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C.Christmas came early, or at least many of us would like to think so. The trees grew earlier than usual this year, which is unsurprising – they reinvent a living room you’ve spent too much time in the past few months. Also, moving forward with Christmas gives us something to enjoy, as well as making the end of this wretched year feel closer.
However, it can bring out the deception. How do you decorate the halls keeping everyone happy? Here are some expert tips.
How soon is too early?
“In this climate, it’s never too early. It’s the only thing we should expect this year, ”says Ged Comerford, director of operations for The Christmas Decorators, a company that shines and sports department stores and celebrity homes.
Maxine Brady, interior designer and blogger, agrees. “At the moment, I don’t think the normal rules apply.” People, he thinks, will decorate their windows, similar to the NHS rainbows we put in spring, “so that people walking by have that Christmas feel.” He thinks people will make a big effort this year, “and they’ll probably start sooner”.
For real trees, Comerford says a Fraser or Nordmann fir will last longer. “Central heating will dry out a tree,” he says, although he’s skeptical that there’s a lot more you can do to make it look longer than just keeping it away from radiators or fireplaces. However, the National Christmas Tree Association recommends that you keep your tree in a support that holds water – about one liter for every inch of trunk diameter.
Consider a non-Christmas tree
If the thought of raising a Christmas tree in November is too much, choose something less obviously festive. Last year, Hannah Bullivant, a fashion designer, couldn’t bear to be responsible for killing a tree, so instead she set up a large branch she saved from a friend’s bonfire and decorated it. “It was free and it had no environmental impact,” he says.
Brady, who designs Christmas photo shoots for brands and magazines, doesn’t always have his own tree. “I have a really lovely seasonal bouquet of flowers and I put some foraged twigs with balls on it.”
Compromise creates goodwill
You may be a tasteful minimalist, but your partner, roommate, or kids are in full tinsel and multicolored lights. Bullivant got his two sons an artificial tree from a charity shop. “They can let themselves be ripped off with tinsel and all their favorite balls,” he says. And, to everyone’s delight, it is stored in their bedroom.
Brady acknowledges that Christmas decorations can be weighed down with sentimentality. “My mom has a few from her childhood in the 1950s, which are beautiful, but have gone a little beyond their best,” she says. To please everyone, he suggests “having different corners of the house to dress with different decorations”.
True or false?
A surprising number of disagreements center around pine needles – many people argue that it doesn’t feel like Christmas without that delicious fragrance. If a real tree is a no-no to you or your carpet, you may be sneaking into other fragrant greenery. “One of the ways I get that delicious smell around the house is by making a large wreath,” says Bullivant, who runs online wreath-making workshops. “I will use foraged spruce and larch. I still have the vegetation, but not the huge tree. “
Decorations to keep
There are trends in Christmas decoration: this year, Comerford says, there was a demand for metallic shades and a return for rose gold, while Brady says there was a vogue for art deco inspired opulence. and vintage pink colors, as well as rainbow and neon lights.
But “it’s not about starting from scratch every year,” says Brady. “I don’t think it’s very ecological. You don’t have to buy a mass of new decorations to update your look, perhaps a pack of six whimsical decorations that slightly change the mood of your tree. “
Bullivant’s family has a tradition where their children each choose a new ball every year. “Maybe not buy something that’s too trendy,” he says. “Buy things you really love.”
Ecological festive finds
A tree grown locally, or at least grown in the UK, with an FSC certification is the most sustainable option. If it grows in a pot and you can keep it alive for years to come, that’s even better – otherwise arrange collection and recycling (usually as chips) later, rather than sending it to landfill. Otherwise, some companies offer potted trees for rent.
An artificial tree, although reusable for years, is still plastic, creates high emissions for manufacturing and transportation, and will eventually end up in landfills (usually made of PVC, they are nearly impossible to recycle).
For decorations, “think about the items you already have,” says Bullivant. He repurposed shells collected from the beach, teacups and his children’s toy cars. “One of my favorite things is to tie beautiful pieces of ribbon and reuse them for gift wrapping throughout the year. Last year I made tiny little bunches of dried flowers and they looked really sweet. You don’t have to buy balls to have a beautifully decorated tree. . “
Consider moving away from the tinsel, which looks a bit uneven after a few years and then ends up in the bin – better buy or make strings decorated with anything, including paper, pine cones or pom poms.
Decorate like a pro
When choosing a real tree, look for a bushy one. If the artificial tree is coming out again, says Brady, “fluff it to space out all the branches. So start with your lights – the more, the better. “The rough calculation, he says, is that for every foot of height, he uses about 100 lights. Don’t bother putting the lights on the back if the tree is against the wall.” I would like to zigzag through the tree making my way to the top. “You can also wrap the” trunk “lights (easier and less prickly on a fake tree).” This will make it glow from within. “
Next, arrange the balls by size – the larger ones on the bottom, smaller ones on the top. “Keep taking a step back to see where the holes are.” He says a few large balls will make him look really professional.
For her, the devil is in the details. By removing the twine loops with decorations and replacing them with florist’s wire, molded into an S-hook, “you can hook the balls anywhere on the branch, while the twine is quite difficult to put on a branch, especially if you want to put a large ball on the back. “
Trees for small spaces
If space is limited, the answer is a miniature tree, a few attractive twigs (or a small version of Bullivant’s Christmas branch). Decoration should be proportionate, says Brady. “The simpler, the better: if you load a lot of things into it, it might seem a little overwhelmed.” Also a small tree might be less overwhelming if you are overexcited now and end up getting sick of Christmas by the first week of December.
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