One of the greatest milestones of moving into your new place is decorating your home for Christmas. The excitement that comes with picking out Christmas decorations is all part of the joy of being able to make your house a home, but where do you start when you need to get everything all in one go? Here, Create Homes explores top tips on how to decorate your new home for Christmas…

Choose the perfect tree

Arguably the main statement is the Christmas tree, so this should be your first port of call when you come to decorate your first home for Christmas. Since the introduction of artificial versions, there has been plenty of debate as to whether real or fake trees are the way to go for your festive decorating. This all comes down to personal preference as there are benefits to the experience of picking out your own tree and having it fresh in the home, but equally the ease of having a perfect looking artificial tree to hand year on year is a leading benefit for many.

Let it Shine

Collecting enough decorations to fill a 6ft tree can seem daunting, but if you look at the task in stages you will have the perfect amount in no time. One of the most important aspects is lighting, as without sufficient illumination all of your hard work could go unnoticed. It is recommended that you should allow 100 lights for every foot and a half of tree.

Set the Scene

Choose to be as traditional or contemporary as you wish. Gold, red and green or silver and white are classic choices which will look elegant in any home, but with decorations released in more unusual shades each year it shows anything goes when creating your own Christmas look.

The key trends at the minute are:

• Inspired by Nature – There is still a place for tinsel and baubles but placed with pine cones, twigs and bark like textures for a contemporary and welcoming look.
• Blue Christmas – Think deep midnight blues and aquamarine as both main and accent colours.

Make a Statement

Find those statement Christmas tree decorations that demonstrate your own personality. Your statement decoration collection is something you can add to year on year when you see pieces that catch your eye. You don’t need to go overboard – a few key pieces scattered amongst the branches can work just as well. The final piece to the Christmas tree is of course a tree topper, which can be anything from a classic star or angel, to an unusual decorative ornament.

Add those finishing touches

It’s not all about the tree. There are so many simple touches you can add to the rest of your home to help create a stylish, festive look. A Christmas wreath is an essential accessory as it is a simple yet statement addition. Drape garlands over bannisters, shelves or mantelpieces and scatter ornaments on coffee tables to finish your first festive look.