How to update your Christmas tree (without blowing the budget)
Revamp your tree for less with a few well chosen decorations, colour scheming and clever styling ideas
Looking to give your decorations a style boost this December? Our seven Christmas trends work well with existing decorations too, meaning you don’t need to start from scratch. Take our Art Nouveau look, which, with its shades of blue, works brilliantly with existing gold decorations, while a few jade-green pieces from our Art of Japan collection can lift traditional red to new heights. Then there’s our most popular style, Impressionism, which sees shimmering pinks, lilacs and greens nestle easily into last year’s all-white tree.
Of course, sometimes it’s not what you buy, but how you use it… and this Christmas is a great time to flex those styling muscles and try something new. How about a feathery peacock replacing the fairy, or clip-on birds or flowers finishing off branches? Experiment and create a tree that’s as individual as your festivities.
Go large for impact
Your Christmas tree is the star of your festive living or dining space, and the addition of a few hero decorations can make it even more luxe and special. Think outside the box and work in pieces that are designed for side tables or mantlepieces – garlands, festive sprigs, even mushrooms or birds. These will elevate last year’s decorations in a flash – just remember the golden styling rule that odd numbers work better than even.
If your tree is looking a little sparse in places, wind a pre-trimmed bauble garland around to add texture and colour variation. ‘Over recent years, we’ve pioneered the use of larger items within Christmas trees,’ says Jason Billings-Cray, Partner & Buyer, Christmas Shop. ‘They offer a highlight and a great flow through the tree just by their positioning.’
Boost with a bauble pack
Update your tree to one of our key Christmas decorating trends with a one-buy bauble pack. If you usually do all-gold, try adding the blue in our Art Nouveau look or some rich purples and blues from our Bloomsbury trend. Alternatively, be inspired by the rainbows in our Pop Art theme. This one is so easy: sort your existing decorations into groups by colour and add a pack of rainbow-coloured baubles for even more wow factor.
Add a shimmering new accent
Give your tree a magical look with iridescent decorations – a few glass baubles will catch the light beautifully and make it feel fresh. You’ll find plenty to choose from in our Impressionism theme. Work with the blushest of pinks, the most delicate whites and soft golds on your tree, then turn a wide velvet or satin pink ribbon into an inexpensive garland nestled among the lower branches.
Fall for a few novelty decs
A little humour goes a long way in revamping your existing decorations. While novelty baubles tend to be one-off purchases, if you choose the ones you love or that mean something to you, they’ll offer more bang for your buck than 50 plain baubles as you fondly unpack them year after year. Novelty touches are a great way to make a ordinary tree look extraordinary. Dan Cooper, Partner & Buyer, Christmas, explains, ‘When people browse, they’re looking for something that catches their eye and will stand out on their tree – a conversation starter or that instagrammable moment.’
