Kimberley Walsh, aka our forever Girls Aloud icon, took to Instagram the other day to share her newest Christmas tree decorations for this year – and she's making a case for festive decorations that go against the grain to what we've long considered 'traditional'. Needless to say, we love her all the more for it.
Christmas decorating ideas are likely flooding you from every angle now that December is right on our doorstep, and chances are you're probably already considering countless ways to decorate a Christmas tree.
While many still associate Christmas with traditional decorations (we're talking about all the red, green, and gold you were likely surrounded with growing up), there are now so many Christmas tree trends surfacing yearly through the likes of social media looking to broaden our scope.
Well, this year's biggest trend on the rise? Untraditional, personal baubles – and Kimberley Walsh is leading the pact.
Kimberley Walsh's untraditional Christmas tree
Just earlier this week, Kimberley took to her Instagram stories to share a new snap of her Christmas tree. In the story she writes, 'It's happening 😍' and 'First tree up 🎄' as she showcases her gorgeous, colourful Christmas tree.
In the following story, she shares a video close-up of her untraditional Christmas tree writing, 'Some new additions this year 😍' as she pans through a selection of playful baubles shaped as doughnuts, ice lollies, disco balls, and more. If you ask us, it's serving major Taylor Swift-inspired Christmas ornament vibes.
The rest of Kimberley's tree consists of sparkly, colourful round baubles in different sizes and multi-coloured LED Christmas lights. Yeah... we love it.
It's not just Kimberley Walsh who's loving the rising trend of untraditional Christmas decorations.
New research from NOW reveals that traditional Christmas decorations are on the decline, with 34% of Brits saying they're 'boring', while 64% agreed that their Christmas tree is an opportunity to express themselves – and express themselves they should! What's more, further research reveals that 62% of Gen Z and Millennials are favouring decorations that mirror their hobbies more and more.
We don't know about you, but we think this is a Christmas trend we can certainly get behind.
Commenting on the rise of untraditional Christmas decorations, Adele Gregson, expert Christmas tree decorator and founder of The Christmas Company says, 'Decorating a Christmas tree is a special tradition that brings the true magic of Christmas into our homes. Recently, we've seen an increasing number of people take a less conventional route when it comes to their choice of decorations.'
'Whether that's teddy bears or dinosaurs, to their favourite TV shows, people want to have more personal options that reflect their passions. Christmas is all about joy, and people want to inject fun and personality into their tree, giving it a distinctive look that feels unique to them.'
How to recreate Kimberley's untraditional Christmas tree
Love Kimberley's tree and want to get the look for yourself at home? Here are three expert-led tips to help you ensure your Christmas tree ideas are the ones that stand out the most this year.
1. Go big or go home
'There's a huge demand for large baubles this year as they fill out the tree and give a more extravagant wow factor look,' starts Adele.
'However, if you're looking to adopt this trend, you don't need to overhaul your entire bauble collection. Simply disperse some bulkier decorations throughout your tree to play with scale and make an impact.'
2. Say goodbye to red, green, and gold
'Teal, toffee and monochrome are big trends this season, with more people favouring unusual colours over a traditional colour palette,' assures Adele.
Enter, alternative Christmas colour schemes.
3. Make things personal and fun
'This is your Christmas tree, and it should feel that way,' continues Adele. 'Choose unique baubles that reflect your passions and interests. Whether that's decorations inspired by your favourite music, TV shows, food, celebrities, and more.' Needless to say, the choices are endless.
To help people inject some personality into their Christmas decorating this year, NOW are even giving away FREE sets of Box Set Baubles drawing inspiration from NOW’s most iconic TV shows – which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis here.
Alternatively, here are some of our favourite untraditional Christmas baubles.
Well, have we convinced you that untraditional is the way to go with your Christmas decorating this year? We're manifesting a Christmas in true Girls Aloud fashion this year, so Kimberley Walsh, best believe you've got our attention this festive season.
