IT’S almost that time of year again, which means people across the country are preparing to dust off their decorations ready for their Christmas trees.
But before hand a single bauble, an interior designer has shared a handy tip you might want to know – and it’s totally free.
Taking to TikTok, Dylan Palmer revealed the simple mistake decorating novices make time and time again.
“When you hang your ornaments and they have these long strings on them, nothing is trashier in my opinion than having that long string like that,” he explained.
Showing off a glittering gold bauble, Dylan hung it off the branch of the decorated tree to prove his point.
You don’t need any fancy DIY skills or more expensive Christmas decorations to solve this festive problem though, in fact to solution won’t cost you a penny and only takes seconds to do.
Simple hang your bauble like you usually would, but instead of leaving it to dangle wrap it around the branch a few times until the string can’t be seen anymore.
“Hold it in place and wrap it around to where it’s snug, this way the string is not exposed and it’s really flush with the branch,” he explained.
You can also play around with where on the branch you want to bauble to sit with this method.
Just move it further in or out depending on what you think looks the best, and voila!
Other Christmas fans loved the simple yet impressive decorating hack and couldn’t wait to try it out this year.
“In all m years it never occurred to me to do this, thank you,” one commented on the viral social media clip.
A second thought the same and wrote: “Why have I never thought of that? You’re a genius.”
“I hate long hanging ornaments too, why did I not realise I could do this?” someone else commented.
Another pointed out that the baubles would be more secure using Dylan’s method, they said: “Great tip – and safer with kids and pets running around!”
“Something so simple makes it so much more beautiful, thank you for that tip,” another festive fan chimed in.
But not everyone was convinced by the hack as some thought it would make taking the tree down too much of a hassell.
“I’d toss the entire tree out the window because I have zero patience to undo what I’ve done,” one woman joked.
“All I can think of is the nightmare it will be when you undecorate the tree,” someone else wrote.
“Great idea but I don’t think I can be bothered with unwrapping them again lol,” another agreed.
You also don’t want too many ribbons/lights/or decorations all on one part of the tree. When prepping your decorations, make sure there is a good balance.
You don’t want to have all the same size baubles or all the same coloured decorations, as the saying goes “life is about balance” thus, your Christmas tree should also have variety.
Everyone has a different sense of style so why not bring your own theme to your tree this year.
This can revolve around something your family collectively love or introduce more bold colours that you have been afraid to try before.
This will limit you having to go to every shop and spend lots of time looking for decorations, as you will have ideas of what you want. For inspiration check out major department store displays such as the tree in John Lewis.
The decorations make a tree so don’t just buy the first ones you see, shop around to find exactly what you want.
Having a theme will help this, but maybe expand your horizon if you are used to going to the same shops for Christmas decor.
Remember you don’t have to buy expensive decor to get the ones you love, many Christmas bargains can be found in Poundland, Wilko and Primark.
Make sure you choose the right tree-topper to give your tree the designer look.
Take into consideration the size of your ceiling, and don’t be afraid to be different with a giant bow instead of a gold star.
Also, a homemade tree topper could work perfectly if you cant find one that matches your theme.
HERE'S what you need to know if you're buying a real Christmas tree:
First thing’s first: buy a pot (if it doesn’t come in one already).
You’ll need to treat your tree just like a houseplant and give it water and attention.
Make sure the container has good drainage – and it’s a good idea to put something underneath to catch the excess water.
Check the soil everyday to make sure it’s not drying out.
If it feels dry, give it some water. If it still feels moist, leave it alone as too much water can also kill a tree.
Also check the LED bulbs on your tree lights aren’t too hot as they could burn it, and keep your tree away from radiators.
When Christmas is over, try planting it in the garden so you can dig it up and use it again next year.
It’s a good idea to take it out of its pot when you do re-plant it though, as large trees don’t survive well in pots as their roots need space to grow.
