The Star Of The Show!
WORDS: CHYKA KEEBAUGH
IMAGES: MARCEL AUCAR
I’ve decorated many a tree in my time…
….From the one saturated in pom poms to the tree which held every single decoration I had ever owned, to a beautiful fresh pine tree decked out in bottle green baubles only to the tree covered in colourful paper chains. All of them are special, and all of them were gorgeous.
This year, as we feel like we are just feeling slightly normal again, I have gone back to the old faithful - my tree covered in twinkling fairy lights and a mass of glass and crystal decorations.
The Christmas tree is easily the focal point of Christmas, so making it a vision of beauty is a must. When it comes to adorning the tree with decorations, I believe more is definitely more. When taking on the task of decorating your tree, I recommend that you always start with your Christmas lights. For my tree, I like to use warm white, non-flashing fairy lights to add a subtle sparkle to my tree. For a clean and tidy tree keep your fairy lights concealed at the back of the tree. As such, my tree is engulfed in twinkling lights and reflective glass decorations. Being surrounded by black spined books make the tree sparkle just that little bit more. Once my fairy lights are set in place I then start layering my tree with my decorations - it is important to step back and observe the tree too see where the gaps are - an evenly decorated tree is a happy tree!
DECORATING HACKS TO STEAL
Plug your pea lights into the wall as you hang them - this way you can see the balance as you are hanging and how many you have. Go up and down with your lights - not around the tree, this gives you better coverage and it doesn’t look so neat!
Don’t forget when decorating your tree you need to push those baubles right into the centre of the tree and not just the outside to give the illusion of depth and fullness.
Sometimes decorations don’t have enough string to hang on the tree, I like to grab some black twine, or even a type of black wire to attach back to the tree - the string won’t stand out and your decoration is secured!
And, of course, with every celebration, there should be music! Christmas is no different. A combination of hymns, singalong carols and festive classics fill this collection to the brim. On one of the most beautiful days of the year that is enjoyed all over the world, it needs a soundtrack that is graceful, unintrusive and thoroughly enjoyable, perfect to share with loved ones. If you are already using Spotify all you need to do is search Chyka.com or Chyka Celebrate and you will find the collection of playlists. Simply subscribe or download each list and your next event already has a playlist!
