*Don't miss the step by step video at the bottom of this article*
Instead of the traditional red and green Christmas decorations this year, why not try something new?
A fun color option for decorating a Christmas tree is gold and purple.
Here are a few designer tips & tricks for making your Christmas tree look extra special this year.
Christmas Tree
You need to get the best possible Christmas tree in order to get the best looking results.
Either find a fresh Christmas tree that looks very full or purchase an artificial Christmas tree that looks very realistic.
For a fresh Christmas tree, position it to where the fullest side is the most visible and hide any imperfections in a less visible location. Take your time finding the best side because you do not want to try and rotate the tree after you have started decorating.
For an artificial tree, make sure to fluff the Christmas tree so it looks great before decorating.
See this article for more information: How to Fluff an Artificial Christmas Tree into the Correct Shape.
Designer Tip - Some people like to add inexpensive evergreen-looking garland wrapped around the trunk of the Christmas tree to make it look more full.
Another Designer Tip - put down an old blanket or sheet under the Christmas tree before decorating to catch any needles that fall and possibly prevent ornaments from hitting a hard floor and breaking.
Lights
Many artificial Christmas trees come with lights attached, however feel free to add more!
Christmas trees typically look best with a minimum of 1 strand of 100 clear mini lights per foot height of tree (5 foot tall tree gets 5 strands of lights and 8 foot tall tree gets 8 strands of lights).
Designer tip - In addition to the basic lights, feel free to add 1 or 2 strands of gently blinking lights around the trunk of the tree. You can also add 1-2 strands of larger bulb lights for added dimension.
For step by step directions to add lights to your Christmas tree, see the article Designer Secrets for How to Put Lights on a Christmas Tree.
Garland
After the lights are added, you should add the garland.
You can use ribbon, fabric, or another material as garland.
The Christmas tree above has 2 types of garland - a wider gold ribbon and a thinner gold ribbon. The wider ribbon is looped down from the top in multiple strands while the thinner ribbon is wrapped around the Christmas tree.
Designer tip - Using more than one type of ribbon makes the Christmas tree look more interesting and gives it a designer look.
For more information about ribbon garland, see the article Different Ways to Add Ribbon Garland to a Christmas Tree.
For more information about fabric garland, see the article Different Ways to Add Fabric Garland to a Christmas Tree.
If you plan on using your ribbon or fabric garland as a bow tree topper, then add it now.
Fillers
Most Christmas trees will have some bare spots that should be filled in to make the Christmas tree look more full.
You can fill these bare spots in with evergreen-looking floral picks or basic ornaments.
The Christmas tree above used basic snowflake ornaments placed toward the inside of the Christmas tree to fill in some empty spaces.
Textural Items
Adding textural items to a Christmas tree makes it look more interesting.
Gold berries on a branch were added to this Christmas tree to add pockets of color and texture.
Grapevine spheres were also added to create an opposing texture to the shiny gold.
Oversized Ornaments
Add a few oversized ornaments to be focal points on your Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree shown above used some oversized gold ornaments that are approximately 6 inches in diameter.
Medium Sized Ornaments
After adding the large Christmas ornaments, add medium sized ornaments that complement the purple and gold color scheme.
The Christmas tree shown above used multiple shades, sheens, and textures of gold ornaments which creates a more interesting look.
After all of the gold ornaments were in place, multiple variations of purple colored ornaments were then added - some with glitter, some were irridescent, and some were matte.
Using ornaments that are all the same size or color can look basic, but using ornaments of various shades, sizes, and textures of the same color give the Christmas tree a designer look.
Tree Topper and Skirt
If you have not already added your Christmas tree topper, then do it now.
Also add a Christmas tree skirt to hide the underside of your Christmas tree and create a soft place to add Christmas gifts.
A good size for a Christmas tree skirt is the same diameter as the lower branches on your Christmas tree, or maybe a bit bigger.
Designer Tip - You can also drape fabric around the base of your Christmas tree instead of purchasing a ready made Christmas tree skirt. Once you add gifts, nobody will see your skirt.
Wrapped Gifts
Don't forget that Christmas gifts are a part of your Christmas tree decorations, so make sure to color coordinate the gift wrap.
Avoid wrapping gifts in cartoon paper and stick with more designer options.
For a rustic look, consider wrapping your gifts in brown kraft paper.
For a more glamorous look, consider using wrapping paper with an interesting texture, such as velvety or shiny.
Consider getting 3 different complimentary wrapping papers and 3 different thin fabric ribbons and mix and match those ribbons and papers to create several different gift wrap options.
If you must throw a Christmas gift in a recycled gift bag last minute, try and hide that gift towards the back of your Christmas tree in the least visible location.
More Information
To see the step by step decoration of this Christmas tree, see the video below.
{mp4}gold-purple-ct-video{/mp4}
Jingle Bells (Calm) by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3943-jingle-bells-calm-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Whether you just like the colors purple and gold, or you are a fan of San Francisco State University, College of Idaho, Western Illinois University, Knox College, University of Northern Iowa, Louisiana State University, Minnesota State University (Mankato), Western New Mexico University, Elmira College, University at Albany, East Carolina University, Western Carolina University, West Chester University, Tennessee Tech University, Hardin Simmons University, James Madison University, University of Washington, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Vikings, or the Baltimore Ravens, consider decorating your Christmas tree this year in gold and purple.
