How to Decorate Your Tree
Kevin decorating his Kevin-sized tree in Home Alone
If you’re a purist like us, Christmas setup is done on the long weekend after Thanksgiving to make sure Thanksgiving gets its fair shake. We’re in the thick of it right now, so it’s a good time to share some tips for making your tree look its best. I spent several years as a merchandiser for a department store, assembling trees in stock rooms in August so they could be placed on the sales floor in late October/early November. I was taught by some old-timers who were pros at their craft, and those lessons have stuck in my brain 20+ years later. Before we get into the steps, I’ll weigh in on…
Real Tree vs Artificial Tree
This is a hot button topic, and there isn’t a right or wrong answer. The debate is riddled with questions of tradition, class (“Ew! Fake trees are TACKY!”) and environmentalism, but you gotta do what makes the most sense for your family and finances. I love a real tree, but it’s a busy season and, even with watering devices, our tree was always a stabby fire hazard by Christmas Day. About six years ago we shifted to a decent-looking artificial tree and it’s fine. And out of sheer spite, I will use it until the little fake needles fall off.
If you’re in the market for an artificial tree, get one without the lights, because those are a beast to strip if/when the lights fail. In the meantime, I’ll bask in the slightly-imperfect glory of natural trees at friends’ homes.
1: Suit Up
Lightweight yardwork gloves are indispensable for the initial work of tree decorating. If you have a particularly deep or prickly tree, these gardening sleeves are clutch to make sure your forearms are protected too. (They’re also a big help when pruning rose bushes.)
2. Fluff
After getting your real tree out of its travel netting, it will need a little time to get back to its natural shape. When the tree is back to its normal silhouette, you can arrange the branches a bit to fluff, fill, and fan.
This step is most critical for artificial trees. You’ll need to straighten the branches and arrange them in a natural way as they inevitably get smashed during storage. (Ditto for any garland you’re hanging, too.) You can always spot the artificial trees, because more often than not this step is skipped. I’m begging you, please fluff your tree.
3. Light it up
Kelvin Chart
The lights are what give your tree sparkle, and some of that sparkle comes from choices made at the hardware store. All lights are available in a variety of color temperatures, so make sure you’re buying the light for the look you want. If you want a warm and cozy white light, go for 2700K or 3000K. If you’re after “sparkling snow”, you’ll want a kelvin closer to 3500K or 4000K. Some LED strands feature adjustable kelvins, so if you’re on the fence, you can pick up the adjustable kind and see what you like best on your tree. Either way, make sure you grab more than you think you need: often trees use more lights than you think, and you want a couple of extras in case one strand breaks. Next year you won’t find a replacement strand with the exact same color as the ones you have, so stock up so you don’t get stuck buying a whole tree’s worth next year. (Or you’ll have an eye twitch looking at the one off-color strand.)
Gloves? Check.
More lights than you think you need? Check.
You’re ready to light up that tree. I like to start at the top, wrapping every branch front-to-back and back-to-front. THIS is why you need a lot of lights: you’re not just walking around the tree and lassoing them on the branches. Lighting the depth of the tree makes it look richer and shows off your ornaments.
NOTE: Make sure you’re not connecting too many strands of lights. Check the boxes to see the limit. If you’re tree needs a lot, connect as many as you can, then drop another cord to the outlet for additional strands.
When you think you’re done, step back from the tree and let your eyes go out of focus. This will show you if any areas are dark and need extra lights. Adjust accordingly. Our tree topper has a light, so I add that now so I don’t have to deal with cords after the tree has been decorated.
4: Ornament Away!
Now you can add your ornaments, mixing styles, colors, and sizes across and around the tree as evenly as you can. Just like with the lights, take a step back and let your eyes blur as a check. After the ornaments go on, wrap the tree with your garland or ribbon, and then picks (if you use them) to give the tree more depth and cover any bare spots.
5: Our Tree
When it’s done, I’ll post it here. It’s not picture perfect, and I never want it to be. Our tree holds a collection of old family ornaments and found objects, and every year it is decorated with the children. (And I let them pick the light colors.) Tom digs up the tree from the basement and sets it up, I add the lights with the girls’ help (it is useful to have an assistant following you to untangle/feed lights), and the whole family adds the ornaments. Since it’s a fake tree, we stole Pam Halpert’s idea from The Office by hiding a pine car air freshener to the underbrush. (This is more of a ha-ha The Office thing, less a desire to smell fake pine.) Every year it looks a little different, and that’s what I love about it. The tree evolves just like our family, and it’s a true reflection of who we are: imperfect, but full of good humor and family memories.
Good luck, and have a wonderful holiday season.
Over and out from SPACE. ✨🚀✨