christmas tree decorating lights tips
How 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.
Traditional incandescent lights: These Christmas tree lights, which come in a variety of sizes and colors, are the most popular type of tree lights.
diy home decor lightingThey warm up the branches of a real tree, which will release the scent of pine into the room.
decorating ideas for weddings outdoor 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.
When the liquid tube on top of the light warms up, bubbles float up and down inside the tube, resembling lava lamps. Experiment with different lighting schemes until you find one you like -- it's OK to mix and match lights. 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. Plan to use about two strands of garland for every vertical foot of tree. To avoid a busy look on your tree, decorate your Christmas tree with a variety of garlands from plain to fancy. 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 MakeHow to Put Lights on a Christmas Tree Are you stumped when it comes to how to artfully drape Christmas lights on a tree? These easy-to-follow tips will show you how to light your Christmas tree, whether it is real or artificial.
We'll help you create your best holiday tree yet, effortlessly and beautifully. How to Hang Lights on a Fresh-Cut Christmas Tree When hanging Christmas tree lights on a fresh tree, you should plan on using three 100-light sets for every foot of your tree's height. Lighting a tree requires patience and our simple steps: Instead of wrapping the lights around the tree in a maypole style, mentally divide the tree into three triangular sections, from top to bottom, around the tree's cone. Plug in the first string of lights, and nestle the last bulb on the string at the top of the tree next to the trunk. Weave the tree lights back and forth across the triangle, being careful not to cross the cord over itself. When you reach the end of the first string, plug in the next set and continue weaving the lights back and forth until you reach the bottom, connecting no more than 300 Christmas lights end to end. Repeat this procedure for the remaining triangles. Step back from the tree and look at it with your eyes crossed, or squint until the tree is blurry.
Wherever you see dark holes on the tree, rearrange the lights as necessary to fill in. To remove the lights without tangling them, work in reverse. Create the Prettiest Christmas Tree Possibly the Prettiest Christmas Tree Reasons to Opt for an Artificial Christmas Tree There is good debate over real versus artificial Christmas trees. While some people find the piney, wintry scent of the branches puts them right in the holiday spirit, others find the real evergreens can create a mess. The fullness of a fresh cut tree is hard to replicate in an artificial tree, but one could complain about the regular waterings. The case of allergies prevent you from having a live tree, so if these reasons, or others get in your way, perhaps choosing an artificial Christmas tree for your holiday decorating is in the cards for your household. Creating a magical glow of lights on an artificial tree isn't difficult, but it demands patience. How to Choose an Artificial Christmas Tree
How to Hang Tree Lights on an Artificial Tree Many artificial Christmas trees come in sections that open like umbrellas. If you use miniature tree lights, you can wrap them around the branches and leave them on permanently -- just be sure to light each section separately! We recommend using 50-light strands because they are easier to work with as your wrap the tree branches. Bonus: 50-light strands are less likely to burn out or have electrical problems. Below are three different ways to hang lights on your artificial Christmas tree. Use about 12 boxes of 50-light strands for a 6-foot tree and about 20 boxes for an 8-foot tree. Begin at the bottom of the tree close to the trunk. Allowing some slack or leader cord in the first strand of lights, separate the cord near the first bulb so it forms a loop. Slip the loop over one of the branchlets or greens near the trunk, and wrap the cord a few times around the green to secure it. Pull the string of Christmas lights taut to the tip of the branch, then work back toward the trunk, wrapping the cord over itself and the branch.
Separate the cord again when you reach the trunk, and slip the cord over a branchlet to secure it. Carry the cord over to the next branch, wrap it around a green near the trunk, and pull it out to the tip. Wrap the cord over itself and the branch as before. Continue wrapping branches in this manner until you come to the end of the string. Plug in the next set, and keep going until you reach the point where the tree comes apart. Work any extra lights back along the branch rather than crossing the section. When you wrap the top section of the Christmas tree, don't wrap the lights around as many branches so the tree will look evenly lit from top to bottom. Use 20 boxes of 50-light strands for a 6-foot Christmas tree and 30 boxes for an 8-foot tree. Follow the same procedure as for subdued lighting, but wrap the cord around some of the greens along the branch as you work back toward the trunk. Use 20 boxes of 50-light strands for a 6-foot tree and 30 boxes for an 8-foot tree.
Use 40 boxes of 50-light strands for a 6-foot tree and 80 boxes for an 8-foot tree. Wrap the cord around every green as you work back along the branch. How to Hang Christmas Tree Lights Outdoors When you're looking to add a bit of seasonal cheer to the trees or shrubs in your front yard, follow these guidelines for lighting outdoor areas. If you use floodlights to show off outdoor evergreens, use white, blue, or green lamps. Red, yellow, amber, and pink lamps will make the trees look a muddy brown. Don't try to hang strings of Christmas lights from the eaves with cup hooks -- in a strong wind, the wires may swing loose. Instead, use plastic gutter clips that hook onto the gutter and hold the wire tightly in place. Look for packages of gutter clips in crafts stores and hardware stores near the tree lights and supplies. Be sure you have outdoor electrical sockets to plug into when you use outdoor Christmas lights. Don't worry about hiding the electrical cords -- just keep them organized neatly, and no one will notice them.
Tips and Considerations to Safely Hang Tree Lights Christmas tree lights can either be end-to-end -- aka string-to-string -- or stacked. Before buying your tree lights, check the boxes to make sure they're all compatible. By using stacked plugs, you can join more strands than you can with end-to-end plugs. To maximize safety, never plug more than two extension cords together. Instead, buy them in the lengths you need, and make sure they can handle the wattage of the bulbs. The wattages of all the lights you use should be the same. This prevents power surges while prolonging the life of the bulbs. Plug in the lights before you remove them from the box so you can see if they work before you put them on the tree. Consider using miniature clear (white) lights for your base lighting, then add strands of the new cool-burning large bulbs for color and variety. Alternatively, add sets of novelty lights, such as flicker-flames, flashing lights, bubble lights, or other shapes.