How to Decorate a Christmas Tree

Learn how to decorate an artificial or live Christmas tree with ornaments, garlands and string lights in one of the helpful holiday decorating guides from Lowe's.

Decorate Your Tree

Whatever your style or budget, your Christmas tree is the centerpiece of your holiday decorating plans. Use this surefire plan to trim your tree, layer it with lights and add all the finishing touches. Find the perfect live tree.

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Think you don't have room or budget for a Christmas tree? Think again.

• Celebrate on a smart scale by choosing a live or an artificial tabletop tree.
• Pick a narrow tree if space is at a premium. In fact, some full-size pencil trees require only about 1 square foot of floor space.
• If you're short on ornaments, position your tree in a corner. That way you only have to decorate the half that shows.

Step 1: Set up your Christmas tree.

• For an artificial tree, assemble it according to the manufacturer’s directions. Then shape the branches and tips for a full, natural look.
• For a live tree, recut the base if you can, then position the tree in a stand, add water and let it acclimate. The tree may take up more water initially, so check the water reservoir every 30 minutes or so. In two to four hours, the branches will relax and be ready for decorations. Remember to check the water level in the stand every other day, and add plain tap water to keep the cut fully submerged.

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While decorating, position your tree about 2 feet from a corner or wall, so you can easily access the entire tree as you hang lights and ornaments.

Step 2: Light your Christmas tree.

Few things make the holidays more magical than a tree with hundreds — or even thousands — of twinkling lights.

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If you don't enjoy hanging lights, don't worry. You can still enjoy the season's sparkle with a prelit artificial tree available in the Lowe's Seasonal Area. Simply unpack it, place in the stand and plug in.

The first step when choosing lights is to decide on the type of bulb you want to use.

• Incandescent, mini string lights have been the standard for years. They're inexpensive and come in a variety of styles and colors.
• LED (light-emitting diode) string lights are growing in popularity. They give off brilliant white light and feature bulb covers in various shapes and colors. LED strings cost more than incandescent light strings, but they're 80% more energy-efficient and last thousands of hours longer. Another plus: They don't produce heat like incandescent bulbs.
• White lights act as a spotlight and draw attention to the ornaments on your tree.
• Colored lights create a festive look and allow for lots of creativity.

Whatever type of lights you choose, be sure they're UL-listed (Underwriters Laboratories) and have nontwist sockets for easy bulb replacement. For consistent results and easy connectability, choose the same brand and type of lights for your entire tree.

Purchase 100 lights for every foot and a half of tree. So a 6-foot-tall tree needs at least 400 lights for a basic level of lighting. If you love lights, double or even triple that amount. It's a good idea to buy an extra set or two in case you decide to add more lights.

Recommended Number of Lights for Fresh-Cut Trees

When you're ready to light your tree, test to see that all the bulbs are working. Have a stepladder nearby, or surround the tree with several sturdy chairs so you can reach all parts of the tree easily. Work with the lights turned on so you can ensure that the lights are evenly distributed.

Consider one of these popular methods for stringing lights.

• The weave technique is simple. Start at the top of the tree, and weave the lights up and under branches. Work your way down and around the tree, hanging lights in the back as well. When you reach the bottom, hide any extra lights behind the tree. If you want to add more lights, do another pass, starting from the top and working down.
• The branch wrapping technique is ideal if you love lights. Start wrapping a branch at the bottom of your tree, working from the trunk out. Wrap lights around the individual branches, working farther and farther out. When you're about 4 inches from the end of a branch, stop. Work your way back to the trunk, wrapping the cord just once or twice to hold it in place. Then move on a nearby branch and repeat.

Whatever lighting technique you use, never connect more than three strands or 300 lights end to end. After you finish hanging a third strand, start back at the power source for your next set.

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When you're done hanging lights, step away from the tree, turn down the room lights and evaluate your work. Squint your eyes until the tree is blurry, look for dark patches, and rearrange lights to fill in any holes.

Step 3: Add ornaments and other accessories.

With so many ways to decorate a Christmas tree, you may need more than one tree to spread the holiday cheer throughout your entire home.

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The exact number of ornaments you need depends on your tree's size, the size of your ornaments, how much of the tree you plan to decorate and your personal style.

Rely on the following start-to-finish decorating tips to get the best results:

• Place your tree topper first. That way you avoid breaking other ornaments or toppling a fully decorated tree. Stars and angels are classic toppers, but you can top a tree with any interesting shape, a bow or even an arrangement of feathers or silk flowers.
• Hang garland on your tree before adding the ornaments. Drape the garland with big swoops and overlaps for a casual look, or position garland evenly for a formal appearance. Start at the top of the tree and work your way down.
• Divide your ornaments by size and shape before hanging. Start by hanging the large ornaments evenly on the tree, then add the medium ornaments and finish with the small ones. Spread various shapes evenly around the tree. You want to see all the shapes at any angle. Have fun with different types of ornaments. Draw from nature and use dried flowers, nests, pinecones and other organic materials. Don't hang ornaments on the tips of branches. Layering ornaments throughout the whole tree will create depth.
• Unify your tree with color. Look in the Lowe's Seasonal Area for color-coordinated kits that combine bulbs, garland and lights. Or pair two colors and create your own color scheme. Some classic combinations include red and green, red and white, blue and silver and silver and gold.
• Finish with a tree skirt. A tree skirt will hide the tree stand and create a nice backdrop for gifts to be placed around.

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Don't overlook the charms of a tree that combines old and new, store-bought and handmade. Hang special ornaments in prominent positions, scatter your unmatched ornaments around the tree, and then fill in with a basic ornament — like red balls — everywhere else.

More Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

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