Mom Gave Up Day Job To Decorate Christmas Trees: 'One Had $10k In Decor'

Meet the American mom-of-two who spreads Christmas cheer for a living by traveling the nation to decorate trees.

Amanda Ware, 43, has always loved the festive season, especially decorating her home in Bentonville, Arkansas. But, she never thought she could turn her love for Christmas into a career.

Now, five years after quitting her job as a school teacher, Amanda charges an average of $1,000 to decorate each Christmas tree for her clients, ahead of December 25.

She told Newsweek she earns all her income during the final quarter of the year, decorating a minimum of 100 trees, and selling decorations, such as ribbons, baubles, stockings, and more.

When Is the Perfect Time to Start Decorating for Christmas?

There isn't a right or wrong time to start decorating but it seems most people opt to put their tree up before December has even started.

Offerpad, a real estate company, surveyed 2,008 U.S. adults and the results found that 32 percent put their tree up on the day after Thanksgiving. More than 60 percent of respondents revealed they had put their decorations up because their neighbors had.

Amanda and her team start decorating trees as early as October, however, November is her busiest month. Amanda told Newsweek she spends a total of two to five hours per tree, depending on the size.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Like a Professional

Combining her love for big ribbons and her "unorthodox idea" that any color can be a Christmas color, Amanda has revealed how to decorate your tree like a professional.

Speaking to Newsweek, she said: "The magic truly begins whenever people put their Christmas décor up. I am in the business of making people merry."

1. Fluff the tree

Amanda told Newsweek: "Forgetting to fluff the tree and leaving holes is a common mistake but it's an easy fix."

Previously, she shared the tip on TikTok and over 90,000 people watched her pull out the branches to make the tree as thick as possible.

2. Add 100 lights per foot of the tree

"I say put at least 100 lights per foot of the tree, if there aren't enough lights then it doesn't look good.

"Lights give off a glow and make any evening more romantic. They also enhance all of the decorations, sometimes you can't see the decorations because of the lack of lights.

"My favorite type of light is a warm white light," she told Newsweek.

3. Add ribbon

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She added: "My favorite decoration is ribbon, it is one of the reasons I got into this business.

"I cut it into strips and never wrap it around the tree horizontally as I think this makes it look cheap.

"I usually put the ribbon vertically around the tree and make bows with it.

"To get started I encourage everyone to start with their favorite pattern and velvet material."

Previously, 30,000 people watched a video of Amanda using mostly ribbon to decorate a tree.

4. Add greenery

Amanda recommends using sprigs from an outdoor tree and flowers, if possible.

She states this trick will add more dimension and make your tree appear more high-end.

Amanda also advises adding artificial glitter sprigs and berries to fill in any gaps.

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Amanda Ware uses a mixture of artificial glittery sprigs and real sprigs from trees.

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5. Ornaments

Amanda told Newsweek: "Most people put their favorite baubles and ornaments within eyesight—but if you are adding balls, I suggest buying them in a pack of three or five.

"Then place them on the tree in triangles, one in front of you, one to the lower right, and the other lower left. Or you could create a diamond shape using four."

Everything on the trees decorated by Amanda can be purchased through her store @Shophelloholidays.

She told Newsweek: "My company sells everything you put on a tree. We have designer ribbons, sprigs, and ornaments that give a finished and elevated look to a Christmas tree.

"You can shop any of our trees and that is what our customers and clients love about your unique business. They can buy everything on one of our trees or mix and match.

"That is all we sell at this time yet we hope to expand to everyday holidays such as birthdays, showers, dinner parties, and more.

"I may not be teaching in a classroom I am still teaching people how to elevate their living spaces to invite others over with confidence. That is a huge part of our brand. I want everyone to feel confident in building community in their living spaces.

"The service fee to have a tree decorated could be anywhere between $300 to $1500 per tree depending on the size and who is decorating it. If you hire me, you are going to pay a premium.

"I have previously decorated a tree that had $10,000 worth of decorations on it, and the tree only cost $200.

"We specialize in over-the-top more is more so we like extra. This is a general estimate yet for a 9ft tree decorated all the way around we like to use 3-5 rolls of ribbon, 40-60 sprigs, florals and 30 to 50 ornaments."

How to Decorate the Perfect Christmas Tree

Here are eight things to bear in mind when it comes to decorating your tree, according to Amanda.

1. Don't use tinsel, as it will never come off the tree and is messy.
2. Do put a small tree on a box or container and cover it with fabric to make it look taller.
3. Don't use a star as a topper as they are dated.
4. Do place something more exciting on the top like a huge bow or flowers.
5. Don't put mesh on a tree either as it looks cheap.
6. Do be daring and buy a colorful tree.
7. Don't buy all of the decorations at once as you may get bored with them.
8. Do stick to a color theme such as a pink tree with pink decorations