How to decorate your home for Christmas

Once you've picked the perfect Christmas tree, you can finally get around to the fun bit: decorating it! From fairy lights to baubles, gold and silver pine cones and sparkling tinsel, there's no end of ways to brighten up your Christmas tree.

1. Fairy lights

• Colour: yellow, white or multi-coloured.

• Shape: classic small bulbs or fun designs like Santas or snowflakes.

• Bulb type: LED or incandescent (go for LED bulbs to save money on electricity).

• Musical lights: some fairy lights come with a music box to belt out classic Christmas hits while the lights flash along with the tune.

2. Tinsel

• Size: go for thinner tinsel for a more minimalist, streamlined look or thick tinsel for a full-looking tree.

• Design: it's possible to find tinsel covered in snowflakes, stars or other little Christmas-themed shapes.

• Colour : the most classic tones include gold or silver, but tinsel now comes in a wide range of colours to match the rest of your indoor Christmas decorations.

3. Christmas baubles

• Size: baubles come in all sizes whether you're after a large number of small baubles or just a handful of evenly dispersed large baubles. Either way, be sure not to overload your tree!

• Shape: of course, the most traditional baubles are round but, if you prefer, you can go for tear drop or even icicle-shaped baubles. There's a bauble out there for everyone!

• Other Christmas tree decorations: once your lights and baubles are in place, you can start to combine them with hanging figurines pine cones, candy canes, angels or anything else you have stored in your Christmas stash! Just like you did with the baubles, simply spread the ornaments evenly over the Christmas tree.

For purely practical reasons, it's always best to put the fairy lights on your tree first followed by the tinsel. You can then put your baubles and other hanging ornaments in place.

Decorating your home doesn't have to end with the tree...!  Why not give your furniture a bit of festive cheer, too ? Here are a few ideas for decking your furniture out with Christmas spirit.

LED strip lights

LED strip lights are ideal for making your furniture look a little special. Simply wrap lights round your bookcases, sideboards or shelves. There are plenty of different types of LED lights to choose from, whether you're looking for battery-powered or plug-in lights. Some can even change colour to match your mood!

Christmas figurines

Have fun crafting your own little themed scenes with ornaments of Father Christmas, Rudolph, elves or snowmen. If you're looking for a bit more, you can go for a whole ice rink or a snow-topped winter village. Want something a bit kitsch? A dancing Santa should do the trick!

To top off your decorations, don't forget to jazz up your windows for decoration that can be enjoyed inside and outdoors.

Christmas decals

Practical and easy to apply, why not apply a few Christmas decals to your windows? Stars, snowflakes, penguins, bears... there are plenty of designs to choose from!

Snow spray

Alternatively, you can unleash your creativity with snow spray to create your very own winter wonderland! Make your own stencils or use shop-bought ones to draw on icicles or create a frosty effect. If you have some snow spray leftover, why not let your kids tackle the Christmas tree and really make it a Christmas to remember?

Indoor projector lights are ideal for taking your party to the next level. Simply place the box on an item of furniture and direct the light at a wall (preferably one that isn't already decorated!).

These lights can be used to create stunning displays of dancing stars, snowflakes or even Santas! There are plenty of models to choose from but beware that prices can vary. Easy to install, projector lights are ideal for anyone with reduced mobility looking for a quick decoration with maximum effect.

Making your own Christmas decorations is a great way to fill a chilly winter afternoon and provide a fun activity for your kids. What's more, this is the most cost-effective and original way to decorate your home for the festive season! From decorating a wooden tree by hand to cutting out paper stars to hang around the home, there are loads of crafty ways to keep busy. You'll find plenty of tutorials online for activities like filling glass bottles with fairy lights or hand-painting baubles. You can even collect your own wood to craft a unique and rustic centrepiece for your Christmas table.

You can also gather pine cones and spray paint them gold or silver. Hung from the tree or just placed around the home, pine cones are always a charming addition to the home over the holidays.

1. Make the most of the features in your home. If you have a chimney, deck it out with fairy lights or tinsel and hang up your Christmas stockings early!

2. Be careful not to mix too many styles. Choose one basic theme and stick to it, be it chic minimalism or cosy traditional.

3. Smart-control decorations are well worth considering if you want to be able to change the colour of your lights from a distance!

More information

• Indoor Christmas decoration buying guide

• Outdoor Christmas decoration buying guide

• Fairy light buying guide