5 Tips for styling your upcoming Christmas event

You know it's the festive season when wreaths and decorations start to creep in at your local shopping centre and the weather gets warmer (in Australia anyway!). With Christmas just a month away and everyone starting to get into the festive spirit, we thought we'd put together some simple tips for styling your upcoming Christmas event. Whether you're hosting a a big swanky do or a low-key gathering at home, you'll be able to transform any space with these DIY tips from Hayley Ann Styling.

1. Be bold with gold and stay neutral
It's in, it's everywhere, and it's easy to DIY- grab that gold spray paint an old branch of leaves, gumnuts, or pine cones work great also. Give them a spray, place them in a vase, or a sprig on your guests plate and voila! 

I love the good ol' traditional Christmas colours, however, there is a fine line before too much red and green can become overused and tacky. Either use white as a base and accessorise with minimal colour or go bright & colourful with 3 base colourings.

2. Have a centrepiece and eat it too!
Don't be afraid to use food as centrepieces, wooden ploughman boards filled with dried fruits, nuts, cheeses people won't be able to keep their eyes or hands off it!

3. Add foliage on a budget
If you live near the bush or beach use your natural surroundings (it's free!) grab those secateurs, some gloves, a handled bucket and go foraging for some lush foliage with different textures and wild flowers. Young Eucalyptus leaves work a treat as they provide full coverage and fill your house with a beautiful fresh scent. Ensure you shake off and clean the branches & begin tying small loose bunches together with brown twine, place and overlap segments down the centre of your table or hang them from your roof or use wall hooks.

4. Whip out the good stuff!
Put away those plastic plates and paper serviettes. Bring out your best cutlery, the gold trimmed porcelain and those crystal glasses. It's the one time of year where the washing up is worth it! Plus many relatives make light work! 

5. Carry on into the night
You can never overdo warm fairy lights and back deck candles! Push away the tables, grab some bean bags, a pile of throws, rugs, cushions and have a backyard or back deck dessert soiree. If you're sentimental like me, have some old family photo albums aside and take a trip down nostalgia lane. Don't forget to giggle the comfy night away with pudding & cocktails!