Want to have a designer-looking holiday tree that is guaranteed to impress this year? Well, short of stealing one of the spectacular trees from the front windows of The Bay, here’s a few designer tricks to get a lush, full and glamourous tree to show off.
Fill’er up
Whether faux or real, the tree needs to look full. Fill in empty holes and spaces between branches with multi-green tones of voile, wired ribbon bows or large plastic outdoor balls. Last year’s faux garlands will work magic between the branches near the bottom to create a lush look. Remember to put the fillers deep enough into the tree so they are unseen and there will be plenty of space for the ornaments up front.
Light and bright
Trees should have 100 lights per each foot of height. I like to add 20-50 per cent more lights for a full and glamorous look.
Perhaps the additional lights could be a great colour this year; purple, blue or teal are all great options if following the trends.
Consider uplighting your tree with a canned light that sits on the floor; a soft golden bulb will add a fantasy glow to the tree and create beautiful shadows from the branches.
Supermodel heights
The tree’s top should be within 12 inches of the ceiling; a tree any shorter will look stunted.
If you have high ceilings, the tree should reach 2/3 the height of the room. If you have a tree that is not tall enough, stand the tree on a sturdy box or table; skirt the table with a faux fur throw or brightly coloured piece of silk fabric.
Ornamental heaven
A designer tree should follow good rules of design; smaller ornaments on top and largest on bottom of tree.
Just how many ornaments are needed? Consider 50 per foot (thats going all around the tree).
Popular looks for ornaments this year are glitter, mercury glass, lots of gold and lots of silver — mixed and matched gold and silver will shine as one of the biggest tree trends this year.
Trims
If it’ll kill a cat, it is not good for the tree, so keep the tinsel strands off the tree.
Garland is great, consider displaying it vertically (rather than winding it around the tree) for a modern look.
Strings of popcorn with a light spray of silver or gold paint is an easy, fun and crafty way to add sheen to the tree. Another great look: hang it off the bottom branches to form a garland fringe around the base of the tree, like a flapper dress.
For free, daily decorating lessons, follow Karl on Twitter at: twitter.com/karllohnesCTV
