THE glittering lights, intricately placed baubles and perfectly hung tinsel of the Christmas trees in shopping centres are the envy of many home decorators.
Lisa Lubar, product range co-ordinator for commercial decorating company Chas Clarkson Christmas and Illumination, said people could achieve the same look at home.
"To ensure the best tree for your home, measure where you plan to display the tree and leave enough room to manoeuvre around it to decorate," she said.
"The important thing with an artificial tree is taking the time to "fluff" the branches and foliage.
"Fluff from the base of each branch out to the tips, this process will ensure an even spread and no gaps. It makes all the difference."
Ms Lubar advises always starting with the lights.
"Start at the bottom and weave the lights through the branches,working from the inside of the tree to the outer branches," she said.
"Maximise the lights by making sure they are all facing outward."
Decide on an overall colour scheme and stick to it: Ms Lubar even suggests colour co-ordinating the gift wrap.
"Consider using some of the non-traditional colours to give your Christmas tree an updated designer look," she said. "Give thought to what style or theme you want to create.
"Is it modern or traditional? A theme could be traditional or contemporary. It could revolve around a colour palette or a decorative element such as birds, flowers, snowflakes."
When putting on the ornaments, Ms Lubar said a good rule of thumb was allowing 20 "basic filler" baubles for every 60 centimetre of tree.
"Place shiny balls on before matte, bright colours before muted and larger balls before small," she said.
"It is good to place larger balls at the bottom and work up to the top with smaller scaled balls for proportion and balance.
"Special ornaments and highlight pieces should always be the last baubles to place.
"Last but not least, step back and view your tree from all angles, adjust any gaps and then add your tree topper."
Details: chasclarkson.com.au, 1300 300 195.
