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The countdown to Christmas is officially on, with Halloween and Bonfire Night behind us, Brits are looking ahead to the festive season, with many households starting to decorate even earlier than usual.

According to new research by Censuswide for Dobbies, which explored the Christmas trends and opinions of over 2,000 UK adults, decorating the tree brings the most joy to a quarter (25%) of Brits at Christmas, making it an important milestone within the celebrations.

Although there is often a debate on the perfect time to put your tree up, it appears there will be a new wave of keen decorators in 2020 – with nearly half of 16-24 year olds (46%) surveyed planning to put their Christmas tree up earlier than years before.

Whether you are planning to set up your tree on the 1st December, taking part in Bring Your Christmas Tree Home Day on the 12th December (the most popular day for real tree sales according to Dobbies sales data) or your festive focal point will be making its debut earlier in November, Dobbies is on hand to ensure your tree looks extra special.

Not your average garden centre, Dobbies is filled with ideas and inspiration to create a magical Christmas at home and lead Stylist, Rebecca Stanton, has put together her top 5 tips to get your tree Insta-ready.

1. Light it up: No tree is complete without the twinkling of fairy lights and to make your home really sparkle, you will always need more than you think. Turn the lights on before adding baubles and decorations, to make sure you have good coverage all over. Before adding them to the tree, check that there is a plug or easily reachable extension cord nearby. You want to make sure that any wires can either be hidden behind the tree or behind furniture.

The Dobbies sparkle factor…recommendation for number of lights per tree:

  • 4ft (1.2m) = 120
  • 5ft (1.5m) = 160
  • 6ft (1.8m) = 240
  • 7ft (2.1m) = 360
  • 8ft (2.4m) = 480

For the extra sparkle factor:

  • 6ft (1.8m) = 500
  • 7ft (2.1m) = 750
  • 8ft (2.4m) = 1056

2. Go big: The tree you decide on will impact the overall styling and final look. For example, certain types of real tree will help bring to life a traditional scheme, whilst other types will lend themselves to a more contemporary Scandi style. The height of the tree is also really important, as if you are going for an opulent look, a tall tree will set this up perfectly.

3. Level up: To make a real statement and take your tree a level up, think big. To create a more contemporary look, use extra-large baubles and clusters of smaller baubles together in your tree. Carefully place your larger baubles first to ensure your tree feels balanced then work around those to add in smaller baubles and decorations.

4. Bauble packs: To instantly update your usual Christmas tree style, pick up a mixed size bauble packs, at Dobbies we have a variety of shades to suit any colour palette.

These baubles are great because not only do they instantly set the theme, but they also help to spread colour throughout your tree, think a base layer for you to build on top with your more special decorations. Top tip, if you wire three baubles together using silver floristry wire and attached them deeper on the branch it helps to fill out your tree and creates are more stylised look.

5. A layer of nature: Decorating your real tree doesn’t need to end at the baubles. Try adding some dried flowers to your tree to give that added layer of nature. You could use dried grasses, Heather or Eucalyptus to lay on the branches of your tree along with orange slices and cinnamon sticks to bring the smell of Christmas into your home.

Avery Parker

For more inspiration visit the Dobbies website to find your nearest store, shop the online Christmas collection and be inspired with even more helpful seasonal advice and recipes ideas.