day is in our grasp, as long as we have hands to clasp! Christmas Day will always be, just as long, as we have we! Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand!” –Dr. Seuss
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Remembering where you put all of your Christmas decorations might be the hardest part of the entire process. Well … that, and having your arms scratched up by the plastic branches of your tree.
But we are brave at Christmas time, my friends! We have the power of the angels, Santa and Scrooge at our fingertips – so dive into your downstairs cupboards, climb into your attics or lofts, or scuttle under your beds and grab out the bauble boxes!
We’ll see you on the other side! Watch out for falling mattresses and garland clusters on the staircase!
Got your boxes? Nicely done! Now’s the time to decide on your theme! Will it be “Whatever’s in the box!” – perhaps “Woodland, with a side of whatever the kids made this year!”. Have you thought about “Red!“.
If you have decision fatigue (which is common this time of year) why not lean into the “Christmas Canon” theme. The Christmas Canon allows you to shoot whatever comes to hand right onto the tree! No thought or plan required!
Our theme this year is “Woodland Creatures From the Last Few Years With One New Dinosaur”. Also, a hummingbird and Totoro are there.
“As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December’s bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same.” – Donald E. Westlake
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Did you buy a tree with lights already built in? Nice! Our job here is done! Just plug that beauty in!
If you have a real tree, or one that doesn’t already have sparkles attached – now’s the time to string your foliage with with warm white or soft yellow lights. If you’re a lover of nostalgia, why not get a whole ball of those coloured lights that flash – if 5 of the bulbs aren’t broken, then you’re in an alternate universe and have bigger problems to deal with.
Start from the inside of the tree and work outward, wrapping branches for an evenly lit glow. Or if you have limited time and patience, just cluster the lights in one central spot, and tell your relatives that it’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. The buzzing sound is the ghost’s angry memories!
Remember to leave some room on the tree for the baubles and decorations you went to all that trouble to dig out. You want people to know how much effort has gone into the decorating!
If you have a dinosaur made of tinsel, now is the time to perch it precariously on the stairs, or place it in a well-trafficked area of the house. He likes to get underfoot!
“We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
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If your theme is ‘Wizard of Oz’ this year, you will already have a surplus of garlands to hand. For the rest of us, by ‘garlands’ we mean ribbons, bead strands, tinsel or your favourite form of drapery. Looking at you, burlap sack!
Drape your garlands loosely for an organic look, or tie them in knots around the central trunk for a ‘suffocating’ feel. Pretend the tinsel is like ivy climbing through a peaceful glade, dropping its glittery legs all over the forest floor.
At this point, you may get distracted or ‘too hot’ from putting Christmas things up. Why not take a break and restock your Christmas cola, or put a festive mat by the front door. Don’t worry about the weird marks on the mat, or the fact that one of the corners won’t lie flat – Santa will be stampeding over it on his way to the cookies anyway. He ain’t got time to look down!
Feel refreshed? Never mind, let’s keep going! The garlands are right where you left them, and they’re not getting any less tangled!
If you need permission to forgo the garlands this year, we’ll write you a ‘Get out of Garlands’ note. You do you, friend.
“Christmas is a togethery sort of holiday. That’s my favorite kind.” – A. A. Milne
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Regardless of your theme, when decorating it’s important to focus on natural elements – such as coffee, biscuits and maybe a large glass of wine. Grab your favourite mug, glass, can or stein and keep hydrated as you work!
Bring the outdoors inside with pinecones, faux berries, acorns, or even small birch logs. The spiders just make things more Christmassy! These moving details help to ground your tree in nature and make it look like it was plucked straight from an enchanted wood.
If a guest gets a ‘kiss’ from nature, it’s like an extra present you wrapped for free! Is that a rash forming from the festive leaves, or a magical map to the North Pole?! Who knows!
If you don’t have any actual woodland to hand, why not decorate with little painted toadstools – they’re like the real thing but fake, and less toxic when they drop into your Christmas cake.
If all else fails, put a reindeer on something. The reindeer we chose has a top on, but no pants – which raises an awful lot of questions that can be discussed in greater depth around the Christmas table.
“The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned, and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting.” — Louisa May Alcott
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No tree is complete without critters!
Hang adorable ornaments shaped like owls, foxes, deer, Cthulhu and squirrels. Bonus points for incorporating a little whimsy—think a hedgehog wearing a Santa hat, or a dinosaur with a necklace made out of Christmas lights.
Do you have a cat that likes to climb the tree and get into all the decorations? Why not make that festive feline part of the exhibit! Dot a few small open cans of pilchards in the uppermost branches, and your cuddly critter will want to stay in there all season!
As an added bonus, you may get some extra critters climbing up for a taste of the old fishy tins!
If you’re running low on creatures, plush or otherwise – why not hang a small wreath on your wall. This time of year, with all the magical elements floating around, the wreath has potential to turn into a portal to another realm and who knows what will sneak through! The parallel world is your oyster! Literally!
"The way you spend Christmas is far more important than how much." — Henry David Thoreau
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It can be tempting to hang all of your ornaments in one vertical line from top to bottom, to look like a festive zipper. This can sometimes confuse your guests.
Mix and match bauble and creature sizes for visual interest, placing bigger ornaments deeper in the branches and smaller ones near the tips. This creates depth and keeps your tree from looking cluttered. Alternately, try the reverse!
The trick is to arrange your decorations so that they tell a story – for example, is the glittery silver reindeer flying majestically over the wind-blown dog – or is the hound a Grinch henchman trying to stall the Christmas sleigh?
Gather a few extra ornaments and plush friends to the side of tree to signify a Christmas Council. We’ve clustered an elderly gnome, a busy dinosaur and an outback pelican as our Bauble Brains Trust this year. A good leader puts their highest performers out front.
Also, it’s time to have another Milo. Get your hot chocolate fixings and revel in the work you’ve done so far. You’re a genius!
“It being Christmas eve, there was, as I had forseen, a great deal of revelry and what not.” - P.G Wodehouse
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We’re almost at the end of the decorating journey, so it can be a good time to stand back and gauge your textural needs.
Textural accents like faux fur tree skirts, knitted ornaments, or felted acorns add cozy vibes. Have you thought about how ‘scratchy’ you want your tree to be? Remember you’ll have family and friends arranging and accessing Christmas presents from beneath the branches – we don’t want to make it too easy for them!
Maybe you’ve leaned into the plush vibes this year. Make sure to have your felted avocados front and centre. Perhaps try your hand at crocheting a small brown dog.
The crowning glory of the tree should also match in with the rest of your theme – or go completely against the grain. Add the biggest star you can find, or a picture of your grandma at her first family BBQ! We’ve added a small soft snowman to stand guard over the kingdom.
This is your last chance to stuff the gaps with wads of tinsel or old wrapping paper from yesteryear. Don’t be afraid of making it ‘too busy’ or ‘a fire hazard’. Christmas tends to work itself out.
“I ask you to answer me fairly: is not additional eating an ordinary Englishman’s ordinary idea of Christmas day?” - Anthony Trollope
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You’ve done it! The tree is decorated, the lights are softly glowing (or buzzing angrily) and you’ve released all the festive creatures that have been hidden for a whole year. Good job!
Open your doors to the parades of people wanting to get a look at your original designs. Have them rub up against the branches to test the ‘scratch level’ or sniff the foliage to make sure the fish cans are still actively luring in the cat!
Santa is on his way, and you’ve done all you need to do to herald in the best Christmas day so far!
The Fishbird Central family wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and know that you’ll end the year on a happy note. How could you not, with Cthulhu in your branches and a map to the North Pole on your right foot?!
Peace and love to all, and to all a good tree.
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