Whether you like it or not, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – the nights are drawing in, the temperatures are dropping, and Christmas adverts are coming out thick and fast. So, you might be wondering when you can start putting up the decorations, how best to decorate your home, what you might need for it all, and asking yourself if decorating early is bad luck.
If you’re pondering any of the above, stay tuned for our useful rundown on Christmas decorating for beginners.
To begin, we want you to know that decorating early is not bad luck. This myth comes from several sources, mostly from the traditions of different religions and countries. Nowadays, many people like to put up their decorations to coincide with the beginning of Advent, whilst others prefer to put them up in the week before the big day itself. When real foliage was the most convenient and common option during the festive season, people would put up their trees and decorations later in the season to avoid the death of the tree before Christmas Day. The introduction of artificial trees to the common market and the growing popularity of evergreens make the death of plants less likely, meaning they can be put up earlier and taken down later. When to put up your decorations is down to personal preference, and putting them up early, late, or not at all is not unlucky.
Speaking of Christmas trees, they are the most popular festive decoration and are usually the focal point in any home around the winter period. There is a perfect tree for everyone, and here at The Range, we have a variety of sizes, styles, and themes to suit any taste or style. If you prefer to keep the look of your tree simple, opt for styles that allow your baubles to be the centre of attention. If extravagance is more your area, you can find impressive trees with integrated fairy lights and lavish, bushy needles.
Once you have your tree, it’s time to decorate it! If you want a specific theme to run through your home this Christmas, then this is the time to apply it. Baubles, tinsel, lights, and ribbons are all popular, traditional items that can be used to spruce up your tree, and they come in varying designs, looks, and colours to suit almost any theme. If you’re unsure how to decorate your tree, then look at our useful Guide to Decorating your Christmas Tree for inspiration.
When adding lights to your tree, it’s best to use 100 lights for every foot of your tree to get even coverage. For example, a 6ft tree should have around 600 lights, 700 for a 7ft tree, and so on. You can always add more if you're looking to create a bright and dazzling effect.
If your home still isn’t festive enough after decorating your tree, wall and ceiling decorations are the perfect home pick-me-up. Choose from traditional foil decorations like chandeliers, novelty items such as drumming nutcrackers, or go for rustic elegance with glittering stars.
The traditional and old-fashioned look is gaining popularity once again. To get the classic, vintage Christmas feel, wrap garlands around bannisters, and hang a wreath on your front door.
If you prefer not to have decorations hanging from your walls or ceilings, then festive ornaments and homewares are a fantastically chic and convenient option. They require no pins, tack, glue, or hangings. Plus, thanks to the multiple size variations often found in festive ornaments, you can choose whether you want your home to look modest and cosy or like a glitzy wonderland.
Our Christmas Themes will help you find the right ornament, giving you the freedom to decorate your way. Each theme features tree decorations, those all-important ornaments, and more, so you can coordinate your decorations throughout the home for a polished look.
You can also try highlighting your fireplace with smaller ornaments or go all out and deck your garden with festive standing ornaments.
Ornaments, models and scenes can be used to add festive cheer to window sills, side tables, gardens, or even the dinner table. They’re also great for using year after year to create a new decorating tradition.
When it comes to decorating your home, your dinner table should be shown the same love and attention as other family spaces. It’s where we all gather to eat, drink, and be merry – and doing so on a beautifully laid table shows effort and care towards your guests and family.
Decorating your table is much easier than it looks and can even be done on Christmas Eve, so you have one less thing to do on the day. You can create your stunning display by covering the table with an attractive and protective tablecloth, adorning it with glitzy placemats and tea light holders, and adding an eye-catching centrepiece to bring the whole look together. We particularly like using a wreath or one of our beautiful festive models for this, but if you're feeling crafty, you could even make one yourself!
Finish the display by using festive serveware for that extra attention to detail.
