A decorated Christmas tree gives the house a very cheerful look during the holidays. Make your home cheerful by following these simple steps.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Put the lights on
Step 1. Test the Christmas lights before hanging them on the tree
Plug them into a power outlet. Make sure there are no burnt out bulbs.
Step 2. Put the lights on the tree
They are the first decorations to be inserted, before any other ornament. LED lights are best for live plants because they don't heat up too quickly.
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Wrap it all around: place the rows of lights forming spirals from the top of the tree and walk it to the base, making sure to insert them almost everywhere. For a tree about 1.8m tall you need about 6 rows of lights with 100 bulbs each.
- Put the first light on top of the tree to get started. This will shine on the star, angel, or snowflake you add later.
- Make sure you intertwine the rows of lights inside and outside the branches.
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To place them vertically, divide the tree into 3 sections. Each section will have its own lights.
Start at the base of the tree and weave the lights through the branches to the top and then work your way back to the base. Repeat
Step 3. Connect the wires to an extension cable and plug it into a power outlet
Part 2 of 3: Hanging the decorations
Step 1. Wrap the base of the tree in plastic
This will collect the falling needles. Cover the plastic with a panel decorated with Christmas motifs.
This panel adds beauty to the tree, as well as preventing needles from falling to the floor
Step 2. Hang the decorations
Look for those branches that are more spaced apart, so that the decorations don't rest on the lower branches.
Step 3. Hang heavy ornaments on branches higher up and closer to the tree trunk
The tree is stronger near the trunk and can bear more weight.
Step 4. Place some decorations closer to the lights to highlight them better
This is especially good for shiny glass balls or metallic decorations, as they are more reflective.
Step 5. Distribute the ornaments evenly throughout the tree
Make sure you don't hang too many on a single branch.
If a branch begins to get too heavy, the decorations could fall off or the branch could break
Step 6. Add more decorations
It could be some flakes, some corn and blueberry wreaths and some candy canes.
Step 7. Add glitter (optional)
These make the tree brighter. Hang them near the lights to make them look as bright as possible.
- Be aware of the amount of sequins you hang. If they are too many, they could partially hide the beauty of the other ornaments.
- If you want to give your tree a more modern look, buy sequins in different colors rather than the traditional gold and silver.
Step 8. Insert the star (or the decoration you want to put on the top of the tree)
Make sure it is secure and does not hang.
Step 9. Turn off the house lights
Admire the Christmas tree you have created and rejoice in it.
Part 3 of 3: Finding Ideas for Themed Christmas Trees
Step 1. Give your tree a traditional look by placing red, white, silver and gold balls
These can be glass or plastic.
Add some faux holly and silver bells to complement a traditional tree
Step 2. Place silk flowers all over the tree if you want to create a floral theme
Hang some white lights instead of colored lights to make the flowers stand out.
- Roses, magnolias and silk hydrangeas are good options for creating a winter atmosphere.
- Add some bright colored ribbons and silver balls or sparkling glass ornaments if you want a sparkling floral tree.
Step 3. Create a nature-inspired look by placing rustic metal or glass decorations
Hang pine cones all over the tree.
- Mix some bird-shaped decorations and fake leaves.
- White lights are best suited for giving a natural look.
Step 4. Hang red, white and green ornaments if you want to get a patriotic tree
Put glass and plastic decorations in these colors next to the white lights to have a tree that could rival that of the Quirinale.
To give an even more patriotic look, hang the red, white and green lights
Step 5. If you want to give a more modern look put some big colored balls
Modern colors are electric green, purple, bright blue and fuchsia.
Rows of lights with large bulbs mixed with bright small and large decorations will give your tree a bold touch
Advice
- When buying a Christmas tree, look for one that has its branches well distributed all around. Avoid those with large "empty spaces" where no branches grow because you will be able to hang fewer decorations (and the tree will look awful).
- Craft stores sell different types of decorations, which you can have fun adding to your tree.
Warnings
- Be careful if any ornaments are broken, the fragments can be very sharp.
- Never hang candles on the tree, they are very dangerous and can cause a fire.
- If the bulbs give off heat, be careful not to burn yourself or burn the tree.
- Do not overload the power outlets! This is a very common mistake that many people make at Christmas, it can lead to a fire.
- Never leave the lights on on the tree all night, especially on a living one. Unplug when you go to bed.
