How to pimp your Christmas tree

There’s an un-written competition that applies every Christmas as to who has the best looking tree.

If you aren’t aware of this secret festive combat then you’ve probably never been crowned the undercover winner and if you are well versed in this contest you well know that you could put in some extra effort.

Be the top dog this holiday season with these simple tips…

1.    Less is more.
We all know that the best part of putting up your tree is having the kids around to decorate it. The thing is kids aren’t yet trained in the art of aesthetics. Before you know it your gorgeous piece of tree canvas looks like tinsel weeds with shiny balls, disco lights and a cardboard angel. Shame, bless their cotton socks for trying but the key is to choose a colour scheme. This year I’ve gone gold, using gold balls with different textures. Whether it's red and gold, silver or white and red only hand over decorations of your chosen colour palette only and let the little critters go wild. And their cardboard angel will look magnificent on top.

2.    Do something different
Don’t get caught up in doing the same-old same-old. Nothing says ‘pimp-up’ like extra festive accessories. This is also an activity that you can include the kids in. Decorative arrangements around the house add festive cheer and don’t have to cost a fortune. Tour a tour around the garden and find some branches to paint. Get a one litre bucket of paint from your local hardware store that matches your colour pallete and simply paint them. Any foliage will suffice: palm fronds look great and so do banana leaves. Stick them into a glass vase and place around the house. These can also be used as table decorations if you’re tasked with Christmas lunch at your house.

  
3.    Avoid Tinsel
The 80s loved tinsel but it’s time we laid it to rest. Garlands are the new tinsel and they don’t need to be anywhere near your tree. Good old-fashioned doilies have made a massive comeback and should definitely be used this festive season. All you need is some string and a pack or two of paper doilies. Thread the string through the doilies and, voila, a Christmas garland! Again it’s another activity you can do with the kids and you can even go the extra mile and paint them to suit your colour scheme. 

4.    Wrapping
Wrapping paper can end up costing a fortune so be savvy and save on the wrapping with brown paper. Pimp up your wrapping with creative ways of decorating each gift. You can either re-use string from your Christmas garland and even use any extra doilies for name tags. You can also use red ribbon or strips of tulle; fake feathers, buttons and big bows will also do the trick. Wrap up some old boxes and place under your tree.

5.    Location, Location, Location
As with property the location of your tree is paramount. Don’t just plonk it by the nearest electricity source. Make sure it has a stand (a small side table will do) to give it some height, which will make it appear even more glorious. It’s always a good idea to place your tree close to your entrance. It’s obviously easy access for Father Christmas, but also acts as an immediate ‘wow’ factor for all your guests.

(Thumbnail photo: Gallo Images)