Finding your fairy lights, crossing your fingers that you didn’t put them away in a tangle and then checking that they still work can be the start of a frustrating couple of hours of decorating your Christmas tree, so here’s a few simple tips to help you out.

Christmas lights

Once the tree is set up, put the lights on first, starting from the top and working downwards, wrapping the lights around and ensuring you leave enough cord to plug them in easily. Once you’ve checked that they work and are evenly distributed, you’re ready for the rest of the Christmas decorations. Make sure that the mains switch is easily accessible. As a side note, when taking the lights down, wrap them around a large piece of card, like a flattened cereal box, to avoid tangles next year.

Tinsel and baubles

Colour-coordinated packs of baubles make matching your tree decorations to your room’s colour scheme relatively easy, and you may wish to go for a subtle scheme, rather the more traditional reds, golds and silvers. Whatever you choose, having the right balance of twinkling lights, sparkling tinsel and glistening baubles is best achieved by starting at the top and working downwards. If you’re using a stepladder, make sure you’ve got someone with you to hold it steady and hand items to you as you decorate.

For many families, decorating the tree is the start of the festive season, so put on some of your favourite Christmas tunes and enjoy!