The top ten mistakes people make when decorating for Christmas

We’ve all been guests at Christmas time to someones home with hideous festive decor. Don’t get us wrong, if your Christmas decorations make you happy that’s absolutely fine, but there’s a fine line between personal style and poor Christmas coordination.

Here are the top ten mistakes that people make when getting their home Christmas ready:

1 – Too much Tinsel

This is the most common mistake that can ruin a festive framework. Tinsel drowns out the smaller details of your decorations. It hides the baubles that you’re so proud of and, to be honest, it can be seen as a little bit dated now.

We understand, tinsel is a staple of Christmas, but have you ever considered using garlands or ribbon? A small change in how you decorate the tree can make a big difference.

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2 – You don’t add a personal touch

A lot of Christmas decorations are mass-produced and therefore mass-sold – you’ll find them everywhere. They don’t make Christmas feel personal to you and that’s exactly what they should be doing. Try adding some sentimental items to your Christmas tree or maybe bring out an old Christmas card from a relative who isn’t with you anymore. A bit of sentiment goes along way to making every Christmas unique.

3 – Stop using red and green

It’s easy to default to “Santa red” and “Christmas tree green” every time you pick out new decorations, but it hardly makes for an exciting colour scheme year in, year out. Try something new and be bold in your style. Gold, white and silver are a popular Christmas theme, but black is also becoming an increasingly desirable choice.

4 – You forget to decorate other parts of the house

A lot of people think that Christmas decorations are to be centred around the living room and nowhere else, but that would be wrong. You wouldn’t want to lose your festive cheer when carving the turkey in the kitchen, so why not have small Christmas tree on the kitchen windowsill? The whole house is used on Christmas day, so don’t forget about it!

5 – You forget about scents

It’s easy to think that Christmas is all about the visuals, but we can assure you it’s not. We’ve all been somewhere that smells like Christmas, and that says a lot. Cinnamon, gingerbread and orange are all popular festive scents that you can use to fill your home with a festive feeling.

6 – Don’t overdo it

It’s easy to go overboard when decorating for Christmas. More decorations mean more Christmas cheer, right? Wrong.

Keep it simple and avoid clutter. The worst thing to do at Christmas is to have too much stuff lying about everywhere and overload the senses. Sometimes, the fewer decorations you have, the bigger impact they make.

7 – You forget about the neighbours

You don’t want to be the darkest house on the street. Christmas is about the community just as it is about giving. If you have a tree outside why not wrap it up with the golden glow of Christmas lights, or add some colour to your house with some rainbow lights? As long as they’re not garish, you’ll be contributing to your local community’s festivities.

8 – Don’t hide your Christmas cards

If people have spent the time and money to send you and your family a Christmas card, the worst thing you can do is put it where nobody will see it. Hang them over a piece of string in the hallway or stick them to doors between rooms. It’s quite impressive to see just how many people you know enjoy sending you a festive card.

9 – The house is silent

To make your home truly feel like a winter wonderland you have to have the right music. Play it when you’re decorating to get in the mood for some creative trimming and when guests are over. Christmas is an experience, and having good decorations, scents and music ensure that that experience is a good one.

10 – Most importantly, don’t leave it to the last minute

The worst thing you can do is leave your decorating to the last minute. The build-up to Christmas can be the most exciting part, so it’s best to be prepared. Give yourself at least a couple of weeks before Christmas to get your decorations up. You never know, the lights that worked perfectly last year might not work, and you wouldn’t want to be dashing out on Christmas Eve to go and source a replacement set.