XMas Trees

We can offer a lot of advice when it comes to different Christmas Tree decorating ideas. Generally speaking, your design should reflect your imagination. There are, however, several decorating tips that have been tried and tested, and by following these tips you’ll have a well balanced decorated Christmas tree, no matter which design you choose.

• Lights – The only way to successfully decorate a tree with Christmas lights is by using a bottom-to-top-to-bottom approach. Start from the bottom and work your way up the trunk and along the branches. Christmas lights generally form a circuit or large ring and the power supply is normally at the floor level – makes sense to start at bottom really.
• Test your lights – Always test your lights before moving on to the rest of your decorations. It’s easier to replace a bulb, or the whole string of lights, if there are no decorations in your way. Better yet, lay your lights out on the floor and test them before hanging on the tree.
• Large decorations – Unlike lights, large Christmas decorations should be placed using a top-to-bottom approach. Place large decorations judiciously so as to not overcrowd your Christmas tree.
• Work around your tree – When decorating, it is often best to work around your tree rather than doing the front then turning your tree around to do the back.
• Be critical – Stand back every now and then to get an overall feel for the work done so far. Don’t forget to walk around your tree to see if everything is balanced and you are achieving the desired look.
• Garlands last – Leave any garlands until last, then drape them loosely over branches. Garlands look best when loose and allowed to sag a little between points.

If you relax and treat the task of decorating your Christmas tree as a way to express your imagination, rather than as a chore, the end result will be far more interesting, and you’ll enjoy the final look.

If you’re looking for a novel gift this Christmas, we suggest you cast your eyes over our range of Christmas wreaths. While wreaths are traditionally hung from a front door, that is not their only use, and when they are made from live foliage, they can fit in anywhere. They certainly make great gifts, especially for those special people in your life.

When buying a Christmas wreath, you can select a plain wreath and decorate it yourself. This is a favourite of those with young children as they love to join in. There’s something special about a hand-made wreath that is given by grandchildren to their grandparents.  The children delight in making the wreath, and they take special delight in telling their grandparents who did what, and why. Of course, grandparents always treasure something that their grandchildren have taken time to make themselves.

Christmas wreaths have many uses. They can be hung from the front door, however, they can also be placed on, or near, a Christmas tree. They make great mantle decorations and they look particularly good on the wall at the end of a hallway – and what house doesn’t have a hallway that could be brightened up a little? It’s also fairly easy to make a stand that can hold your wreath – this makes for a stunning tabletop decoration then.

If you don’t have the time to decorate a wreath yourself, we have a stunning range of fully decorated Christmas wreaths to choose from. These include a traditional Scottish wreath, a red classic wreath, and a very old style rustic farmhouse wreath just to name a few. Christmas wreaths are not your standard Christmas gift, yet when presented, are often treasured and very much appreciated.

Are you a little tired of using the same old decorations for your Christmas tree? If you are, don’t throw them out, just think of new ways to decorate your tree. In the past, your decorations together with your Christmas lights have probably been the central attraction on the tree. Here is a novel ideal for decorating a Christmas tree that still uses your old decorations, but as secondary decorations rather than primary.

With real cut Christmas trees, you have a myriad of opportunities when it comes decorations. To complete this decorative idea, you will need to find material, either fabric, paper or foil, that is 2-3 inches wide and runs the length of the tree top to bottom. Gold generally works best against the green foliage of your Christmas tree, however, depending on your decorations, silver and red work well too. You will also need to create a fancy bow, rosette or star using the same materials – and this needs to be large, at least the size of a large dinner plate.

After decorating your Christmas tree with your old decorations, attach the fancy bow, rosette or star to the top of the tree. When attached, hang your lengths of material down the outside of the tree. For most large trees, you will need five or six lengths that are evenly spaced around the Christmas tree. If you have any shorter pieces of the same material used, then place them randomly inside the tree – however, don’t go overboard.

The end result is a stunning Christmas tree that looks completely different to those decorated in previous years, yet the only difference is the addition of the fancy bow and the streamers hang down the outside. The brighter the color used, for example, a very bright gold, the better the overall effect – and you did it yourself without having to buy in a new set of Christmas decorations.

If you regularly decorate a Christmas tree at this time of the year, then you probably have a box (or boxes) full of tired old decorations. Some are a little scratched or slightly broken, others may be beyond the useful life. You can start by throwing away those that are beyond salvaging, unless they have ribbon or safe components that you can re-use. What baubles – they have relatively long lives now, although they will start to show their age after the first year.

One suggestion is to buy new Christmas decorations for your Christmas tree, and to re-use or recycle those older decorations into new and more interesting decorations. One theme that runs through all of our decoration ideas is your imagination. You can really create some special decorations by using that imagination, and by just ‘going with the flow’ as the saying goes.

With baubles and a hot glue gun, you can do anything (if you don’t have a hot glue gun, try melted wax). One suggestion that looks good is to attach foliage and/or flowers from your own garden onto baubles. Tie a ribbon to the top of the bauble, then place your foliage so it is standing upright – hang from a window, mirror or even door frame for a different look.

Old garlands can be hung in random heights in a window as can old uneven lengths of tinsel. Christmas stars that once adorned your tree can be repainted, or you can use glue (or wax) to redecorate them. This can bring new life to old decorations and extend their usefulness for at least one more season. You can also re-purpose old Christmas tree decorations by using them with, or in place of, ribbons on Christmas presents. Really, it comes back to your imagination. Those tired old Christmas decorations may look like they are past their best – a little work can soon change that.

Looking for something very different this Christmas? Here’s a novel way to show off your Christmas cards – and it makes a stunning Christmas decorative item. Better yet, it’s easy to put together every Christmas.

The requirements for this decoration are very simple. You need bare tree branches of varying lengths, a container to hold them upright (an attractive Christmassy vase looks good), clothes pegs or bulldog clips, LED Christmas lights – the 80 Blue LED Lights for £14.45 are perfect for this task, pebbles or glass marbles (too hold the branches in place in the container), small Christmas decorations such as small baubles, stars, or tinsel.

To put your Christmas card tree together, arrange the bare branches in your container and use pebbles or glass marbles to hold them in place (these also serve to stabilize the project). Carefully string your Christmas lights up and down the branches – if you use the 80 blue LED lights, there is 5 meters to play with, that’s plenty. Tie pegs or bulldog clips randomly around your Christmas card tree – these will be used to hold your Christmas cards. Finally, fill in the spaces with small Christmas decorations. Your Christmas card tree is ready to go.

There are a lot of novel uses for Christmas decorations and Christmas lights. If you use your imagination, you can create anything. A larger versions of the bare branch Christmas card tree makes for a very different Christmas tree, certainly one that will have your friends talking. You can use the same concept at a business Christmas function replacing Christmas cards with name tags for guests. A little imagination can take Christmas decorations a long way – just look at what they do to houses now with the humble Christmas lights.

Pot grown Christmas trees are becoming more popular each year. For some, it’s the green factor. Pot grown Christmas trees will live on past Christmas – in fact, they can be used again the following Christmas. Because they are growing in popularity, we are finding we are selling out of these trees well before Christmas. We have already started delivering pot grown trees, and many people are now acclimatizing them ready to take inside.

You have a limited choice now. As of today’s writing, we have one size left in the Fraser Fir – the 110cm-130cm. The Fraser Fir is very popular because of its soft needles and wonderful citrusy perfume.  At just over a metre, these trees are ideal for those with only a small amount of space for a Christmas tree. They look fantastic decorated with lights and baubles.

There is a slightly wider range of Norway Spruce pot grown Christmas trees left. These are currently available in the 70cm-90cm; 90cm-110cm; and 130cm-150cm. The Norway Spruce is a more traditional Christmas tree with slightly prickly foliage. While the Norway Spruce has a tendency to drop needles quickly, pot grown trees are still alive, and if given adequate water, should not drop needles at all.

If these sizes are not suitable, you could look at our range of live cut Christmas trees. We still have almost a complete range available. Along with the Norway Spruce and Fraser Fir, we have the Nordman Fir, arguably the most popular Christmas tree with families. This tree has soft foliage making a great tree to have around children. If you really want a pot grown Christmas tree this year, then get in quick before we totally run out of stock.

We often spend hours decorating a Christmas tree, then most likely fiddle a little with the arrangement every day until Christmas. I often find it odd to see a well-decorated Christmas tree standing in an old bucket of sand. It’s a little like someone being dressed in their Sunday best while wearing old muddy boots. It’s just not the right look. When it comes to Christmas trees, they need the right shoes as well, and that where a Christmas tree stand is a good choice.

Christmas tree stands fulfill a number of functions. They hold the Christmas tree securely upright; they have a water well to keep your tree hydrated; and they come in attractive colours and designs that add to the overall effect of your decorations. They are no different to a pair of shoes – we all know how well they make for a great overall finished look.

If you are buying a fresh cut Christmas tree, then it’s worth spending just a little extra to buy a dedicated stand. Stands include Art Nouveau and Cast Iron Victorian too name a few and come in a range of colours including red, green gold, and black.  Christmas tree stands are easy to use – you simply stand the base of the tree in the stand and tighten the bolts that hold the tree up. Fill the well with water and the job is done. You will need to top the water well up each day to ensure the tree maintains its freshness.

Dedicated Christmas tree stands are a safer way of looking after your Christmas tree. Buckets of water or sand look untidy and don’t always provide the right security for well decorated and heavy Christmas tree. If you want your Christmas tree to look its best, put a decent pair of shoes on it – better yet, put it in an attractive Christmas tree stand.

Stunning Pink Explosion Christmas Wreath

Christmas wreaths are back in vogue and it’s no wonder why when you see a stunning wreath like our hand crafted Pink Explosion Christmas Wreath. This is a Limited Edition wreath so if you want one for your front door, I suggest you get in quick and place your order. What makes these wreaths special is not just the stunning colours, it’s the fresh green Nordman Fir foliage and the beautiful silk flowers used to create this masterpiece.

Our in-house florist has worked hard this year to create several Limited Edition Wreaths, and while I know everyone will have their own favourites, this one is certainly one of mine. The florist has used vibrant pink silk orchids and a fantastic pink silk poppy as the centrepiece to the wreath, then set off by adding black silk leaves, shatterproof fuschia pink baubles and a beautiful deep silver spiky ball then finished the wreath of with a deep fuschia tulle ribbon.

You can see the end result. It would look stunning on any front door and certainly bring a smile to the face of any visitors. Having such a bright and warm welcome is bound to set the mood for a very happy and very festive Christmas period.

If the stunning Pink Explosion Christmas wreath is a little too bright for your liking, you could consider the Lime Extravaganza Christmas Wreath. This is a wreath that uses lime green against the dark green backdrop of the fresh Nordman Fir foliage to great effect. If you prefer something a little more traditional then the Red Classic Christmas wreath will serve you well.

Our Limited Edition Christmas Wreaths are just that, limited in number. They are all created by hand and, too maintain freshness, are not shipped until the late this month (21st November).  If you want a stunning fresh Christmas wreath for your front door this year, order now, or you may be disappointed.

Can you believe there’s only 56 days left until Christmas Day? That means there’s only 60 odd days until the New Year – this year really has flown. You can be sure these last 56 days will fly by as well, and before you know it, you’ll be saying, “Hey – we haven’t got our Christmas tree yet.” Take our advice, don’t leave it until the last minute, or you’ll struggle to find a decent tree if you do. The alternative is even easier.

Did you know you can order your Christmas tree now? Tell us when you want to have it delivered, then leave the rest to us. We won’t even cut your tree until it’s close to delivery time so you’re going to have one of the freshest trees available and one that will certainly last through until Christmas day with a little basic care. Unfortunately. we are starting to run out of available Christmas trees, so the sooner you order, the sooner you can have one reserved in your name.

You can select from the following trees with some available for delivery from the 15th November. The taller trees are available after the 22nd November.

The Nordman Fir - one of the most popular Christmas trees because of its lovely symmetrical shape and strong branches.   The foliage is a shiny mid-green and soft to touch making it ideal for all members of the family to decorate.

Fraser Fir- a pyramid-shaped tree with flat, shiny deep green foliage that is dense and soft. This tree is also an ideal tree for all members of the family to decorate. Being quite a narrow tree, it is well suited to smaller rooms or homes where there is only a small amount of space for a Christmas tree.

Norway Spruce - the tree that most people think of as the traditional Christmas tree. This tree has its own unique scent, feel and shape that will remind you of a traditional Christmas. The foliage is mid to dark green and fairly prickly to touch – it will certainly worry young children when trying to decorate the tree. This tree is better suited to outdoor use because of its poor ability to handle warmth – it will drop needles quickly.

If you haven’t ordered your Christmas tree yet, then select the size that best suits your room, add any decorations and Christmas lights you may need, then select a date for delivery. We’ll arrange the rest.  You’ll still need to do the decorating of course.

If you are looking for novel Christmas decoration ideas this year, consider using your Christmas tree as a base for decorations. Perhaps not the whole tree, just parts of it. There’s nothing like a fresh cut Christmas tree gracing a living room, decorated with coloured baubles, twinkling lights, and little nick-knacks. Most trees are neatly trimmed before you purchase them, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t take a little here and there to use elsewhere.  If you don’t want to thin out the upper areas of your tree, then consider taking one or two of the lower branches – just cut them off flush at the trunk.

These will be the longest branches on the tree, yet the least noticed when trimmed away. So what can you do with these branches? How good is your imagination? There’s no limit to what you could do with parts trimmed from a real live Christmas tree. Here are a few suggestions that may help to trigger other ideas.

• Mantle decoration – string a branch along your mantle and hang Christmas baubles as decorations, or better yet, use the Metal Snowman Card Holder Pegs to hang your Christmas cards.
• Mini Christmas tree – cut a piece around 12-18 inches from the tip of the branch. Anchor it in clay or plasticine then decorate with small ornaments and tinsel – makes for a novel little table top Christmas tree.
• Wreath or Garland – try your hand at making a wreath or garland. For a simple Christmas wreath, bend the branch into a circle wrapping the thinner around the circle to gain the right size. Tie the ends in place then decorate with your favourite decorations
• Flower arrangement – use short lengths, 12-18 inches long as the back drop to a flower arrangement. Pink and red flowers looking stunning with the green Christmas tree backdrop.

Those are just a few ideas. I am sure you could come up with many more. Just remember, these are branches from a real Christmas tree so to keep them fresh, mist them occasionally with water. Otherwise, they will soon shed their needles. Whatever you make, you can at least say that you made it.