It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Well, it is if you've gotten yourself organised and started decorating, which I personally have not.
It's not for lack of enthusiasm — my friends can confirm that I am Christmas' number one fangirl — but more because I don't know where to start. I want a living room that screams "understated Christmas spirit", but in years gone by, I've been known to veer too hard into "did an elf throw up in your living room?".
In 2024, I'm determined to absolutely nail the Christmas decorating brief (ideally on a shoestring budget because, well, cozzie livs). So, I spoke to Miriam McKay, Head of Creative at Spotlight, to get her best tips for budget-friendly Yuletide styling.
1. Pick a trend and stick to it.
Miriam's number one tip for amateur decorators who don't want to blow their budget buying a thousand useless Christmas items is to choose a "trend" to guide your purchases.
Spotlight has simplified this for customers by identifying four key trends this Christmas:
- Christmas Traditions (think green trees, red bows, metallics and poinsettias).
- Nostalgic Fairytale (think blush pinks, mint green, and champagne colours, vintage-style novelty ornaments and fairy lights or what Miriam called "bringing sugarplum fairy to life").
- Christmas Jewel (think bold jewel tones with touches of gold).
- Noel Noir (think dramatic monochrome, sophisticated touches and — gasp — a black tree).
Whichever trend you opt for, Spotlight has you covered.
"Spotlight caters for all aspects of decorating, whether you're a crafter, a decorator or an entertainer," Miriam said.
"You can get all your traditional tree and decorations, but also crafting solutions, fabric to cover tables, homewares — you can really do all your Christmas decorating in a single stop. No matter what sort of Christmas you want to have, Spotlight has the look and product at a great price."
2. Use your tree as the "anchor".
"Once you're home with your bags and feeling inspired, it's best to start with your tree," Miriam said. "Your tree should be the anchor, the focal point of your decorations. It shouldn't be too cluttered, and matching ornaments is always a failsafe approach."
She added, "You want to make sure you've got a mixture of different-sized baubles, then mix it up with some ribbons and bows."
Not sure how to make your tree look like the ones in magazines? Miriam said it's simple — just stick with the rule of three: add two baubles and one decorative object (like a bow or ribbon) in "clusters" around your tree.
"This makes the tree look really full and the styling deliberate," she explained. Once you've created your clusters, you can add other decorations to complement them. Miriam recommended adding novelty decorations after your baubles, finishing with tinsel if desired.
3. You can't go wrong with Christmas lights.
No matter what trend you've settled on, Miriam said some well-placed LED lights around the home never go astray in creating a warm Christmas atmosphere.
"Put LED lights on your mantlepiece, stairway, doorframes or weave them into bannisters and wreaths," she recommended.
4. Personalisation never goes out of style.
If you're feeling uninspired, there's nothing like a touch of DIY personalisation to really make your decor your own.
"Personalisation is a real trend this season," Miriam said. "Even if you don't consider yourself too crafty, you might want to personalise place cards for a Christmas party or create fun, matching family outfits by ironing on novelty motifs to an existing T-shirt or jumper."
For cute decorations or an adorable Christmas party favour, she suggests fillable baubles. "You could put photos in them, fill them with lollies as a gift, put little ornaments inside or let your kids decorate them with paint markers," Miriam suggested. "They can be a great family activity once school is over, and they always look fantastic."
For entertainers, "you can't go past a DIY bonbon kit where you can add your own Christmas joke or message, then coordinate with your table display."
5. Use what you've already got.
If you're anything like me, it can be tempting to start totally fresh every Christmas, but that approach isn't particularly easy on the wallet. Even if you've decided to go with a very different look from Christmases past, Miriam suggested some DIY to make the decorations you already own work with your new vision.
"Grab some spray paint to jazz up old baubles, or wrap them in yarn, fabric or leftover ribbon," she said.
6. Match your entertaining space to your decor for an elevated look.
If you're entertaining friends or family this Christmas, nothing looks more festive than an entertaining space that fits with your home decor. Miriam suggested creating a table centrepiece with a garland or festive fake flowers that incorporate the same baubles and bows from your tree.
It's absolutely not necessary to buy all new table settings, though. "When setting a Christmas table, you can utilise basics you already own and then add festive touches, like a metallic placemat or fun Christmas fabric tablecloth," Miriam said.
And to complete the look? Personalised name cards are a cheap, easy DIY trick that elevates any table setting. Match them with the colours of your chosen trend, and Santa's your uncle.
Check out Spotlight for 30 to 50 per cent off their Jolly and Joy Christmas range, available online or in-store.
Feature Image: Instagram/alabaster.haus/spotlightstores.
Spotlight's presence has since grown, with stores in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, with hundreds of brands and thousands of products to choose from in the crafting, decorating, textiles and home décor range.
For more information on Spotlight or to view all the product ranges please visit www.spotlightstores.com