Don’t have your Christmas decorations up yet? Waited until the last minute to decorate and now your in-laws, more family & friends are coming over and you have nothing festive? Last minute Christmas Trees are the answer!
Christmas Trees are the easiest addition to any home for the holiday-look. They're so easy to use that you can even purchase pre-built ones (TIP NUMBER ONE, #1). But in the case that you want to knock out your unique Christmas Tree decoration this year without breaking the bank, here are some quick & dirty tips for decorating a beautiful Christmas tree last-minute this holiday season.
2. Consider the Space: Don’t buy an 8-foot-tall tree if your ceiling hangs low. I know this is the basic-est of the basic Christmas tree rules but mark my words, there will be a decent percentage of Americans that will not measure the height of their ceiling before they purchase their Christmas tree. I’m not going to lie, my parents did it once because my father had a “rough” estimate of the space in his head. Unfortunately, the tip of the tree was a little beyond his calculations. Thankfully, he was able to saw off the top of the tree without much impact on the overall Christmas-tree-aesthetic.
3. Pick your tree style: If you’re going for a casual tree look, select a tree that has long needles and up-swept branches. But if your heart longs for that catalog-worthy Christmas pine tree, look for down-swept branches instead, with short needles.
4. Pay attention to lighting: There is a general rule in deciding the number of lights for a tree —A good rule of thumb is 100 lights for every foot-and-a-half of tree. However, if you love lights, you may want to double or even triple that amount. As far as pricing goes, standard 50-bulb LED white string light set will run you about $11 from Home Depot, but last I checked you can get Philips 100LT Mini Bulbs in clear color with white wire from Target for just $3.99 per set with the current sale. Meaning, a 5-foot tree should only cost about $20 in lights- which just makes me love Target even more.
The simplest thing to do for a lazy girl like me is to buy a pre-lit last minute Christmas tree. Yes, they’re artificial trees and they don’t smell like pine, but if you are not hosting any Christmas parties this year and just want the tree for the Instagram pics, it doesn’t matter. Unless you have a super high-resolution camera, artificial trees look just like the real thing. Plus, I literally purchased “Febreze” pine one year and just sprayed my tree down- same difference!
But if you do decide to purchase the lights separately, remember to always string the lights on the outer edges, not the inner branches. Be sure to pause while stringing the lights once in a while and step back to check for any empty spaces.
5. Get that Garland: Garland is the easiest thing to find and a great way to add a personal touch. Because garland can range in color, texture, and even lighting (some garlands are pre-lit too), you get to choose your last minute Christmas tree “swag” of the season.
Throw on silky red ribbon with white lace garland and go for that “candy-cane” effect. Or purchase a fancy silver & gold fabric garland to wrap around your cover-worthy Christmas tree. Remember you will need to purchase enough fabric to go around the tree several times. The length of your garland will depend on the width of your tree. The magic formula seems to be about 9 to 10 feet of garland per foot of height. For instance, a 7 ft. tall tree would require between 63 and 70 ft. of garland.
You can dress up your tree in garland with several maneuvers. Twist the garland in and out of branches as you go around the tree for a classic Christmas garland. Try to follow the natural shape of the branches as you find empty spaces to place the garland in. Remember to dip the garland in between placements to create that curtain draping effect.
For a more majestic style you can double-drape your garland and form it into a spiral garland.
However you decide to garland, it is recommended that you start at the top and work your way down.
6. Fill the Voids: You must use fillers to give the tree an enchanting look. Some people don’t do this, but it is a great way to give your tree a fuller, lovely look. Anything from floral fillers such as silk flower sprays, leaf bunches, and even flower bouquets to decorative artificial branches can be incorporated to fill in empty spaces. The artificial branches and fillers should be in-theme with the overall last minute Christmas Tree. For instance, pair silver and white branches and flowers, respectively, for that winter snowy feel.
7. Which brings me to my next point, choose your favorite color scheme! Who said Christmas trees must be Christmas colors? Sure, you can go traditional and use big fluffy red bows and gold garland but try something different each year like turquoise and silver tree decor. You’d be surprised at the moods new color schemes can set on Christmas Eve when your last minute Christmas tree is bright with teals and grays. However, one vital design tip is to always stay within the same color family. Even if you use contrasting colors, make sure that the shades of those colors never stray too far away from the original color scheme.
8. Ornament your Way: Ornaments don’t have to be the typical, perfectly-round ceramic bulbs only available in-stores. Use your favorite hobby, souvenirs or family photos to decorate your last minute Christmas tree. This tip is especially helpful for a lazy girl on a budget like me. Literally anything could be an ornament! Those ticket stubs from the Coldplay concert you went to months ago? Hello, makeshift ornament! Even beer caps from different beers around the world could be useful if you punch a hole through the cap and tie a string through it for hanging purposes- perfect if you are a beer aficionado. These personal touches are also fantastic conversation-starters at any holiday party.
9. To Top It Off: Of course, the shining “star” of the show is the Christmas Tree-topper. You must add a tree topper to complete the “Christmas” look. I usually go with a regular beautiful shining star that matches that year’s color scheme, but there’s all kinds of angel figurines, bows, flowers or even “Star Wars Darth Vader” tree toppers if you’re a huge fan of the force.
10. Last but not Least: the base of your tree should be decorated as well to hide any tree stumps, stands or plant pots that might be jutting out. You don’t want guests on Christmas complaining they tripped over your tree. Also, where would you lay down the presents to open on Christmas Day? Use a colorful tree skirt that matches your scheme so that the gifts can rest on a welcoming foundation.
Those, ladies & gentlemen, are my last minute Christmas Tree ideas this holiday season.