I know not too many people are thinking about Christmas in July but if you work in retail there is a big chance you have been thinking about it since January. In fact one of the big trade shows in Birmingham in Feb you pick out all your Christmas decorations.
Luckily for me I deal with much smaller scale suppliers and they can offer more flexibility. However, that doesn't mean that I'm not thinking about it early in the year. So I've done my research, visited my suppliers, looked at the trend setters and thought I'd share with you the recurring trends that everyone is talking about will be big for Christmas 2018 to give you some early inspiration.
1) Blue, Blue, Blue Christmas
From light blue to dark blue to blue Christmas trees the colour blue will feature heavily for Christmas 2018. Some shades of blue can look cold and a bit too cool for Christmas in my opinion. Team it with gold to give a really elegant feel or
2) Think Pink
Think about pink gin, Prosecco, sorbet, marsh mellows, ribbons and glitter. Felt fairy and pink organza is a good image to have and things like mint, peach and those things shade that are very pretty can be added in to give it a bit of colour. Me, I think if your going to go pink keep it simple and elegant with a tough of TOWIE.
3) Colours of the Rainbow
My favourite and according to John Lewis it's going to the biggest thing this year is over the top, fun and colourful and brings lots of joy. You can combine all the colours of the rainbow or pink some of your favourite strong colours to give your festivities a real wow factor. Set to take social media by storm. (Photo from housebeautiful.com)
4) Natural Ornaments
Natural textures are a great trend for 2018. Ceramic in any design from elephants and unicorns to Christmas Cottages and Churches. Ceramic ornaments are going to be big thing this Christmas and white, especially with a matte finish, make these ornament look trendy and gorgeous. As every wood is featuring strongly used for everything like trees, table decorations and combined with mixed metallics and even concrete will soften them and give the great feeling we get from nature. Think how you can add a twist on the natural theme.
5) Vintage and Recycled
A bit like the saying something old and something new this Christmas something vintage and something recycled is right on trend which is close to my heart. This is a perfect way to really personalise your space and let your creativity unfold - it's there you just need to give it an outlet! This is where the vintage spirit comes into it's element and you can bring in items passed down the family.
6) Own it
Which brings us nicely onto the next trend - a personal touch. In the age of mass production there will be a strong emphasis on creating your own personal Christmas. Think about your home and maybe plan out what will look good. Chimneys, Windows and Doors are key places to add your personal touch to your Christmas decorations with lots of details that reflect your own style and personality. Simple things like your gift list (no gift vouchers here) and even your wrapping can be unique to you.
7) White and warm lights
An finally in line with the natural, personal feel this Christmas is set to have coloured lights are so last year and the trend for 2018 is white lights or warm lights in a single tone. This will give a soft uniformity that is in this season and can even be carried through to the star at the top of the tree.
Each year it feels in June, July & August I'm ultra organised and then September comes and suddenly it's the countdown to Christmas. No matter how early I start I never seem quite as prepared as I'd like.