Christmas Decorating Tips!

The time around Thanksgiving and Christmas is my favorite time of year. Everyone is in good spirits, the weather is crisp, and the decorations are so pretty! Plus, the kids get super excited about Santa coming and we get to spend lots of quality time as a family. It really is magical.

This year, I’ve been doing some reflection and brainstorming on how to decorate our homes for Christmas, without getting stressed or spending a fortune. I love putting the decorations up with the kids and making the house feel special together.

Not sure how to prioritize your Christmas decorating, or where to splurge or save? This article is full of my top Christmas Decorating Tips so you can make the most of the festive season at home!

A Recommended Read – Cherry Christmas Decor Shop the Look

Save Vs. Splurge

Now more than ever we are all looking for ways we can save money, and with Christmas typically being an expensive Holiday, these tips should help you decide which decorations are worth splurging on, and what you can save on.

There are a few questions you can ask yourself to determine whether a decoration is worth splurging on or not. 

“How long will this last?” – Can your decorations be reused? Items like a faux Christmas tree are worth splurging on if you plan on reusing it year after year. Otherwise, save on pieces that will only make an appearance for one year. Decorative baubles that you may or may not use in future years can be picked up cheaply, from places like Target.

“Does this have family value?” – Some Christmas decorations can become family heirlooms. If you have special or personalized decorations then these are worth splurging on as they will be passed down through the generations.

“Is this a centerpiece of the decorations?” – What do you automatically notice when you look at a group of decorations? For the Christmas tree, it could be the star at the top or the large decorative baubles. Invest in the items that are the center of attention, and save on those less noticeable.

Christmas Tree Tips

The focal point of any home at Christmas is of course the tree! This is one aspect of Christmas that is worth investing in. An excellent quality faux Christmas tree will last you many years and look fantastic each year. The decorations can be a mix of cheap and expensive pieces to complete the look.

The key to making your Christmas tree look real, is spending a good amount of time pulling out the branches, sticking them up, down, side to side, to create that life-like look. If you’re too quick doing this, the tree won’t look as good as it could once all the decorations have been added.

Next up is the lights. Another aspect of Christmas decorations that are worth splurging on as they can be reused every year! Choose between cool or warm white lights and make sure the Christmas tree is well covered. Typically, it is recommended that for every foot of tree height, you use one strand or one hundred lights. So for a 7 foot tree, use 7 strands or 700 lights. And for an 8 foot tree, use 8 strands or 800 lights.

Tree decorations themselves are personal to each family/home. While I like to decorate our family tree with red and gold, you may prefer silver and green! Any color combination goes so long as you stick to it. Choose gold or silver, and one or two complementary accent colors to complete the look.

Wreaths and Garlands

A Christmas wreath is a lovely nice-to-have to add to your front door. If you prefer to focus your efforts on decorating the inside for your home for Christmas, a simple wreath is ideal. Otherwise, a Christmas wreath that features evergreen branches from spruce, boxwood, or pine trees makes the perfect decorative touch to any front door.

When choosing a Christmas wreath, it’s important to decide whether you will create your own at a workshop or at home, or purchase one to use each year. You could splurge on a wreath that you plan to use every year, or save and update it each year instead. It’s entirely up to you and your budget.

I love to choose a wreath that features lots of interesting greenery for texture, and timeless colors through red berries and acorns so I can use it every year.

Use garlands for fireplace mantels and decorating the staircase! Consider a pre-lit garland to make an extra statement to your entry or fireplace mantel, plus it will save heaps of time. You could leave the garland as is, or add some simple decorations like ribbon bows or red berries.

Top Tip – Prepare your wreath and garlands similarly to your Christmas tree! Sometimes their packaging or how they are stored can make the branches crumpled, so make sure to fold out each branch to create a life-like look.

Christmas Dining Room Ideas

Another room that is great for decorating at Christmas is the dining room. While you may already have an idea for decorating the dining table, what about the room itself?

If you have artwork hung on the walls, add small garlands to them to add some festive cheer. You could even add decorations to light fittings! Just be careful with what you choose and how hot the bulbs get.

You can easily get ahead of the Christmas rush by preparing your dining table with a festive runner and centerpiece. This will add some visual interest in the run up to Christmas itself.

Have a sideboard or buffet? Decorate this in a similar way you would to a fireplace mantel with garlands and decorative objects. You could even add candlesticks and festive foliage to vases to complete the look.

Above all, remember to have fun! Get the kids involved, choose areas of the home that you want to focus on with Christmas decorating, and save where you can.

Have you started preparing your home for Christmas yet? I’d love to know whether these Christmas Decorating Tips have helped!