As we approach the festive season, I am on a mission to make decorating quick and easy, but also affordable. The first item we are going to look at is your Christmas tree.
Tips for styling your tree
Choose the correct height tree for your room. Leave 6in to 12in from the top of your tree to your ceiling.Schedule time to prep the tree and fluff out the branches.Check your lights are working. Don’t just throw out your lights; replace the bulbs where possible.Use 12 ornaments per foot for a 6-8ft tree, 18 ornaments per foot for a 9-10ft tree, and 24 ornaments per foot for larger trees. 
Here is a handy style sheet.
Start with a tree topper: Adding a tree topper as the first decoration allows you to work from the top down without having to mess up the beautiful decorations below. A few inexpensive ideas are an angel, a giant snowflake, a ribbon/bow or a Santa hat.Add lights: Add lights as the next step – it’s more difficult after decorations are all placed.Add garland: A garland can add dimension and texture to your tree and is also a great way to hide any bare spots between branches. Inexpensive options are popcorn on a string, tinsel, a paper chain etc. Add ornaments: Work from the top down and from the inside out. Hang larger items first and fill in then with the smaller items. Place more delicate items closer to the trunk. Alternate between your favourite ornaments. Space them evenly on the tree, ensuring the larger ones are displayed out front, to fill up the space on the tree. Filler ornaments can be added as another way to hide any bare spots. Large clip-on poinsettia type décor items are great tree fillers. Other options are pine cones, snowflakes, bows, flowers or berries, giant baubles, rolls of ribbon or kids’ school-made ornaments.Tips for styling your hall table
Create height: Choose a tall item for the backdrop of your table. If you do not have an item tall enough, place the item on some books or a cake stand and cover it with greenery, tinsel or some aluminium foil. You can add some festive flowers and greenery to a vase also. This will give you height and is inexpensive.Anchor your items: Ensure they will not fall. Group them together to prevent clutter. In turn this will organise your décor. Create visual interest: Break up the horizontal and vertical parts of your décor. Create interest by adding various textures, shapes, colour and natural elements (glass, metal, wood) Group these in odd numbers – 3,5,7.Affordable items to accessorise your hall table and area underneath:
Poinsettia.Greenery – moss, acorns, ferns.Jewellery box.Storage boxes.Jars of Christmas sweets. Glass jars – add pine cones, greenery. Stand Christmas figurines on a stack of books.Homemade nativity scene.Christmas figurines.Framed Christmas cards from last year.Candles.Christmas crackers. Festive glow
A few key items will give any home the festive glow. These include Christmas wreaths, Advent calendars, Christmas stockings, lanterns, Christmas candles/diffuses etc.
But remember, before you buy any new decorations, take down what you have in storage. If an item has passed its sell-by date, can you add anything to it (eg a bauble or LED lights) to give it a new lease of life? Can you reuse it in any other area of the home or could you repaint or repair it?
Maura Mackey is an interior designer and home staging specialist based in Ballinhassig, Co Cork. For further information, call 087-769-9714 or visit www.mauramackey.ie
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As we approach the festive season, I am on a mission to make decorating quick and easy, but also affordable. The first item we are going to look at is your Christmas tree.
Tips for styling your tree
Choose the correct height tree for your room. Leave 6in to 12in from the top of your tree to your ceiling.Schedule time to prep the tree and fluff out the branches.Check your lights are working. Don’t just throw out your lights; replace the bulbs where possible.Use 12 ornaments per foot for a 6-8ft tree, 18 ornaments per foot for a 9-10ft tree, and 24 ornaments per foot for larger trees.
Here is a handy style sheet.
Start with a tree topper: Adding a tree topper as the first decoration allows you to work from the top down without having to mess up the beautiful decorations below. A few inexpensive ideas are an angel, a giant snowflake, a ribbon/bow or a Santa hat.Add lights: Add lights as the next step – it’s more difficult after decorations are all placed.Add garland: A garland can add dimension and texture to your tree and is also a great way to hide any bare spots between branches. Inexpensive options are popcorn on a string, tinsel, a paper chain etc. Add ornaments: Work from the top down and from the inside out. Hang larger items first and fill in then with the smaller items. Place more delicate items closer to the trunk. Alternate between your favourite ornaments. Space them evenly on the tree, ensuring the larger ones are displayed out front, to fill up the space on the tree. Filler ornaments can be added as another way to hide any bare spots. Large clip-on poinsettia type décor items are great tree fillers. Other options are pine cones, snowflakes, bows, flowers or berries, giant baubles, rolls of ribbon or kids’ school-made ornaments.Tips for styling your hall table
Create height: Choose a tall item for the backdrop of your table. If you do not have an item tall enough, place the item on some books or a cake stand and cover it with greenery, tinsel or some aluminium foil. You can add some festive flowers and greenery to a vase also. This will give you height and is inexpensive.Anchor your items: Ensure they will not fall. Group them together to prevent clutter. In turn this will organise your décor. Create visual interest: Break up the horizontal and vertical parts of your décor. Create interest by adding various textures, shapes, colour and natural elements (glass, metal, wood) Group these in odd numbers – 3,5,7.Affordable items to accessorise your hall table and area underneath:
Poinsettia.Greenery – moss, acorns, ferns.Jewellery box.Storage boxes.Jars of Christmas sweets. Glass jars – add pine cones, greenery. Stand Christmas figurines on a stack of books.Homemade nativity scene.Christmas figurines.Framed Christmas cards from last year.Candles.Christmas crackers. Festive glow
A few key items will give any home the festive glow. These include Christmas wreaths, Advent calendars, Christmas stockings, lanterns, Christmas candles/diffuses etc.
But remember, before you buy any new decorations, take down what you have in storage. If an item has passed its sell-by date, can you add anything to it (eg a bauble or LED lights) to give it a new lease of life? Can you reuse it in any other area of the home or could you repaint or repair it?
Maura Mackey is an interior designer and home staging specialist based in Ballinhassig, Co Cork. For further information, call 087-769-9714 or visit www.mauramackey.ie
Read more
Interiors: top tips on planning a renovation
Interiors: bringing the outside in to your home office
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