I know... it's November, it's not time to put your tree up (or is it? asking for a friend š¤) but if you want wow-worthy Christmas decor, you've gotta plan it! So, grab yourself a cuppa, take a read through this guide and get yourself organised for the most wonderful time of the year!
In this guide, I'll show you some new trends I am loving for Christmas 2023 as well as some tips and tricks for decorating your home this festive season. šš
2023 Christmas Trends
Before I dive into the trends of this festive season, it's important to note that you absolutely do not have to follow a trend when decorating your home. There can be so much pressure at Christmas time to have your home looking perfect (especially when you work in this industry!) but we've got to remember what's really imporant. Trends are a good place to take inspiration from if you have moved into a new home or want to change things up, but a traditonal tree and decorating using your persoanlity will always look good!
Modern Pastels
I love this trend. I feel like it is the perfect balance between calm, sophisticated decor and having a fun, colourful tree. Decorating your tree this way looks beautiful in a modern, neutral home and is a great place to start injecting colour into the homes of all you beige lovers! I would choose a selection of plain baubles in colours like: peach, teal, and champage in a range of sizes and then build from there with quirky decorations in similar colours, special standalone baubles and accessories such as flowers and ribbon. Click on the images below to shop some of my favourite Cosy Christmas decorations.
Bright Retro
Dopamine decoarting in all its glory! This bright retro theme takes quirky decorations and bold colours and puts them together in a wonderful Christmas smorgashboard. I love the idea of collecting unique ornaments over the years and bringing them all out at Christmas time. This theme oozes feelings of nostalgia and I feel like every piece of decor could have a meaning or stroy behind it. The bright retro theme works wonderfully in any type of interior, but my favourite is a more traditional country style home with dark wood accents and a wood burning stove. I would start off with a selection of brightly coloured baubles to act as a base for my tree and then load it up with a range of fun, quirky decorations. Click on the images below to shop some of my favourite bright Retro decorations.
Snowy Woodland
This one is for the minimalists and Scandi lovers. The snowy woodland theme takes recent interior trends and injects the Christmas spirit into them. Think sustainable materials, a neutral palette and the smell of a real tree in your living room. I would incorporate this theme into a minimalist or country chic home. A place that already uses a lot of natural materials and enjoys an organic lifestyle. I would grab some white or beige baubles as by base for a Snowy Woodland tree and add some wooden and felt decorations in a range of neutrals. Click on the images below to shop some of my favourite Snowy Woodland decorations.
Ice Queen
For anyone with a white tree, this trend is a great one for you! It also works great with green or frosted tipped trees. The Ice Queen theme takes all the cold colours: silver, white, blues and greens, along with some natural elements to give a look that is somewhere between natural and glam. If you like the best of both and want a white christmas, this is for you. Start off with some cool toned baubles and add glass elements to your tree. Beaded decorations in white or silver work wonderfully too and then finish off with some natural decor such as pine cones or berries. Click on the images below to shop some of my favourite Ice Queen decorations.
Pink Wonderland
2023 was the year of Barbie, the hype around that movie was some of the best marketing I've seen. You could not escape the Barbie hype and the same goes for this Christmas! Pink is in and of course, the shops are flooded with pink decor for your tree. To elevate your Pink Wonderland and stay away from a generic, cheap look, I would collect a range of baubles in varying shades of: nude, peach, Barbie pink, and raspberry. Then add quirky pink pieces to give your tree some personality and life! You'll see a lot of candy pink matched with silver but that trend has been and gone. Try antique baubles & dusty pinks and compliment them with warmer neutrals for a modern look. Click on the images below to shop some of my favourite Pink Wonderland decorations.
Finding the Perfect Tree
With so many to choose from, it can be really overwhelming trying to find the perfect tree. Real or artificial? What height is best? Should the tree be pre-lit? Luckily, I'm here to help you decide.
The Pros of an Artificial Tree
Lasts many years
Easy to assemble
No needles to sweep
Can be bought pre-lit
Option for snowy tips
Fire retardant
Anti-allergy
The Pros of a Real Tree
That smel!
Fullness
Unique look
No plastic
Experience of picking your tree
Usually better price than artificial equivalent
Easily recycled
It all comes down to your priorities. If sweeping up fallen needles would drive you crazy, go for an artificial tree. If the experience of picking your own tree and keeping it fresh is important to you, go for a real tree. The main thing to think about regardless of the tree you pick is decide where you are going to put it before you buy. A wide, fluffy tree is beautiful, but it won't look good squeezed into a corner. Similarly, a 9ft tree makes an amazing impact, but not if you have 7ft ceilings in your home. Find the size that is best for your home.
Christmas Tree Shopping To Do
Decide if you want real or fake
Choose a spot in your home for the tree to go
Measure that space (dont forget height!)
Find a tree smaller than your space (take into account stands & toppers!)
Buy your tree
Take it home and put it up!
How to Hang your Baubles
Most of the time, I would advise decorating your tree in a way that makes you happy. Mix and match your decorations, let your kids at it (but not your husbands, they'll ruin it). However, there are a few general rules that I like to abide by when it comes to tree decorating. This will help you to create a 'put together' look that wows and fills your tree in a really stunning way.
I know that the quirky baubles are the most exciting part but you've got to wait! Take your time and do everything in the right order to make sure your tree looks great and you won't have to go back over it later. The order i recommend decorating in is:
Lights. Plug them in to check they all work before putting them on your tree. Then start from the top and weave your lights across your tree. You can also get cascading tree lights that are attached at the top and drape down your tree. these are even easier to display. Remember to keep them close to the inner part of the tree rather than sitting on the outer branches. Keep stepping back to check the look and tweak as you go.
Topper. So many people add their topper last, but it can be hard to get it on when all your baubles are in the way. The easiest way to ensure nothing gets knocked or broken is to add your topper before your hanging decorations.
Fillers. If you are adding fillers such as branches, picks or flowers, add them after your lights but before your baubles. These help to fill out your tree much like in a floral display.
Base Baubles. You've heard me talk about base baubles in the trends above. Base baubles are plain baubles in the colours of your theme. Buy a selection of sizes but stick to three or four colours, you can add more colour and detail with your individual baubles later. Now remember, size does matter at Christmas. Use your biggest baubles at the bottom of your tree and towards the middle. Use smaller baubles as you get higher and further out, using the smallest at the top of the tree and at the tips of the branches.
Add Some Personality. This is my favourtie bit. Now it's time to add those quirky decorations and special standalone baunbles. Use these decorations to fill your tree, putting the heaviest ones near the inside of the tree where the branches will support them better. Keep stepping back to make sure you're happy with the look and rearrange as you need.
A Tree Skirt. A tree skirt really helps to finish off the look and hides those unsightly stands. I like to pick a neutral tree skirt to act as a background, rather than having eyes drawn towards it. I would recommend either a wicker style skirt or a soft ruf style. Choose something that ties in with your theme and compliments your decor.
Wrap Like a Pro
Every year I get asked how I wrap my presents and where I get my wrapping paper. I really think a lot of it is just putting genuine effort into choosing your paper & accessories and taking your time while you wrap.
Before I start thinking about the actual wrapping part, I like to take a bit of time to decide on the colours I want to use. Then, I have a look online at wrapping paper and pick one or two to work with. I usually choose one plain paper and another patterened using complimentary colours. I then think about accessories and buy ribbons, bows and tags that will work nicely with the scheme I'm creating. Take a look at the picture here of my colours in 2019. As you can see, the bold print on one gift is complimented with the red ribbon and gingerbread man tag on the other. Putting a bow on the patterened gift would become overwhelming for the eye and leaving the black paper without accessories would fall short.
When it comes to actually wrapping the presents, I like to:
Lay everything out on the floor. I find it much easier than sitting at a table
Properly measure my paper before I cut it
Fold the edges of the wrapping paper before taping to create a tidy seam
Use double sided tape!
And when I'm faced with a weird shaped gift, it's good to know ways of wrapping so they look decorative. For circle-shaped objects I love wrapping them to look like a giant sweet. You can also do this with cylinders or you can stand them up and create a starburst effect at the top with the bottom folded in flat. For random shapes like stuffed animals, I often fiind the best way is to create a bag out of your paper. That way, the recipent still gets the joy of unwrapping their gift but you haven't spent hours fighting with paper. Take a look at the pictures below to get an idea of how to wrap oddly shaped gifts.
Dressing your Table
I get it. If you're hosting this year you'll want your Christmas table to look the part, and it's fun creating a beautiful table, but the number one rule acroos every part of interior design is function THEN form. Of course, we'll spend time making it look good, but first, we've got to make sure it is fit for purpose.
So, keeping that idea in mind, the first thing you'll need to think about is your tableware. Do you have enough bowls, plates, glasses and cutlery for everyone? What about large dishes and oven proof trays? Have you got a table large enough to hold everything? Get your essentials sorted first.
Once your essentials are taken care of, think about your main decorative elements. What is going to ground your table design and be the base that you add from? I love adding a large wreath up the centre of the table or little clusters of floral decor.
Bringing candles onto your table also creates a beautiful atmosphere but just keep in mind that if they are too tall and in people's eyeline, they are going to get moved around. Think as well about where young children may be sitting!
Christmas crackers. There are two types of people out there. There are Christmas party hat people and those that are too cool for all that. Regardless of which type of person you are, crackers are a lovely addition to your Christmas table and there are now some really fancy options out there!
Finallly, if you are hosting a dinner for a very large group of people or blending families together, it can be a nice idea to set up seating arrangements to make sure that the entertainers of the group aren't stuck together at one side of the table, leaving the quieter people feeling lost at the other end. If however, you're hosting for a family or close friend group, this probably isn't necessary.
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Disclaimer: Some images are taken from Pintrest. Product images have links to supplier.
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