When Decorating A Christmas Tree, Does The Ribbon Or Balls Go On First

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A decorated Christmas tree makes for a very jolly home during the holidays. Make your home festive by following these easy steps. Keep the needles on your beautifully decorated tree with a Christmas tree watering system.

1

Test your Christmas lights before you hang them on your tree. Plug your Christmas lights into an outlet. Ensure that you don't have any burnt-out bulbs.
2
Put lights on your tree. Make sure to do this before putting ornaments on your tree. LED lights are best for live trees as they do not heat up too quickly.^[1]
- The Around-and-Around Wrap: Wrap strands of lights around the top of the tree and work your way down to the base of the tree. For a 6-foot tall tree, you will need about 6 strands of lights with 100 bulbs each.^[2]
- Put your first light at the very top of the tree to begin. This light will shine on the star, angel, or snowflake that you will add later.
- Secure your light strands by weaving them in an out of the tree's branches.
- The Vertical Wrap: Divide your tree into 3 sections. Each section will have its own lights.
- Begin at the base of the tree and weave the lights up through the branches to the top of the tree and back down to the base. Repeat.
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3

Connect your light strands to an extension cord and plug it into a nearby outlet.

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1
Wrap the base of the tree in plastic. The plastic will collect any needles that fall off your tree. Cover the plastic with a festive Christmas tree skirt.
- These skirts add to the beauty of your tree and also keep the tree's needles from collecting on your floor.
2

Hang your ornaments on the tree. Look for branches that are wider apart so that your ornaments won't rest on lower branches.
3

Hang heavier ornaments further up on branches, closer to the trunk of the tree. The tree is strongest near the trunk and can bear more weight.
4

Hang ornaments near lights to highlight certain ornaments. This works particularly well with shiny bulb, glass, or metal ornaments as these types are the most reflective.
5
Spread ornaments evenly throughout the tree. Make sure not to hang too many ornaments on each branch.
- If a branch starts to get too weighed down, ornaments could fall off or the branch could break.
6

Add additional decorations. These extras can include bows, strands of popcorn and cranberries, and candy canes.
7
Add tinsel (optional). Tinsel makes your tree glitter. Hang tinsel near lights for the shiniest look possible.
- Be mindful with the amount of tinsel you place on your tree. Too much tinsel could take away from the beauty of your ornaments.
- For a more modern look, buy colored tinsel rather than the traditional gold and silver.
8

Add the star (or decoration you wish to have at the top of your tree.) Make sure that it is secure and not crooked.
9

Turn off the lights in your house. Admire the festive tree you have created and be jolly.

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1
Create a traditional look with solid red, white, silver and gold orbs. The orbs can be glass or plastic.^[3]
- Add fake winterberries and silver bells to complete a traditional tree.
2
Place silk flowers throughout your tree for a blooming theme. Hang white lights instead of colored lights to accent the flowers.^[4]
- Silk roses, magnolias, and hydrangeas are good options for a wintery feel.
- Add richly colored ribbons and little silver orbs or glittering glass ornaments for a twinkling, flowery look.
3
Create a nature-inspired look with rustic metal or glass ornaments. Place pine cones throughout the tree.^[5]
- Mix bird ornaments in with fake leaves.
- White lights are best for this natural look.
4
Hang red, white, and blue ornaments for a patriotic look. Mix glass and plastic ornaments alongside white lights for a tree that could rival the White House's own.^[6]
- To get even more patriotic, hang red, white, and blue lights on your tree.
5
Hang large, brightly colored orbs for a more modern look. Mod colors include lime greens, purples, bright blues, and hot pink.^[7]
- Light strands with large light bulbs mixed with bright small and large ornaments will give your tree a contemporary, edgy feel.
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Add New Question

Question

What size tree is best?

It depends on the size the house and room where you plan to display it.
Question

Do ornaments need to go all around the tree?

You can put the ornaments wherever you'd like on the tree.
Question

Would big ornaments go well on a small tree?

If you have a smaller tree, smaller ornaments are better. They look better, and have lower chances of weighing down the branches and breaking them.
Question

What are the names of ornaments used to decorate trees?

Amy Paige

Community Answer

The names of ornaments to decorate trees include tinsel, baubles, candy canes, bows, pictures, picture frames, sometimes a star or angel on the top, ribbon, greeting cards, candles, fairy lights, and hanging ornaments.
Question

I am a 10-year-old kid, can I decorate the Christmas tree on my own?

You probably can, but ask a parent's permission first. You might need an adult's help reaching the upper areas of the tree.
Question

Can this be done on a small decorative tree in my room?

Absolutely. If you are young, you might need assistance from an adult to put up the lights. The rest could all by done for a small tree in a room.
Question

How much tinsel do I need for a 4-foot tree?

If you want to have it go around every branch on a 4-foot tree, you may require about 8-10 meters of tinsel. You can buy multiple colors and use them individually.
Question

What color should I use for the ornaments?

For a green tree you can use golden, red and silver ornaments. For a white tree, you can use green, red, gold, etc. Have a look at images of Christmas trees online for many varied ideas.
Question

How much ribbon do I need for 9- foot Christmas tree?

Gabriela Negrete

Community Answer

It depends on where you want to put it. I would buy at least 40 feet just to be safe. If you need more, then you can always go back to the store.

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When buying a live Christmas tree, look for trees that have even branches all the way around. Avoid trees with large bald spots where no branches are growing because you will be able to hang less ornaments (and it will look awkward.)
Craft stores such as Hobby Lobby may have different ornaments that you may like to add to your tree.
Pick colors that complement each other. Blue and silver, red and gold, silver and gold, and purple, gold, and silver, are some color combinations that look great. Combinations like blue and pink, pink and gold, and red and blue may not look work as well on your Christmas tree.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Do not overload the power outlets! This is a common occurrence at Christmas time and can lead to a fire.
Be careful with broken ornaments. The shards can be very sharp. It is best not to use glass decorations on a tree if you have pets or young children who could break them and get cut.
Make sure you turn off incandescent lights before you go to bed, especially on a live tree. You can unplug the lights or use a timer.
Never hang candles on the tree as they are dangerous and can cause a fire.

Things You'll Need

Christmas tree (live or fake)
Christmas tree stand
Small plastic tarp
Tree skirt
Ornaments
Strings of lights
Beads and extra decorations (optional)
Bows (optional)
Star or other topper to place on the top of the tree.

About This Article

Article SummaryX

Before adding lights to your Christmas tree, test your lights to make sure they work. Then, starting from the top, wrap the lights around your tree. Next, wrap the bottom of the tree in plastic to catch any falling needles and cover the plastic with a festive skirt to brighten up the tree. When hanging your ornaments, put heavy ones further up the branch as the tree is stronger closer to the trunk. Add tinsel once you've hung the ornaments and finish by placing a star on top. If you want to learn how to make your Christmas tree look more traditional or modern, keep reading the article!

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