Fake trees, Yankee candles & outdoor lights – the Christmas decorations which make you TACKY, etiquette expert reveals

ETIQUETTE expert William Hanson tells Joel Cooper the dos and don’ts of festive decorating.

But do you agree?

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ANYTHING FAKE IS NAFF: Fake trees are naff because they never have the allure or quality of the real deal. If you’re worried about pine needles dropping, get a good-quality tree and put it in water — it will drop less. And don’t get me started on pre-lit trees. The fun part is having this blank, green canvas and building it up.

DON’T TRY – AND FAIL – TO START A NEW TREND: Amanda Holden appears to have confused her Christmas tree with a turkey by placing feathers on the top. You don’t stick a bauble up the turkey, and it’s the same principle. Amanda might be starting a trend and in a few years’ time it could be the done thing, but at the moment, it looks peculiar.

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PUT UNSIGHTLY DECOR AT BACK: A tree will normally go in the corner of the room so you could always keep unsightly sentimental baubles hidden. It’s what my parents would do with decorations we’d made at school.
Myleene Klass’s tree is an exception to this — nothing matches, but everything goes beautifully together, so it’s not an assault on the eyes.

USING NATURAL DECOR SHOWS YOU’RE CREATIVE: Decorating your living room using holly, mistletoe and berries is good, and usually compostable too. A poinsettia is the traditional flower at Christmas, while holly in a vase will look good. Mistletoe is nice, but not hung from a doorway, so put it in a vase and make sure it’s facing upwards. Arranging a centrepiece with ivy and berries is smart and shows you’re creative.

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AVOID YANKEE CANDLES: FRANKLY, there is never a time or a place for a Yankee Candle. An advent calendar is traditional, where you light a bit each day. Candles on the dining table are fine for the evening, but at lunch you should be smelling the food, not a candle.

AN IMPERFECT TREE IS A SIGN OF CLASS: NOT every Christmas tree is perfect and if yours is wonky, that’s not a faux pas. If you go to aristocratic houses, things are never usually quite perfect. To be upper class, nothing should be matchy                matchy or overly styled, it should be tasteful and restrained.

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OUTDOOR LIGHTS MEAN PEOPLE ARE LAUGHING AT YOU: LIGHTS outside houses are almost always seen in non-desirable neighbourhoods. If you love them, it’s probably because you are from such a neighbourhood. However, lighting a tree outdoors if it’s particularly old or grand can look smart. But use clear lights, not multi-coloured.

FAIRIES AREN’T FIT FOR A TREE: A winged fairy is simply not the done thing in discerning households. Dame Joan Collins has a fairy atop her tree — let’s hope it’s a family heirloom, because if not, it’s very common. A fairy did not lead the Wise Men to Bethlehem, it was a star. A star should be silver or gold.

ROYAL BLUE IS REGAL: Amanda Holden wins points for using royal blue and has redeemed herself slightly if you look past the feathers. Royal blue is on trend, but there is always a danger that if you follow a trend this year it may not be one next year, which is why it’s safer to go classic.

ALREADY DECORATED? YOU’RE COMMON: A good social acid test is how early someone puts up their tree. If you put it up on Christmas Eve, you are top tier. If you’ve got it up now, I’m sorry to say you are common.

SAY TA-TA TO TINSEL: Tinsel remains the antichrist of decorations. Even though some trees — even royal trees in the 1980s — have been seen with a touch of tinsel, it is the commonest of Christmas accessories. It never looks good, is horrid to touch and is a waste of money.

DON’T OVERDO IT: IF your tree is so heavily decorated that you can’t see the tree itself, that isn’t good. Tamara Ecclestone’s tree is a prime example. It should be no more than two-thirds decoration. Anyone with an aesthetic eye understands that less is more.