Look Good

Interiors | Styling your Christmas tree

It’s time to pull on a Christmas jumper, pour an indulgent glass of mulled wine and dust of the Christmas decorations because Father Christmas will soon be checking his list!

Written by High Life North
Published 06.12.2019

By Beverley Park

At High Life North, we’ve loved seeing our Instagram feed burst with Christmas gift suggestions, celebrations, festive promotions and extravagant soirees but there’s something really special about simply staying at home and decorating the most important tree of the year.

Dating back the 16th century, the Christmas tree first came about by adding candles to an evergreen.  I’m sure like us many of you will be so glad they did.  So many family traditions exist around the festive period, whether you select your tree from a forest, pop to your local farm shop or you pull the old faithful from the loft you can’t help but connect ‘the tree’ to something really special.

Styling Christmas trees is so personal.  Here are just a few of our favourites with a few suggestions:

The Mini

If you aren’t big into Christmas, you have limited for space or possibly away but still want that little bit of festive cheer then these lovely little trees from Bloom and Wild could be the ideal solution.

It’s the perfect mini tree that will still fill you with Christmas magic when it catches your eye.

These small but perfectly formed trees are adorable at £36.

They’re also perfect for an office or workspace, who can blame you for wanting round the clock festive cheer.

The Minimalist

For a stylish yet contemporary look, the minimalist tree has all the appeal with just a sprinkle of decoration. 

Minimalist decoration is the perfect way to enjoy a good quality tree be it artificial or real. 

A fabulous tree doesn’t need a lot of decoration especially if you are naturally drawn to the minimalist look. 

You can achieve this look with beautiful lighting and a small section of extravagant or even really simple baubles that pack a punch. 

A minimal tree makes you appreciate the tiny touches.  Try Lights for Fun for some simple but stylish options.     

The Traditional

A favourite of many is traditional red.  Often seen complemented with white and green, red just screams Christmas. 

From small to giant trees they all look fabulous in classic red. 

Try adding large acorns, filling spaces and gaps with fresh holly or faux flowers to give it that extra traditional and natural feel. 

Pop a squirrel in amongst the bushes to see if the children can find it. 

Standing in an earthy pre-used barrel or a vintage-looking stand it’s guaranteed to grab the attention of your festive guests.

We’ve seen some fabulous traditional red decorations at John Lewis and Partners, TCL at Home and M&S. 

Try Busy Bee Studio for a rustic pot.     

The Children’s Tree

Just adorable, the tree that is decorated with the children’s hand-made decorations.  So personal, so sentimental.

The Works and Hobbycraft have the most fabulous arts and crafts range. 

Homemade bunting, hanging decorations made from paper and glitter or even biscuits on beautiful ribbon add a special touch. 

Remember to resist the urge to even the trees decorations after the children are asleep, the uneven, slightly lopsided look adds a depth of innocence that you can enjoy every time you look at it. 

The Stylish

Where to start, the tree that instantly grabs your attention firstly for how it looks but secondly as a means of appreciation.  With matching tones, complementary textures and styled to perfection.

TCL at Home has everything you’ll need to achieve this look they also offer the full Christmas tree styling service!

HLN’s final tip – it’s not what’s on or under your Christmas tree that matters – it’s who’s around it.

Whatever your taste, whatever your style, even if your Christmas tree refuses to stand poker straight, the lights decide to pop halfway through the holidays or the real tree next to the roaring fire now means it’s almost naked and the needles are stuck to your bed socks instead of the tree it doesn’t really matter. 

Tips for lighting your tree:

  •  Allow 5 metres of lights per 2 foot of full-on sparkle
  • Remember to turn your lights on and test them before adding to the free, fixing and replacing bulbs is so much easier off the tree and to do the all-important colour match if using multiple sets.
  • It’s much easier to start by adding the lights from the top 
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