Christmas decor for everyone!

Well...it's about 1 month away - Christmas day! Have you decorated yet?

If you love to decorate but feel like Christmas just doesn't blend with your style we have some news for you - this year there is something for everyone!

In the past, Christmas decor was all about a traditional look and sticking with a white, green and red motif with a touch of silver or gold; or, it was very child like and full of animation.

But in recent years we have really started to see a huge change toward more stylish and fashion forward Christmas decor - so decorating for this festive season will mesh well with your current style and not fight it.

For the person that loves bright colour and even neon hues - options for you....try a white tree with lots of bright and bold colour decor items! You can even find bright colour trees like aqua or pink.  We love a fun punch of colour and colour is so festive so why not opt for colour and fun this holiday season? Try adding some different elements to your tree to make it really unique like bright bows that are oversized and full or print, bright colour feathers from a craft store, bold neon baubles, ribbons, pompoms and so much more!



For the person that loves glitz and glamour...why not dress up your home for this Christmas in metallics? The shiny and reflective surfaces look so chic and sophisticated (timeless too).  You can stick with one metallic like silver and keep it so cool and clean or blend them all.  Mix in some glitter and crystals for a total glam look.  We love to see metallics mixed with white twinkle lights.  Paired with a white tree gives the look a more modern feel but paired with a classic evergreen makes it a bit more elegant, it's up to you!



For the person that likes a more rustic look, you can incorporate your favourite woodland animals like owls, deer and moose along with wood textures like birch, mix in some plaid and knit textures for a cozy cabin Christmas vibe. Burlap garlands around the tree, grapevine accessories and pine cones are easy and simple additions to any evergreen tree and will give the look that rustic country feel. 




For someone who likes a more modern look, try a minimalist and monotone look.  Grey is a hot neutral and why not incorporate it into your Christmas decor motif? Pair it with some silver decor and you do not have to fill the tree with decor - keep it clean and simple. If you have grey in your home currently and like a tone on tone look this is a great option for you.




For the sports fan why not find a another way to display your team colours?  Try a sports themed tree celebrating Christmas and your team! You can find logo decorations for all of the professional teams and college team plus you can easily find lights, ribbon, baubles and more in your team colours.  Go Team! Go Christmas!!




For the person that likes something a bit different but you want to nod to tradition somewhat...why not decorate with an unexpected colour combination? Black and white are not your traditional Christmas colours but they are a classic combination, they look great together even on a tree. Add a fun pop like yellow or even aqua (Tiffany Blue like the tree here) for something really unique and eye catching.  Make the Christmas a part of your decor scheme!






 For the fashionista or aspiring fashion designer, show off your flare for fashion with this dress form tree.  Dress this tree up how ever you like! Add as much bling as you like and in any colour - you can really take this idea to the next level and completely customize it! This tree truly has a style of its own!




For the person that loves the beach...try a coastal Christmas tree! Shells, starfish and silver dollars look amazing on a tree paired with soft pastel tones.  If you love Christmas and you love the beach this is perfect for you or if you live on the coast and want to compliment the surroundings this is a great look, too!  The beach themed items pair so nicely with the green tree and the silver tones and glass baubles.




 For the person who loves the traditional colours but want to make a statement - make your tree a total designer showpiece and go over the top with oversized decor items all over your tree! To get this sculptural look you will need time, patience plus lots of floral wire but you can definitely achieve this fabulous look and it gives a fresh take on the traditional colours.




For the person that loves the snow....a snow flocked tree is for you!  Take the look of nature, those stunning snow covered evergreens and bring it indoors - this is a great look with any colour scheme or style.  It works beautifully with bold and bright neon hues, the rustic look and even the more elegant and traditional looks. You can even transform your current artificial tree to a snow covered one with a little DIY 

 

Remember when you are decorating for the holidays, keep the theme consistent - that will give your home that designer holiday look no matter which style you prefer.  Make sure that no matter your style - have fun!

Step-by-Step (professional) Tips : How to Decorate Your Christmas Tree

We took some time just  before the holiday season to talk to experts to get the best step-by-step tips on How To Decorate Your Christmas Tree this year.  Before you start think about the overall look you want, check out sites like Pinterest for ideas.  A white tree can be very funky or elegant depending on the choice of ornaments and colour theme.  Do you have high ceilings? A 9' ft tree might be a perfect fit for the room.  There is so much selection of Christmas decor nowadays the possibilities are truly endless.

Step 1: Make sure you like the placement of the tree, it could be tricky to move it later. Fluff the tree (if artificial) and add lights (if your tree isn’t pre-lit).

Keep the lights on while decorating the tree. Add the tree skirt now, so you don't knock any of the decor off later

Step 2: Add the garland.

*Start about 1/5th the way down from the top of the tree.

*Use floral wire to attach the garland or twist branches together if the tree is artificial. If you want to keep it super simple, look for ribbon garland with wire so it is easy to twist around the tree.

*Run at an angle around the tree: 2-3 times around a 6′ tree and 3-4 times around a 9′ tree.

Step 3: Add oversized ornaments and decorations.

 *Use 2-3 oversized items on a 6′ tree and 3-4 items on a 9′ tree.

*Lanterns and/or urns work great on a tree.  Just remember to make sure they are sturdily wired in place and add filler.  And don’t use a live flame on candles!

*Place the largest pieces toward the bottom of the tree.

*Mix the items up.  They don’t all need to match.

Step 4: Add ornaments.

 *First, place larger ornaments on the inside of the tree for added dimension.

*Next, place a few large ornaments toward the outside of the tree.  This is where you’ll want to put the ornaments that you want to showcase.

*Use long ornaments to help fill empty spaces.

Step 5: Tweak, tweak and then tweak some more.

 *Step back from your tree and it examine it throughout the process. Do you have too much of one colour in a certain area? Have certain styles of ornaments clumped together? Does the decor look even/balanced?

*Make tweaks as you go.

Step 6: You’re finished!

 Now pat yourself on the back and enjoy the oohs and aahs of your family and friends!

 

The World's Most Expensive Christmas Tree

The World’s Most Expensive Christmas Tree was valued at 41,329,531 AED ($11,026,900 US; £6,975,880).

 

The location? In Emirates Palace (UAE) in Abu Dhabi was displayed from 16 to 29 December 2010 and since then was not another tree that expensive.
Want more extravagance? This 13.1 m (43.2 ft) tree was covered in 181 items of jewelry: diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and other precious stones. Items of jewelry studded with scores of precious stones are draped on the tree’s branches, along with more traditional baubles and lights.
 

The  Guinness World of Records gave the tree a spot in their records for the World’s Most Expensive Christmas Tree.
“While the tree alone is worth a mere $10,000, the jewelry adds more than $11m to the value”, said the hotel’s general manager Hans Olbertz.
The vast majority of the population of the oil-rich UAE is Muslim. But Mr Olbertz said he did not think the tree would offend local sensibilities. The tree sits in the sumptuous lobby of the 302-room hotel, which is reportedly decorated with gold leaf.
If you think you can go there and steal the jewelry, think again, because of the 24/7 security, four security guards closely monitoring the space plus the security cameras.

 
Now you have an idea on how you decorate your Christmas Tree this year: with a lot of jewelry but watch out the thieves may still them.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree

So I just finished decorating an office for the Christmas holidays.  the office is a converted old home from 1910 - so we wanted to keep a very traditional look for the decorations to stay true to the feel of the home/office.

The main floor has 12 ft ceilings so we were able to use a 9 ft tree (typical height for trees is 7.5 ft - since most homes have 8 ft ceilings).  We went to Home Depot to purchase the tree (which was pre-lighted) and many of the decorations.  We went with a very warm colour concept of gold, red and chocolate brown.  We were able to find so much inspiration from the Martha Stewart Collection - where she has all the accents including bobbles, birds, beads and ribbon all in coordinating colours. 

I love a full looking tree so once we left the Home Depot, we headed out to HomeSense to look for some more ornaments for the tree.  I wanted lots of bling and I found it!  I found these amazing clip on red and gold, beaded butterflies - just stunning and oh, how they sparkle!  I also found some fabulous red apples with lots of sparkle and shine. I also found a very traditional brocade looking tree skirt.

Once we bought all the decorations that we could fit in the car, we set off to the office. We unloaded everything from the car and it was a bit overwhelming but when you have a plan - it makes it easier.

1. Start by setting up the tree and spreading the branches apart so the tree looks fuller

2. Set up the lights (test first for burnt out bulbs) or get a pre-lit tree (so easy!) and the tree skirt

3.  If using ribbon, start with that.  Start circling around the tree, start at the top.

4.  I like to start with the basic balls in various colours.  As you hang them up, be sure to step back now and then to make sure the colours and the balls are spread out evenly

5.  Move on to other decor items like clip on birds, or other hanging ornaments.

6.  Last the angel or start on the top (use a ladder, step stool or chair for some extra height)

For this office tree, I even purchased some beautiful boxes and placed them under the tree so it looked like there were gifts under the tree.

We also used a natural looking garland to wrap up the staircase.  Plus a stunning wreath in the same red, golds and chocolate brown colour theme on the front door.