I paid another mom almost $400 to decorate my tree this year — I have no regrets

Way back in July, Krystan was already planning what type of Christmas tree she would have for her family this year.

With four children (three of whom are under three years old), and a baby due in early December, the Australian single mom knew she would need to be prepared early if she wanted a less stressful festive season.

“I decorate our tree with the kids every year and love to get it up early because it’s been a rough few years for everyone, and once the excitement of Christmas starts in the house, it gives you something to look forward to,” the 31-year-old told Kidspot.

Reaching out for Xmas decorating help

When she scrolled through photos of decorated trees in the Christmas Mums Australia Facebook group, one stood out more than any other.

It belonged to another yuletide-loving mom named Tamara.

“I saw a picture of her tree and thought, ‘Wow, that’s incredible, I would love to have something like that,’” the self-employed photographer says.

Instead of attempting to copy the design, Krystan reached out to Tamara — who also conveniently lives on the Gold Coast — and did something she’d never done before. 

“I said, ‘How would you feel if I paid you to go shopping for ornaments and decorate my tree?’” she recalls.

Tamara happily agreed, taking on her first ever paid tree decorating gig.

“As soon as I knew she would take care of everything from the shopping to decorating, it was a massive relief,” Krystan says. 

Krystan gave Tamara a very flexible $190 budget for ornaments that she could spend as she wished and threw caution to the wind for the theme.

“I said to her, ‘You just do what you think will look good’,” Krystan says.

“It was all a surprise. I didn’t know what color it was going to be or the types of decorations she would use.”

After Krystan erected the Costco 7.5 foot tree, Tamara came to the mum-of-five’s home and decorated it in just a couple of hours.   

The total cost was $380, which included all of Tamara’s time, labor and money spent on ornaments (which remained just under Krystan’s $190 budget).

$380 well spent!

For Krystan, it was worth every dollar and so much more.

“You can’t put a cost on it because the tree has become so special to us already,” she says proudly.

“Seeing the kids’ reaction when it was all set up was amazing. I was worried about them being upset that they didn’t get to do it, but my nine-year-old said it looked so good that he didn’t even want to re-do it. It looks so beautiful. I would haven’t done anywhere near as good a job as she did.”

Rather than just the usual baubles, Tamara used flowers, glass birds and a blown glass tree topper instead of a traditional star or angel. 

“She used things I never would have thought of, and that’s what’s really made the tree what it is.”

Come December, Krystan will provide her children — Bentley, 9, Jaxon, 2, Tyler, 1, and Matilda 10 months — with their own small tree to decorate themselves, and adorn other parts of the house and front garden with existing decorations she has collected.

As for next year, this busy mum already has her sights set on outsourcing her main tree once again.

“I might go for another theme and have Tamara come and do it again and go through the same process with me not knowing what it will be like,” she says. “It’s a really nice surprise for me and the kids.”