“O Christmas Tree. Oh, Christmas Tree! You are in my house!
Now what?”
Follow these 10 Tree Decorating Steps for the merriest of displays.
Decorating trees indoors in America began in the early 1900’s, and gained popularity by the mid 1920’s. Then, it was typically covered in fruits, wafers, tinsel and sweetmeats. Today, the decorations and trends are limitless.
Just like home staging, there are helpful guidelines and steps to ensure your tree looks festive. These guidelines create a subliminal balance that brings comfort and harmony to the admirer.
STEP #1: choose a tree size that proportionally fits the space.
STEP #2: choose your decorating style. These are some of the more popular looks, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to personal trends:
- Classical- red, green, gold
- Monochromatic
- Coastal
- Metallic- I’m not talking AC/DC, but silver and gold
- Rustic- burlap, pine, wood
- Eclectic- feathers, pom-poms, colored lights
STEP #3: fluff every branch carefully
STEP #4: hang the lights from bottom to top using 100 lights for every 1 ½ feet of tree height
STEP #5: place garland and ribbons horizontally or vertically using 9-10 feet of garland for every foot of tree height
STEP #6: hang large ornaments first, closest to the center of the tree. Finish with small ones.
Here’s a recommendation for the minimum number of ornaments per tree height:
- 5’ = 50
- 6’ = 65
- 7’ = 135
- 8’ = 150
Hang large numbers of like ornaments evenly around the tree. “Split” the previous grouping as you work up the tree. For small numbers of like ornaments, group or “nest” them in 3s.
STEP #7: place your topper. There should be 5-12” between the topper and the ceiling.
STEP #8: add your skirt or box. It should be less than the diameter of the tree.
STEP #9: fill in gaps with sprays or ribbon.
STEP #10: hang your stockings, and sit back and relax as you lovingly admire your festive work of art.
Wrapping up, you can once again sing that timeless carol,
“O Christmas Tree, O, Christmas tree… much pleasure thou canst give me.”
Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year from our BMR Home Staging Family to Yours!
