Tree-mendous

Whether you load your tree with heirlooms from your childhood and meaningful ornaments collected on your travels, take a minimalist approach, or prefer to refresh your colour scheme with new baubles every year, a well-decorated tree forms the centrepiece of the
festive home. 

Tree decorations come in all shapes, sizes and colours, from cheap and cheerful kid’s craft kits to eye-wateringly expensive hand-blown artisan glass and quirky novelty pieces.  

This year’s most fashionable looks include the cottage-core inspired Whimsical woodland. It’s about natural-looking decorations with a little magic. Part Nordic Natural, part Disney Princess. Try foraged pine cones and feathers with little felt animals, artificial birds and ceramic mushroom baubles. It’s a look where you can’t have too much cuteness. If you have the time, then Hobbycraft have ceramic baubles you can paint with your own designs, or you can find plenty of needle felting, sewing or knitting kits if a handmade Christmas appeals. 

Dark fairytales harks back to pagan midwinter traditions of feasting, and rites to ensure the return of the sun and warmer days in spring. Thankfully, the only sacrifice that needs to be made is the turkey. It’s a dramatic look in dark, rich, shades of sapphire, emerald and ruby. Mix it up with peacock feather ornaments and Eastern European folk art designs. 

Sweet nostalgia reflects a time that never was in a Dickensian Sweetshop. It’s the sort of tree that you’d find in Hansel and Gretel’s witch’s cottage if she wasn’t about to cook them for Christmas dinner. The colour scheme uses traditional red and white, with baubles shaped like gingerbread people, striped candy canes and sweeties. You can string popcorn into garlands, or bake and ice gingerbread cookies in festive shapes, hanging them with ribbon from the tree. This look works best where the tree is heavily decorated, so start with tinsel in red, green or white. 

Champagne at Midnight is a more grown-up, sophisticated look for your tree. Look for baubles in hand blown glass, in pinks, smoked or mercury glass and rose golds and offset it with midnight blue decorations and feather boas.