Tree Decorating in 8 Easy Steps

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A tree is a tree is a tree.

Except a tree is not just a tree and Christmas happens but once a year……Hello and welcome to Bella Kate 22, you’ve just opened a blog on how to decorate your Christmas tree in eight easy steps.

Step 1: Please select your tree.

If like me, you have a fake Christmas tree, you just have to go to your garage or wherever you keep your extra storage and dig out your tree. The tree you use should spark SO MUCH JOY……This is why I personally use a fake tree…..long story short; in college my roommate and I got a REAL tree……IT was MAGICAL and I hated to throw it out (like I actually felt bad for the tree) and also, real trees are MUCH TOO MUCH WORK (they take a lot of water & I fail at indoor plant life) if truth be told.

So fake tree for me it is.

Here is a great fake tree that closely resembles my current tree branches.

Here is a tree thats closer in height to my actual tree but has a fuller look.

Step 2: Separate your branches. Take several steps back from your tree to admire the branches. Repeat this step for a few hours and up to a few days before you decide to do any decorating on your tree canvas. I sound like I am kidding, but I actually did this and as annoying as it was, I am not mad about my tree branch results. I am also slightly kidding because this approach is bananas.

Step 3: Consult last years Christmas tree photo and JUDGE IT, but do it in a harsh way……so that you NEVER MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN. Just kidding. I am kidding, but I did find it helpful to look at my last years tree in a photo to see what I could do differently this year.

Actually, my iphone surprised me with a  photo of last years tree in the “memories” set up Apple updated with, and I had no choice but to look at it and do better this year.

For example, last year my tree had a lot of gaps and this year I aimed to NOT have a lot of gaps between branches.

Quick fix to fill out the branches: Add ribbon.

I used tartan and a cream/gold wired ribbon that I purchased from Joanne Fabrics; but you can get similar items on Amazon.com and I have posted links to those below.

Step 4: Consult actual decorating queens and kings on Pinterest to see how they went about styling their tree and start mapping out a plan of attack on getting your tree closer to the tree of your dreams.

I am NOT a Pinterest Queen, so do not expect perfection. Be warned.

Step 5: String the lights, but before you do, please plug the lights in to see if they are all working. I do not pretend to understand lights, I just think they are pretty and I let them do their thing. I always love to see the kinds of lights people use on their trees. Will they be all white, blinking, colorful variations or the large vintage bulbs?

A trick I implemented this year was to wrap the lights around my arm like one wraps a guitar amp cord after your set is done, instead of letting the lights trail behind you on the floor. I have to say that I found it very helpful. The act of avoiding a threading lights disaster was adulting at its finest; to do this, I would sporadically plug the lights in to see how the design was translating and would unplug to continue lining the tree. This technique saved me a lot of pulling and chord tangles and I cannot thank myself enough for avoiding that headache.

Also, this year I used exactly one string of lights for the tree, where in years past I used two…..because I was younger and I did not know then what I know now. Hindsight is 2020 (PUN ABSOLUTELY INTENDED, bring VODKA) and I am thankful I discovered that one string of lights works just as well as two…OMMMERRRGERRRD.

Also, if you’re going to use ribbon, do it now before step 6…..this is technically step 5.5 in the tree decorating game (I did a whoopsies and posted the ribbon links with step three….)

Step 6: Hang the bulbs on the branches with care, but do it in a way that has you switching the color of bulbs every time so that you can try to decorate without favoritism. All the bulbs of all colors need a fighting chance on the tree. You feel me?

Step 7: Hang the ornaments in any way you’d like and add a tree top ornament, like a STAR or an ANGEL….make it work for you. Some people have tree themes, I have one theme….Christmas tree that gets better with age.

Step 8: Take a lot of photos and send them to your family members and friends so they can virtually pat you on the back, because damn it…..IF YOU DO NOT DESERVE PRAISE AND A PRIZE FOR HOLIDAY CHEER IN 2020, YOU DO.

Hang in there.

Have fun.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy, Merry, JOY to whatever you’re celebrating, but bring LOTS of Cheer!

-Nikita