Decorating a Simple Christmas Tree
If you are someone who wants the Christmas season to be simple and enjoyable, might I encourage you to make decorating your Christmas tree a simple event?
There are so many areas where I want things to be primped and perfect, but for some reason, the Christmas tree isn’t one of those areas.
As I spend time preparing for Christmas, I think of ways I can simplify and make it about memories for my kids.
It can be tempting to take over the Christmas tree decorating and place each and every ornament exactly where it should go, but that only adds one more thing to your list.
If you love decorating the tree, then go for it!
Different people enjoy different parts of the season and I think that is wonderful.
For me, I would much rather spend time making Christmas pancakes or handmade gifts, such as my simple brown sugar body scrub.
Cookie baking day and gift wrapping day trump the perfect tree for me, but I know from talking with people that so many relish the Christmas tree decorating process.
No matter what side you fall on, there are still some simple things you can do to bring a bit of charm to your space.
How do you decorate a Christmas Tree?
Decorating the tree is a simple process.
I like to do my part first and then let my kids add the finishing touches with their ornaments.
Each year, they make a dried orange DIY, either dried orange ornaments or a dried orange garland.
Salt dough ornaments are another tradition in our home because they are so easy and the kids love them.
Our tree is usually covered in both orange and salt dough treasures.
There are simple steps for getting your tree ready for the charming kid’s ornaments.
- Fluff the tree
- Add lights
- Put on the star or angel
- Tie on ribbon
- Place tree candles on each branch
- Wrap the tree skirt around the base
- Give the kids full reign over the rest of the ornaments
Fluff the Tree
If you have a faux Christmas tree, the best place to start is with fluffing the branches.
I like a sparse, quirky tree for our home. They remind me of real trees more than the perfect “triangle” trees.
The ornaments hang so nicely on them, instead of sitting on top of the lower branches.
Spread the branches
To create a full look with the tree, you will want to spread the branches out.
Tip the inner branches upward
The inner branches will need to be tipped upwards a bit to prevent “holes” between the layers from showing.
Faux trees, typically, have real needles on the edge of the tree limbs and needles that look more fake on the interior of the limbs.
The fake looking branches help to “fill out” the tree and make the center of the tree look full!
Outer branches stay straight
The outer branches stay spread out and somewhat straight, while the interior branches tip upward to fill the tree out.
Add lights to your Christmas tree
You can purchase a tree that is prelit, but I have had the lights go out and then the entire tree feels like a loss.
For that reason, I prefer to wrap my own tree in lights.
I like that I can control where the lights are and what kind of lights are on the tree.
Do you like a fuller, brighter light or a smaller, twinkly light?
I like a small, fairy-type light because I think it looks more magical.
Weave the lights around each branch to give the best nighttime twinkle.
You can put whatever lights you want on yours. I stick with a warm, white light for our tree.
Put the Tree Topper on the Tree
When the lights are done, put your tree topper on the tree. You can adjust it as needed so that it is straight.
I like doing this before the ornaments go on so that it doesn’t make anything fall off if I accidentally shake the tree adjusting the topper.
My favorite toppers are stars or angels. This topper lights up, but we don’t have it corded to the outlet yet, so it just sits there looking pretty.
Add the Ribbon and Candles to your tree
I started adding ribbon to our tree a couple of years ago.
A vintage, tattered ribbon always looks effortless and charming.
If you grab a velvet ribbon like the one I have, it will hang nicely when tied onto the branches.
Tie the ribbon on the ends of the branches so that they hang and don’t sit on top of the branch below them.
Tree candles are another item that look charming on a Christmas tree.
Mine aren’t on the tree yet, but they add some flicker and glow that is cozy.
Allow kids to hang their ornaments
Once you get the lights, ribbon, and tree skirt in place, let the kids hang their ornaments.
I like to hand out their ornaments to them one at a time and let them place them wherever they want.
Since I put on ribbons and candles, the tree looks decorated even if their ornaments stay towards the bottom.
You’ll notice as the kids get older, the ornaments will make their way higher up on the tree.
I keep the salt dough ornaments and orange ornaments year after year because they can’t get enough when it comes to trimming the tree.
Christmas ornament tradition
It is a tradition to make handmade ornaments each year, but it is also a tradition for the kids to get one new ornament from us to add to their collection.
They will get to take these ornaments with them when they start their own home.
The ornaments usually reflect something each child is interested in during that year or a place we traveled to.
They are small and nothing fancy, but they hold memories.
Christmas Tree decoration ideas
If you have trouble figuring out how you want your tree decorated, here are a few ideas:
- Tree Candles
- Tree Banner
- Felt Ball Garland
- Dried flowers or poinsettias
- Candy Canes
Keeping Christmas Simple
If you’re someone who wants your tree to look symmetrical, then do what makes you happy.
This season is a gift to us all and the decor should reflect that.
Having an eclectic tree that has three ornaments on one branch is what I love seeing in our home.
I know that isn’t the case for everyone, so take these tips and use them however works for you.
