Top Christmas decorating tips from the woman decorating the White House for the holidays

When it comes to Christmas decorating, who better to get advice than White House Christmas designer Genevieve Gorder? (No, seriously, have you seen the White House on Christmas?)

Here, Geneviève shares her top tips for making artificial Christmas trees feel like pine, creating a beautiful mantle decor…without a mantle…and more.

Tip #1: Use essential oils to make your Christmas tree smell like pine

“When I work with a faux tree, I’m happy for the durability but I miss that pine scent, so you can add a layer of it to soothe the senses. You can either partially mix in the pine needle essential oil pine tree with two parts distilled water in a spray bottle and just spray your tree, felt ornaments…all of it. Or you can use an essential oil diffuser!”

GET THE LOOK (AND SMELL):

Tip #2: Decorate your Christmas tree from the inside out

“When decorating a tree, think about decorating the darkest parts of the tree first. [and] work your way to the outer branches last. Bring the lights – and the really reflective, twinkling, light-colored ornaments – inside the tree. Reach in and go to the trunk and out, leaving those superstar ornaments everyone loves at the outer branches. What you create is a beautiful sculpture with depth and layers rather than just a tree with decor sprinkled on top.”

HAVE THE LOOK:

Tip #3: Go Vertical with Ribbon on Your Christmas Tree

“I love doing a vertical ribbon cascading down the tree to create an upscale look. That’s what I do at the White House and it creates that ‘wow’ moment that’s really easy to do! “

Tip #4: Decorate your fireplace beautifully…without even needing a fireplace

“Pines are great, but there are so many different greens to play with, and magnolia is my absolute favorite for fireplaces. They use them expertly on every White House fireplace almost every year. love it’s the two-toned leaves which add depth and that extra dose we all crave during the holidays But what I love about this trick is that you don’t need a coat to Do it! It works great on any flat surface in your home. I weave flameless candles onto the surface, then bring in a few birds and you’re done.”

Tip #5: Use Wreaths to Create Stunning, Hassle-Free Centerpieces

“This works for your dining table or any table surface that needs a little something extra, but sometimes you just don’t want to DIY so I love this idea. Place a wreath in the center of your table and decorate each center with a group of flameless candles of varying sizes. It’s simple and beautiful and you can use any wreath you like. If you want to take it up a notch and do a little DIY, you You can also use wreath yarn to add a layer of little family nostalgia photos.”