Thanksgiving is over – time to toss the handprint turkeys back into your (labeled) bin and grab the garland, it’s tree time! We know that thinking of tangled lights and hours of wrestling with your freshly cut Christmas tree makes you want to hit your head against a wall. Hit the wine instead, turn on Michael Bublé’s Christmas album and follow our steps for how to decorate your tree like a boss!

TOOLS

There are an estimated 15,000 emergency room visits related to holiday decorating each year. Prevent holiday decorating accidents by using a stepladder, not a kitchen chair. Avoid an electrical hazard by grabbing an extension cord or power strip to plug directly into the wall from your last string of lights at the bottom of the tree.

LIGHTS

What we’ve found is that roughly 20 feet of lights per vertical foot of tree will do when weaving in and out from the tip of the branches to the trunk. Take your trees shape into consideration- the wider the tree, the more lights you’ll need. Wind up lights around your left hand (if you’re a righty), starting with the male end in your palm as you wind (the part you would plug into the wall). This lets you hold them in one hand and drape them with the other. String your lights from top to bottom and plug in the lights once in a while to check your branch coverage.

GARLAND

Use 6 feet of garland for every 1.5 vertical foot of tree, wrapping from top to bottom just like the lights. Try using wire to keep the garland in place, or try twisting the ends around a branch.

ORNAMENTS

It’s recommended to use about 12 ornaments per foot of vertical tree, for example, a 6 foot tree will need roughly 72 ornaments. If you’re trying to cover up the ornaments your kids made when they were 3 years old, start with your more prized possessions, then use the ones you’re less enthused about as fillers. Hang the heavier ornaments towards the bottom of the tree to avoid any big falls or low droops. Seek out branches that hang with some open space below to give large ornaments a spot to shine. Add some dimension by placing your ornaments on the inner and outer parts of your branches. Don’t forget to decorate the back too.

TREE TOPPER

Rock it! Think of the tree topper as the cherry on top. If you find that you’re having trouble securing the sucker, try using some flexible crafting wire to hook it to a branch.

TREE SKIRT

You know, that giant piece of cloth that covers the base of the tree and makes the gifts look like the star of the show? Make sure to add it last so the tree needles don’t fall all over it while you’re decorating. Remember to tuck the extension cord under the tree skirt for a nice and neat look at the bottom of your tree.

WATERING

A tree can drink up to 1 gallon of water a day so keep your basin full and use Santa’s Magic Water Spout to avoid spills on your tree skirt.

HELP IS ON THE WAY!

Need some assistance decorating your tree or house this year? Give us a call and we’d be happy to send our elves in!