You have your Christmas tree in place, be it real or artificial, and now you need to decorate it. Follow the four steps below and achieve a beautifully decorated Christmas tree this year.

Step One: Lights.
Place the lights on the Christmas tree first. Wind and secure the strands of lights to the branches in the centre of the tree coming out no further than mid way along the branches. The exception to this rule is when the lights are novelty lights such as lanterns or candles, which need to be displayed at the ends of the branches for best effect. Be generous with your lights as they give the tree an opulent effect and give it impact when viewed at night. I often use 2 to 3 strands of lights on a 6-foot Christmas tree.

Step two: Garlands.
Next come the garlands. Drape them over the branches in a horizontal, looping fashion towards the centre of the tree. Placing garlands midway along the branches can make the tree appear fuller, while leaving space for hanging ornaments.

Step Three: Ornaments.
Place the ornaments on the branches, both on the ends and towards midway to fill any gaps. Graduate the size of ornaments from small at the top to larger at the base. Working with one style of ornament at a time (eg gold balls), distribute them evenly over the tree. Follow with the next style of ornament such as bells and distribute them evenly. By working with one style at a time the ornaments are evenly mixed over the entire tree. Continue until the tree looks adequately dressed. Stand back and view the tree from different viewpoints, identifying gaps and filling with additional ornaments. For an elegant tree keep the decorations simple. Limit the number of styles of ornament to two or three; or work with a particular color scheme to suit your dcor.

Step Four: Final touches.
A tree decorated to step three will look well decorated. However sometimes a final touch can make a difference and provide that extra pizzazz. Finish the tree with final touches by attaching bows, candles (artificial for safety reasons) or flowers to the very ends of branches. What makes them a final touch? They are significantly different from the other ornaments to stand out and as such you do not need many but ensure they are distributed evenly over the tree. Another touch could be the draping of tinsel from each branch (individual strands not bunches) to imitate the effect of icicles. This can be tedious but worth the effort. Of course we cannot forget the Christmas tree topper in what ever shape or form star, angel, etc.

All that is now required is to place the gifts beneath the branches, breakout the eggnog, sit back and enjoy the festive season. Merry Christmas everyone. May this years Christmas tree be the best one ever.