21 Cozy Winter Decorating Ideas Whether your tree at home is real or artificial, you'll find inspiration for decorating the centerpiece of your holiday home.Save these Christmas tree ideas by pinning this image. Find more merry Christmas ideas by following us on Pinterest. Camp-Style ChristmasCamp-Style ChristmasThe Christmas tree in this camp-style California cabin is peppered with pennants from National Parks and roadside attractions. 100 of the Best Holiday Decorating Ideas Ever Ever Wonder Why We Say "Merry Christmas" and Not "Happy Christmas"? Why I Want My Kids to Believe in Santa Claus for as Long as Possible 20 Playful Ideas for Christmas Games Your Kids Will Love The 10 Best Houses Featured in Christmas Movies 19 Holiday Barks That Are Better Than a Candy Bar The Unusual Backstories Behind 9 of Your Favorite Christmas Carols 15 Seriously Adorable Reindeer Desserts to Make This Christmas 21 Things You Never Knew About "Love Actually"

Watch 400 Versions Of "A Christmas Carol" Cut Into One Movie United Airlines Created the Most Hilarious Holiday CommercialHow to Decorate a Christmas Tree The secret to decorating a pretty Christmas tree is simple: Style in layers! Get more tips for Christmas tree decorating with these easy instructions. Share your take on this idea!Upload your photo here. Christmas Tree Decorating Traditions During the Christmas season, it's wonderful to pass houses with majestic trees in the living room window, decked out in lights, garland, and ornaments. Decorating a Christmas tree is a time-honored tradition for many households, even though Christmas tree decorating as we know it now didn't gain popularity in America until the late 19th century. Early decorations were mostly homemade ornaments and brightly dyed popcorn garlands, but today's decorations include everything from souvenir ornaments to vinyl records and -- of course -- lots of twinkling lights. Not sure how you want to decorate?

Follow our three easy steps for decorating a Christmas tree. Step 1: Hang Christmas Tree Lights The first step in how to decorate a Christmas tree is adding the lights. Tree lights typically come on green or white wire strands; choose the strand color that matches your tree so the wire will be hidden. Illuminating your Christmas tree from the inside out will give it the most dynamic look. Start at the base of the trunk and work your way up, wrapping lights around every major branch, moving from the trunk to the tip and back. Here are four popular types of lights to choose from when decorating a Christmas tree. Traditional incandescent lights: These Christmas tree lights, which come in a variety of sizes and colors, are the most popular type of tree lights. They warm up the branches of a real tree, which will release the scent of pine into the room. LED lights: These Christmas tree lights are newer than the traditional incandescent lights and don't produce heat.

They're typically more expensive, but they are flameproof, fireproof, and completely safe to decorate a Christmas tree with. Globe lights: These Christmas tree lights are round and come in many sizes. They look like balls of color on the tree, and while they have a softer glow than mini lights, the light they produce covers a larger area on the tree. Bubble lights: These retro lights stand straight up on the limbs of your Christmas tree. wall decor living room diyWhen the liquid tube on top of the light warms up, bubbles float up and down inside the tube, resembling lava lamps.wedding hair accessories online shop in india Experiment with different lighting schemes until you find one you like -- it's OK to mix and match lights. cheap diy party favor ideas

For example, a background of white or clear lights can be highlighted with strands of colored lights that wrap the outer areas of the tree. More on How to Put Lights on a Christmas Tree Our Best Tree-Trimming Tips Ever Step 2: Add Christmas Tree Garland There are no firm rules for decorating a Christmas tree when it comes to draping garland. To avoid branches bulging between tightly cinched garland strands, start at the top of the tree, and slowly increase the amount of garland between each wave as you work your way down the branches. christmas tree decorations themePlan to use about two strands of garland for every vertical foot of tree.decorate home for anniversary To avoid a busy look on your tree, decorate your Christmas tree with a variety of garlands from plain to fancy. room decorating ideas with christmas lights

Thin, beaded garlands look best hung from branch to branch; thicker paper, ribbon, or foil garlands look best wrapped loosely around the entire tree. Step 3: Hang Christmas Tree Ornaments The next step in decorating a Christmas tree is to hang your Christmas ornaments. To showcase your favorites, place them in prime positions on the tree first. Next, hang your larger ornaments, spacing them evenly around the tree. Fill in around those ornaments with medium- and small-size ornaments. Be sure to hang some ornaments closer to the trunk to create depth and interest. Finish dressing the tree by adding specialty items, such as clip-on ornaments or icicles. See our ideas for easy ways to make Christmas ornaments that add a personal touch to your tree: Easy Christmas Tree Ornaments 20 Ways to Dress Up Plain Christmas Ornaments Easy Christmas Ornaments Kids Can Make Choose a Spot to Display Your Tree There's no wrong way to decorate a Christmas tree, but we're willing to share our secrets with those who'd like to emulate our style.

When you're ready to set your tree up, pick a low-traffic spot away from fireplaces and heaters, and then anchor the tree with nylon thread tied around the trunk and through screw hooks fastened to the wall. Place Tree Stand in a Watertight Planter The effect is a more tailored look than a tree skirt; it also creates extra room for presents. To pot your tree in a planter follow these steps:1. Lay felt underneath the container to protect floors. 2. Stack bricks inside planter to raise tree if necessary. 3. Place the tree stand inside the planter, followed by the tree.4. Pour pebbles into the stand for added stability. 5. Finish off with clump moss. Norway and blue spruces are naturally symmetrical, but their branches have awkward growths that keep ornaments from hanging freely. Clean them up with a little judicious pruning. With the tree standing upright, study it from a distance to see which areas need pruning. Then, prune small growths that jut straight out from the top and bottom of the branches.

The lighter sections depicted in our illustration are the ones you'd want to trim away. Lights should be added to your tree before other decorations. Our technique will play up the depth of the tree better than draping lights only around the perimeter, while also concealing the wires. 1. Starting at a bottom bough, string lights along the underside of each branch. When you get near the end, loop lights around the top of the branch. 2. Work back to the tree trunk, winding around branch and light strand. Continue around the tree. Reverse the procedure on upper branches (or those above eye level of an average adult), stringing lights first along the top, then back around bottom. Decide on a theme or palette and lay your ornaments out before you get started. Choose simple ornaments to create a backdrop for more ornate antiques, as well as homemade, sentimental favorites. Hang dominant ornaments first to establish a rhythm, and intersperse them with accents in complimentary hues.

Suspend ornaments from tinned copper wire instead of manufacturer-provided hooks, which can slip off branches, causing breakage. To make your own hangers, thread a 5-inch piece of wire through the ornament loop; twist the wire around itself several times to secure. To hang, wrap the other end of the wire around the branch until the ornament is secure. Take a step back while decorating to see which areas need filling. Hang ornaments inside the tree -- not just near its edges -- for added dimension, and don't neglect the back of the tree. Keep Fragile Ornaments Safe Hang antique and fragile ornaments near the top of the tree, where they will be less likely to get knocked off by pets and passersby. Emphasize the Vertical Shape of the Tree Hang long, dangling ornaments -- for example, icicles and teardrops. Suspend icicles at branch ends so that they look as they do in nature. Turn the lights off (or down if you are using a dimmer switch) when photographing, because excessive glare will make the tree look flat.