Step one is putting on the lights, and it’s really just a case of achieving even distribution.  To avoid nearing the end and finding that either you have lights left over, or not enough lights; here’s a helpful tip:  The bottom third of your tree should have half the lights, and the top two thirds should have the other half.  Trust me.  The airport tree has 1600 lights. The last thing we want is to go back repositioning them once they’ve been applied.  When you’ve finished putting the light on, turn them on; step back and squint.  You’ll find that if you squint hard enough all you’ll see is the lights and any holes will be immediately obvious.

 

Decorations: Baubles and such:

Sort them into types and completely do one type at a time.  Apply the rule:  Half in the bottom third.  Half in the top two thirds.  Make sure you place decorations within the tree also.  It’s fun to spot a decoration in a secret place, and if it’s shiny it will reflect the lights from the edge of the tree.

 

Decorations, Heirloom:

For most families decorating the tree is not just about eye candy.  It’s about bringing back memories.   Every year countless customers come in to buy one or a few special decorations.  After a few years they end up with an array of one-offs.   The good news in that you can have your candy and your memories as well.  It works a treat to place your treasures amongst recurring baubles.

 

If you’ve got kids, then decorating the tree becomes a co-operative venture.  You may need to make compromises. Children also have a sense of design, and you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome if you allow them some liberty.