Christmas Tree Decorating

How to decorate a Christmas tree?

The Holiday season is approaching and we have to start our preparations for the festivities.

One of the many things to be done is decorating the Christmas tree. Do you like decorating your Christmas tree? Many people do not.
The reason people do not like to decorate Christmas trees in most cases is the fact that the result does not meet their expectations. The tree does not turn out the way they expected or desired.

There are so many things to do before the Holidays arrive:
* Buy gifts for family, friends, colleagues, etc.
* Plan for dinners and parties.
* Buy food, snacks and beverages
* Illuminate the exterior of the house and put the reindeer in the front yard.
* Decorate the interior of the home, decorate a tree, hang garlands, place candles, etc.

This is just a brief summary of our tasks for the holidays. Quite a job.
Many tasks to be completed and not enough time. This probably is the cause of the Christmas tree problem. Too many things competing for the limited available time.
Solution? We have to start early and be clever with the use of our time.

We will try and help you with some ideas and tips for tree decorating.
If we work on our tree decorating based on a number of steps in the right sequence it is going to work. With the guidance of a couple of principles we will make the effort easier and the result better. Our efficient approach will help create the right tree for your home and your family. As we see a great result develop under our hands, it will even be an enjoyable part of the holiday preparations.

Ready? Let's get started.

Decorated trees

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When we walk through the shopping malls we see large trees and small trees. There is an endless variety of trees. One seldom sees identical trees except perhaps the one we decorate at home year after year. And even then we can make variations with the same set of ornaments.
There are green trees, white trees and purple or other wild colored trees. Trees with traditional decorations, modern, or strange styles. Trees we like or dislike, or just don't care for.

Whatever your taste or preference there is a style that works for you.
This tree decorating guideline works for all types of trees, real or artificial.

Location of the tree

Some people put the tree in the same room and the same spot every year. This location may have been picked by coincidence the first year or at least a long time ago. It would be good to re-consider the options. Perhaps there is a better location that has been overlooked until now.

Places to avoid:
- next to the fireplace. This is a hazardous place for both real and artificial trees
- above a vent of the forced air heater. This will dry out the real tree more quickly
- right next to a door or along a main traffic route in the house. Frequent brushing along the branches will make the tree shed its needles prematurely
- a room where no one spends much time.

Good locations:
- a room where the family spends most of the time during the holiday season
- close to an electric outlet; avoids the need for ugly extension cords, also causing danger for tripping over the extension cords
- a central position in the room where the tree can serve as a focal point
- a central location also has the advantage of providing a good view of and access to the gifts under the tree
- in front of a large window or in a bay window
- a tree in front of a street facing window renders a festive view from the street.

Style of tree decoration

Before we start decorating we have to decide what style we prefer for our tree.

1. Formal tree
Formal trees make a splash in an entrance hallway. Trees in a formal dining room or living room are expected to display a formal style. This is also true of trees in churches and other public spaces.
Colors used in these trees are 'ton sur ton', this means different shades of the same color. Often Reds, Golds, or Silver colors.
Also a particular theme looks great, such as the same type of ball in different sizes, or the same plain ball in multiple colors can be very stylish.
To create a formal tree one needs multiple sets of the same or similar ornaments. The quantities of individual ornaments need to be larger when the displayed tree is larger. This means that the sets of ornaments have to be purchased at the same time. A following year the fashion may be different, different colors and shapes may be in style and one cannot add to the ornaments that were purchased the first year.
A collectors tree may contain one or several collections of ornaments collected over a number of years. A consistent theme like many types of santa's or snowmen can result in a certain kind of formality. In most cases however a collection has a variety of items and colors and does not look formal even though it may display one single theme.

In general clear lights work best in formal trees. Clear lights may be simple round or pear shaped lights, or electric candles. Make sure candles stand up straight. A candle light hanging upside down does not look very natural nor stylish.
In red decorated trees red lights will work, but it may be a bit much of the same color. Yellow lights can work in gold themes. Silver themes do not combine with any lights but clear ones.

In conclusion a formal tree displays:
- a single color, or a consistent color combination
- clear lights.
- small bulbs or candle shaped lights

2. Informal, or Family tree
This is a tree situated in the family room, or other room where the family spends most of its time during the holiday season. In this room we may have a tree where children hang their personal ornaments, items they made in school or scouting club.
The family tree is usually very colorful, less or not at all formal and has ornaments with a history or attached memories. Family heirlooms may also be part of this tree's decoration.
The ornaments are a hodgepodge of color and shapes. The family decorations may contain a number of collections, such as santa's, nutcrackers, fairy tale dolls or musical figures.
The collection of ornaments displayed in a family Christmas tree is purchased over the years or received as gifts. The style or color is not very important. The set of ornaments can be expanded over the years as needed by a larger tree.

Lighting may be clear, but often children are more fascinated by colored lights. One may choose a single color of lighting or a multi-color lights set. The shapes of the bulbs may be star-, pine cone- or other shaped lights.

Tree Decorating

Decorating - Step 1: Installing the lights.
Once we have chosen the place for the tree we install the tree in its "permanent" location. Once the tree is decorated it will be difficult to relocate it. So we must be sure about the location before we start the decorating process.
Now we are ready to start decorating the tree.

Choose a power socket as close to the tree as possible. Make sure the plug of the tree lights can reach the socket, or get an (small) extension cord.

There is no right or wrong number of lights in a tree. It is your personal taste if the tree should radiate light, be lighting the room, or only be a less dominant and sparsely lit object.
What is important for the end result is the spread of lights over the surface of the tree.
Determine how many lights or how long a string of lights you have and estimate how they should be spread over the tree. Divide lights evenly starting from the top and working down to the bottom.
In general the lights should be installed all around the tree. A tree in a blind corner could do with fewer lights in the back, but there should always be some lights on the back side of the tree. These back lights do make an important difference.
When the string is in place, try out the lights. When lit they give a better impression of whether or not the spread is good. Adjust as necessary. At this time you can still remove them for repair if necessary.
Once we are satified with the uniform light radiation we are ready for the next step in our tree decorating project.

Step 2- Installing the ornaments
Most ornaments are hanging items fitted with a hanging ring or eye. Hanging the ornaments is easiest with the standard ornament hooks that are for sale in any store selling ornaments. If you run short when almost completed, a paper clip is a good alternative.
Most people own multiple sets of ornaments. They may be of one color, one style or one size.
* Install one set/type of ornaments at a time; this will help you to divide them evenly over the tree
* Start with the larger ornaments and keep the sets of smaller ones for last, as they more easily fill in the gaps
* Even though one wants to spread each ornament set evenly over the tree, there is a sub-rule that dictates keeping the really large ornaments more towards the bottom of the tree, while the smaller ones are in the majority at the top
* Also spread the various colors and designs evenly over the tree. Clusters of the same color and style look messy
* Ornaments should be installed randomly; avoid symmetry and patterns. Even the stiffness of a cheap artificial tree, with six identical branches in each layer, can be smoothed by installing the ornaments at random. Avoid letting the uniform branches dictate uniform decoration.
When finished with all the ornaments, take a good look at the tree from all sides and look for gaps in the decoration, adjust if and where necessary.

Step 3 - Installing garlands
After the ornaments are in place the tree is further enriched with strings of garland.
Silver or gold are most appropriate.
Remember the garland symbolizes the snow hanging from the branches in the winter landscape. Therefor the strings should be allowed to sag between branches. This means the strings go around the tree over the tips of the branches at the same height with enough length in between the branches, so that the garland forms a wavy pattern.
The garlands are installed horizontally in multiple layers from bottom to top. Never let the garlands run vertically; this looks like the branches are held together by the garland instead of the branches supporting the garland, or the tree looks like a mast on a ship.

Step 4 - Installing silver or gold lametta, or icicles.
You can further extend the wintery impression by hanging lametta, or strips of silver foil at the end of every tip. This symbolizes icicles at the tips of the branches.
Alternatives are artificial glass or plastic icicles hanging from the tips of the branches. There are very realistic products on the market.

Other decorating items

Snow
Putting snow in the tree is a matter of taste. There are various ways of imitating snow in a tree. The problem with snow decoration is that when you start imitating snow in the tree, it fails if it does not look real.
There are snow products that look reasonably real. When you buy it take a good look and imagine what it will look like in your tree. If it does not create a real snow image on your tree, don't do it.
I would advise against:
* Styrofoam products. The particles look more like hail than snowflakes.
* Snow from a spray can. This is fun stuff to make paintings on your windows, if you like that kind of thing. Sprayed snow on a tree looks like the tree just got a coat of primer for a paint job.

As indicated before, it is better to symbolize snow by means of glittering garlands than by applying a bad imitation of snow.

Tree skirt
Once you are happy with the decorated tree, there is one additional item that completes the tree: a Tree Skirt.
A tree skirt finishes the base of the tree. It covers the wooden, plastic, or whatever stand you are using. It creates a visual foundation for the tree. It is also a pleasant view once the presents are gone.
If you have a really nice stand in wrought iron or other artistic product, forget about the tree skirt.

We hope this gives you a number of constructive ideas and lots of inspiration to make your Christmas tree a true joy in your home.

A more comprehensive and richly illustrated guide
"How to Decorate a Christmas Tree" can be purchased in our Book Store.