Step 1: Prep and Fluff
Start by prepping your tree! Even though the tree we used was seven feet tall, we wanted to add some height so we, quite literally, placed the tree in an oversized pot, attaching the base with *very Designer* Duct Tape to ensure security. You will then want to go through and fluff the tree branches to get ready for ornament placement. Once lit, you will want to place your tree skirt before organizing your ornaments and finalizing your decor game plan. For this tree, we opted for a faux fur sheepskin instead of a traditional tree skirt, but anything that's soft and textural will work! The last thing you'll want to do in the preparation stage is ornament organization. It’s likely that all of your ornaments are stored in a box or bin, and you will want to take everything out and organize by type of ornament to make it easier on yourself when you begin decorating. We put all of our large bulb ornaments in one spot, novelty ornaments in another and things like garland and wreaths separate from both of those piles.
Step 2: Place Biggest and Largest Ornaments
Now that the tree is prepped and fluffed, you will then want to begin placing the biggest and largest ornaments you have. By starting with the largest ornaments, any obscene gaps your tree may have will be filled, and you will have a solid foundation for the rest of your trimmings. If you are unsure of where to start placing you ornaments, literally just pick a spot and START! Make sure to place a good amount of your biggest and largest ornaments toward the "trunk" of your Christmas tree, as well as on the branches. This creates extra dimension and the illusion that you used even more ornaments than you actually did! At the end, this tree will have plenty of sparkle so we went with 5" bulbs in both gold and ivory to sort of neutralize the glitter and sequins on the rest of our ornaments. TIP! When placing ornaments of any kind, don't be afraid to place them close together, especially if you want your tree to look and feel full! Many of us growing up were told that we needed to make sure there weren't too many of the same ornament concentrated in one spo, or to not place ornaments on nearing branches...but we say otherwise! While yes, you of course don't want all of your bulb ornaments on one side of your tree and everything else on the other, don't be afraid to pile the trimmings on and layer!
Step 3: Place Novelty Ornaments
At this point you have a foundation of bulky ornaments and it's time to scope out the open spaces on your tree and begin placing your novelty ornaments. In our case, our novelty ornaments included our small and large disco ball, mirrored star, paper onion, paper star, liberty bell and diamond ornaments -- a lot of variety! Again, we picked a spot and just started placing these ornaments at random, paying attention to the size and color of the ornaments that were already placed. We also made sure to take a step back to view the tree as a whole to make sure it was balanced on all sides.
Step 4: Wreaths, Branches and Garland
Now that all of your ornaments have been placed, it’s time to add even more texture with wreaths, branches and garland! You might be thinking that there’s no possible way your tree could handle more trimmings, but there’s always more room for these items because these can be layered on top of already placed decor. Plus, they add that extra bit of dimension to make your tree stand out so we think they’re absolutely necessary! We stuck our glitter branches straight out so they looked like an extension of our tree’s branches, and instead of placing all of the glitter wreaths flat against the tree, we also stuck a few perpendicularly. We then hung the smaller, rhinestone wreaths on various branches, and for extra shine strung both our glitter ball and crystal garlands delicately from the top section of the tree to the bottom. To finish, we tied our gemstone beaded ribbon to the ends of branches at random across the entire tree to create a “dripping” effect.
Step 5: Top Your Tree
Last but not least, it's time to top your tree! We're OBSESSED with the Wire Snowflake Tree Topper we used because it's equally as LUXE as the tree trimmings, yet not overpowering and unique enough to stand on its own!
