Helpful How-To: It's a Christmas Decorating Tutorial, Ya'll!!!

I don't pretend to have any amazing skills with Christmas tree decorating.

And I certainly won't be claiming any awards for amazing Christmas tree photographs.

Obviously....

But I have come a long, long way.

Our first Christmas together, our poor tree was a hodge podge of the handful of ornaments that my mom gave me 3 weeks before, when I officially moved out of her house and into our first apartment, along with a $5 bin of plastic silver ornaments we bought at Wal-Mart to make our tree look less sparse.

It was scary.

And tacky.

Very, very tacky.

And here is where I spout off the knowledge I have acquired in useable terms to you.

Because all everyone else on the internet does is show you amazing pictures of their amazing trees.

Unless you read Bower Power like I do.  Because Katie Bower gave a play - by - play this week of how she decorates her tree.

That girl likes some ribbon, let me tell ya!

And her tree is gorgeous. 

I think next year I will try her tactic.

For me, Christmas tree decorating has always been a quandary.

I know, I know.

Then why am I giving out advice?

Um, because it's always been a quandary for me, duh!

I know it won't make sense, but basically, it's like when I played high school volleyball.

I knew my legs looked different than the other girls legs, but I couldn't figure out why.

Then in college, I realized it was called CELLULITE and DIMPLES.

Sorry, rabbit trail of deep-seated insecurities, apparently....

Back to the topic at hand.

You know that feeling?

When you look at your tree and know it doesn't look as amazing as you hoped or envisioned.

But you don't know how to fix it. 

And when you try, it doesn't come out right???

So, how did I move past this and to a place where I am semi-content with even my multi-colored crazy light tree?

I had a novel idea, really.

I looked at pictures of gorgeous trees that I loved.

And then copied some of the finer points of the decorations.

Credit

See the poinsettias randomly placed all over this tree?

Totally stole that idea.

For the last few years, poinsettias and sprigs of holly berries have been as much a part of our tree as the multi-colored, vintage star sitting atop it.

Next, I figured in my own personal style.

Our tree is a hand-me-down from my mom. 

Thus the multicolored lights.

To me, multicolored lights equal vintage.

So I rock the vintage look.

With my vintage beaded garland.

My polka dotted ball ornaments.

Credit

And my $4 Wal-Mart ornaments that just happened to match my polka-dotted ones to a T.

Credit

And I just start hanging and tucking and hanging and tucking.

Until either my ornaments are all used up or it looks complete.

Chances are, my ornaments will run out before I think it looks complete.

So yeah, my tree isn't perfect yet. 

But it's a heck of alot closer.

And in closing...

Since my tree pic won't do anything to inspire you

Here are some pics to help inspire you make your tree look complete.

Take away any ideas you can....

Pretty Tufted Ribbon

Loving the Champagne color

And finally, loving these giant multicolored balls

(That's what she said!)

Hope you are getting as much inspiration as I am!