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It has been Christmas in the retail world for weeks but most of us are only now getting the decorations out at home. How can you reuse and recycle what you already have to create the perfect festive feel? Shop window-dressers – or visual merchandisers, as they are also known – share their tips for capturing the magic of the most wonderful time of the year.
It’s all in the prep
“Planning spans a full year, so Christmas is never far from our minds,” says Lisa Clemenger, visual concepts manager at Liberty in London.
At Jarrolds, an independent department store in Norwich, planning for Christmas 2026 will start at the end of January, says Julie Blanch, who is head of visual merchandising. “It is weird when, in July, you are absolutely boiling and we are dressing Christmas trees and cutting ribbons.”
However much time you have to plan, it is helpful to come up with a theme for your decorative scheme. “This year, we are celebrating the unsung heroes of Christmas – the elves who make the magic happen,” says Clemenger. “We designed a Liberty elf and imagined its hectic, eclectic workshop.” Jarrolds has gone for a “handpicked” motif, with a huge lit-up hand picking a present at the front of the shop and lots of smaller hands dotted around the windows.
At Choosing Keeping, a stationery shop in London famed for its festive decor, this year’s window pays homage to a 1980s US Christmas. “Americans love Christmas more than anyone I know,” says the owner, Julia Jeuvell. A nod to 80s excess, the store’s tree features 1,000 decorations; previously, the shop has had Marie Antoinette, alpine and snow-baby themes.
Perhaps more realistically for the average household, “you could be tartan one year, then gingham, then gingerbread – but each could feature some of each other’s scheme,” says Blanch, who aims to reuse as much as possible, both at Jarrolds and at home.
Choose a colour scheme
“Everything has to visually flow, so a key colour palette threads through all we design,” says Clemenger. When the store is done, she can focus on her home. “I take a brief moment to reset and then switch into festive autopilot.” Her home trees are “bright, clashing, and full of personality. I lay everything out, group by colour, and then add masses of thin wire lights.” It’s easy, she says, to refresh decorations you have used before: “Lay them out and see if introducing a fresh accent colour – often with ribbon – gives them a new lease of life.”
Go maximalist – or understated
Whichever path you choose, own your decision. “To me, a well-dressed home at Christmas feels quietly festive,” says Paula Ellis, global visual merchandising manager at clothing and homewares store Toast. “Not loud, but layered, warm and welcoming.”
“Most of the time people say ‘less is more’,” says Blanch. “I say ‘more is more’ at Christmas.”
Choose a well-shaped tree
Clemenger has been known to have up to seven trees in her home, so she has strong views about choosing one. “Make sure your tree has a good shape if it’s fresh, or that it’s fully fluffed out if artificial. If your tree looks thin or sparse, add fresh or preserved foliage in the gaps for extra depth and texture.”
Collect decorations and hang them mindfully
“I love ornaments,” says Jeuvell, who sells many tree decorations in her shop. “I especially like antique ones, small ones, dainty ones and historical ones. And as a collector, I like things that are unusual.” When Christmas is over, she stows them away in special cases to keep them safe. She also gives each of her children a new decoration every year to build up the collection.
“I adore vintage glass decorations; the older the better,” says Clemenger. “I spend the year hunting them down in charity shops – it’s a true obsession.”
Rather than just throwing everything on, be a bit more mindful about the process, Clemenger advises. “Place decorations not only on the tips but also midway and deep inside the branches – it makes your tree feel fuller and more luxurious. You can fill gaps affordably with ribbon, gift tags, foliage or even flowers. But always remember it’s your tree, not a competition. Do whatever brings you joy.”
Ellis adds: “A touch of novelty always has a place on the tree, if it has heart. It could be something made by a family member, a slightly wonky angel that’s been around for decades, or an ornament picked up on your travels.”
Look after your tree
When should you put your tree up? “I usually go for the first weekend of December,” says Clemenger, “but my daughter put pressure on me this year, so ours went up on 29 November. If you have a fresh tree, be mindful of room temperature – if it’s too warm it may not look its best by Christmas Eve.”
Jeuvell says this is a contentious issue. “I put my tree up on 12 December. If you have a synthetic tree, then by all means, go for it. But if you have a natural tree, you’ve got to think about this carefully.” If you do get a real tree, she says: “Put it outside in a bucket of water before you bring it inside, and let it drink as much water as possible. Don’t just shove it inside your house where it is really hot.”
Don’t limit decorations to the tree
“I like to bring the outside in,” says Ellis. “Not just the tree, but some greenery. Keep it natural and experiment. Creating a focal point with a suspended branch from the garden above the table, and dressing it with paper garlands or paper chains creates a striking display.”
Jarrolds’ windows are filled with metres and metres of red and green paper chains that Blanch and a colleague painstakingly put together. Blanch says these can be made easily with strips of paper and a stapler, and hung around your home.
DIY where possible
There is no need to attend an expensive wreath workshop when you can do it yourself on a shoestring. “Wreath-making is a must,” says Clemenger, who, as a trained florist, has a head start on most of us. “I start with an empty frame or a foliage base and gather baubles, flowers, ribbon and greenery that sit well together. I create small clusters and use florist wire to secure them around the frame. Add a few delicate lights, and the wreath comes to life.”
Blanch says brown paper and ribbon make very effective gift wrapping, and looks classy around the tree too. “I have been known to make my own Christmas crackers,” says Jeuvell. “I gave them to one of my colleagues as a secret Santa.” She watched YouTube tutorials, used cellophane to wrap the crackers and filled them with knick-knacks.
’Tis the season for recycling
Although adding to your bauble mountain can be tempting, “resist the urge to buy new,” says Ellis. “Stick to warm or metallic colours that can be used again and again.” True magic can be found in “reinterpretation rather than reinvention”, she says. “Was your paper chain draped over the tree last year? String it up on the mantel this Christmas.”
“Don’t discard broken decorations, Clemenger says. “Place them in bowls or vases, turning the broken side away. And save every beautiful ribbon from gifts. They work brilliantly on trees, wreaths, chairbacks, and doors.”
Don’t forget the lights
Invest in good lights for the tree. “Fine wire or cluster lights give maximum impact with minimal visible wire,” says Clemenger. “Zigzag the lights from tip [of branches] to trunk, working around the branches from bottom to top. This gives the tree real depth.” Room lighting is crucial for festive ambience, too, says Ellis: “Use low, soft light, to ensure the space feels welcoming, perhaps moving your lamp to spotlight specific decorations or areas of the room.”
“Candlelight is the final magic: it makes everything feel warm, inviting and dreamlike,” says Clemenger.
Transform your table
The humble dining table plays a crucial role in proceedings, so it’s worth dressing it up for the occasion. “I am lucky to use bold Liberty silks that my mum has transformed into floor-sweeping tablecloths. The scale alone brings instant drama,” says Clemenger. “Down the centre, I layer my collection of white and gold vessels, many sourced from charity shops. Some hold food; others hold fresh foliage and flowers. I gather garden greenery, moss and blousy blooms and secure them with a little floral foam. Two old brass candelabras add height, each finished with tall dinner candles and velvet bow clusters. You can create a beautiful table with mismatched crystal glasses, interesting placemats and special linens.”
Jeuvell keeps it simple with “a white tablecloth, some tapered candles, maybe some greenery, but pretty pure in terms of the decorations and more focused around wine and cooking”. This is perhaps, she says, because she grew up in France, where food takes centre-stage.”
Blanch recommends laying the table on Christmas Eve, so you have one less job on the day itself. And above all, don’t forget to embrace the chaos, says Ellis: “I love a bit of asymmetry. A slightly crumpled napkin or a wonky candle, that’s where the charm lives.”
