2. Add in Garland/Ribbon
Next you will want to add in a variety of different textures and tones to your tree. This year, I added wooden bead garland, faux feathers, burlap, and velvet ribbon to tie everything together. The placement of these items can be sporadic since you will be filling in the empty spaces with ornaments. To give the tree some more dimension, I will add in some floral stems - typically frosted red or white berry picks and glittery twigs. Shown below.

1. Start with a Base
Like any design, you need to start with a base before you get started. There are many different kinds of faux trees out there - flocked and different styled trees. For us, we go with a traditional real tree that we pick up from a local garden center. 
If it is not a pre-lit tree, you will need to string lights on it before you start. To string the lights on the tree, I always start at the bottom of the tree closest to the center of the tree then I will make my way to the top of tree. Once I have reached the top of the tree, I will start stringing the lights on the outer part of tree. This will make your tree shine and give it the glow you are looking for. Below are some recommended tree types if you are going with a faux tree.

3. Build a Foundation
Once you have the base of your tree ready, its time to build the foundation of your tree and how you set the color palette. This can range depending on the style you are trying to achieve. This year, I navigated towards the colors of dark green, slate gray, and white. I will add in these colored ornaments in differently styles, such a solid, matted, or full of glitter and hang them throughout the tree. This will help establish the foundation of your tree. 

KRISTA O'BRIEN