Tree Decoration Tips
These days it is not uncommon for your Christmas tree to be a social media showcase, or at the very least a focal point for the visitors over the festive period, either way, it’s nice to take a bit of pride in the presentation.
There are a few simple tips we can offer which will stand you in good stead for the annual competition in which you (often involuntarily) enter!
Before the tree is even purchased give some thought to your desired colour scheme, golds, reds & greens are a popular traditional choice, with blue, whites and silvers remain a strong modern choice.
For those with artificial Christmas trees before the decoration commences take a moment to “fluff” the tree, by this we mean to spread out all the branches giving the tree a more realistic look and better coverage, spending 11 months in the attic would leave us all looking a touch bedraggled!
For the real Christmas tree owners then don’t forget to keep topping up water in the stand and to locate ideally in a cooler place for longevity, the Nordman fir is noted for its needle retention.
Lights: the starting point to the tree decoration (a quick plug-in test before installing is always recommended before placing them on the tree!), from the top work your way down with the lights placing them within branches and spacing out evenly. As a basic guide for a 6ft tree, a purchase of a set with 200 bulbs/lights would give a good coverage.
Bauble hangers are a cheap but very useful purchase, those perfectly placed decorations you see aren’t merely a simple accident of how the string lets it fall, nor do you want half of them on the floor as a daily collection, the hangers will hold them firmly in place.
Baubles: are available in a range of sizes, however a selection of 40mm, 60mm, 80mm or 100mm would all be suitable options for a standard 6ft tree (note that the dimensions are taken as a measurement across the diameter), we typically add between 60 to 90 ornaments on a 6ft tree depending on their size and the coverage level desired.
Flora and Fauna: Decorative pieces (picks, flowers etc) make a beautiful contribution to and Christmas tree, typically added in odd numbers and distributed equally around the tree they can be used to add another dash of colour into your scheme. Tinsel, garlands, candy canes and ornaments are all also popular options.
Finishing touches: To complement your hard work don’t forget to include a tree topper of your choice, often a shiny star or festive angel. Finally, tree skirts really finish off your efforts by tidying away any cables for the lights or from the often less than aesthetic tree stand.
Congratulations – all done! Take a photo of your Christmas tree either just for prosperity or to share with the world, please feel free to share it with us on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, and if you have any of your own tips to add please send them in too, let’s make it our mission to make all trees the stunning showcase of Christmas they should be!
As a guide, we recommend the ratios shown below for Tree Size, Lights, Baubles and other trimming items:
Tree size | Lights | Baubles | Picks/flora/fauna |
6ft | 200 | 150 | 20 |