How to Create a Festive Atmosphere: Pro Tips

Proper decor, impressive table setting, and of course a luxurious Christmas tree – these are the elements of an ideal New Year's party that will make the holiday beautiful and memorable. We share pro secrets and explain how to quickly and beautifully decorate your home for New Year, and also save money on decor.

1. Choosing and Decorating the Christmas Tree

Sometimes just one Christmas tree is enough to create a festive atmosphere in your home. We explain how to choose a tree, where it's better to place it, and why too much decor is more of a minus than a plus.

• Choose the tree by scent. If the aroma of the tree is important to you, consider the Serbian fir and Fraser fir – both options are very full and have a strong fir scent.
  
• Find a tree with full and lush branches. It's important to consider the quality of the needles, their color, and their presence on the branches. Try shaking the tree slightly to see how much it sheds.
  
• Make the tree fuller. If your Christmas tree doesn't have much volume, place a green garland made of artificial foliage at its base. This will make the tree look fuller.
  

• Don't stint on water for the tree. For the first 1–2 weeks, you should refill the water 3–4 times a day, and even more often if it's hot. You can also add sugar to the water as a nutrient.
  
• Don't place the tree near a radiator. It's very important to choose the right spot for the tree – never place it near radiators or heaters. The ideal location is a cool spot.

• Design the tree. If you don't have space for a large tree, you can place it on the wall – draw its silhouette or make it from small items or attach several fir branches decorated with toys and artificial foliage to the wall.
  
• Place a small Christmas tree. As a last resort, you can use a mini version of the usual tree – small and in a pot. Don't forget about decoration: just a few balls and a garland will be more than enough.

• Don't overdo the decor. A few original Christmas ornaments will look much more impressive than an abundance of colorful artificial foliage. It's important that all ornaments are in one color palette.
  
• Decorate the tree from bottom to top. Start with a garland, then hang the main ornaments that set the tone for the tree decor, and only then the rest.
  
• Decorate the tree with family photos. Such an original decor will not leave anyone indifferent. You can go further and use old New Year's cards: nostalgia in the New Year will be very appropriate.
  

2. Attention to Details: Accessories and Textiles

We move on to interior decoration: here too there are rules and nuances. We explain how to decorate your apartment for the holidays so that it's no worse than a Pinterest image.

• Choose the main decor color. For example, white is trendy for Scandinavian style. Red will help decorate the house in a traditional way. Blue can be easily combined with other colors.
  
• Rules for setting the table. New Year's table decor should continue the color scheme: if you've chosen silver as the main color, then make silver accents on the New Year's table.
  
• Put your bet on textiles. Beautiful tablecloths and napkins give dinner a special atmosphere. Choosing the right size tablecloth is easy: the width of the tablecloth is the width of the table plus 50–60 centimeters. The same applies to length.

• Decorate the New Year's table. A festive table should include New Year's details and accents. These can be stars, confetti, or fir branches.
  
• Don't forget the important details. The pro napkins also recommend decorating – with pinecones, satin ribbons in the tablecloth color, or metallic rings – your choice is unlimited.

• Bring fir branches into the house. You can simply place them in voluminous vases or even regular jars, or layer them under candle stands or just decorate the windows.
• Make a Christmas wreath. A winning option is a homemade wreath hanging at the entrance to the house according to European tradition. The wreath can be decorated with glitter, fruits, berries, or even family photos.

• Hang a New Year's poster. This can be anything: an image of a decorated tree or a colorful winter landscape. Or you can decorate an empty wall with a shiny foil canvas – it makes a great backdrop for New Year's selfies.
• Make a decoration from a regular branch. Paint it with silver paint from a spray can and attach it to the chandelier or ceiling. Then hang Christmas ornaments on the branch – the effect will be impressive.

3. Creating a Lighting Scenario

Lighting plays an important role in interior decor, especially when it comes to a New Year's scenario. A festive atmosphere is about colors and bright accents. Therefore, candles and garlands are essential elements of New Year's decor.

• Decorate the house with garlands. This is a simple and fast way to add a festive note to your interior. You can hang garlands anywhere: on windows, door frames, along mirrors or the headboard of the bed.
• Save on decor. You can make a garland yourself from foil or shimmering paper. Hanging garlands from the ceiling or cornice beautifully shimmer and evoke associations with snowfall.

• Decorate the house with candles. Candles create a warm atmosphere and add a sense of mystery and magic. Using glue and sewing materials – beads, ribbons, and buttons – you can give candles a festive look.
• Extend the life of candles. To make candles burn longer and not go out before morning, put them in the freezer a day before the holiday.

• Create a New Year's composition. For example, from LED candles, fir branches, or fresh flowers. Such decorations will not only be beautiful but also won't stain the tablecloth with wax.
• Make cool candle holders. You can make original New Year's candle holders from bottles. You just need to decorate the bottles – paint them with shimmering paint or cover them with foil.

4. Don't Forget About Safety

According to statistics, New Year's holidays bring hot periods for emergency service workers. It's all due to carelessness and not following basic safety measures. We explain the most common New Year's unpleasant incidents and how to avoid them.

• Check the condition of electrical wiring. Also ensure that fire alarms are working.
  
• Avoid counterfeit products. Buy only certified garlands, Bengal lights, and fireworks.
  
• Never use fireworks inside an apartment. Not even from the balcony or window. Lighting Bengal lights inside an apartment is also forbidden.

• Don't overload outlets. Use no more than three garlands at once – they might not withstand the circuit breakers.
• Be attentive. Don't leave lights and other electrical appliances on without supervision.
• Don't smoke in the room. Always fully extinguish cigarettes and matches.

• Don't leave children alone with the tree. They might knock it over onto themselves, choke on artificial foliage, cut themselves, damage wires, or get an electric shock. Also don't forget to close the windows and balcony doors.
• Take care of your pets. Animals shouldn't be left unattended either: in the worst case, they might get hurt or burned, and in the best case, they might break your expensive toys. Therefore, it's better to hang porcelain figurines on the very top of the tree.