How to Trim Your Holiday Tree

Most people decorate their trees the same way every year — same lights, same ornaments, same tinsel, that might not be as fun. This year, why not shake things up a bit and try something different? Choose your tree ornaments based on a theme or color, or use more eco-friendly decorations. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Step 1
Use new LEDs (light-emitting diode) holiday lights available at any local store. These power-saving lights burn brightly and boast a very long bulb life. This is a green product you can not go wrong with, save some energy.

Step 2
Metallics — always a favorite during this season — are on trend this year for a modern and chic look. You can stick to gold or silver or mix in metallic greens and reds for a pop of color. There are several options, a variety of shapes such as the globe, calabash, onion, a twisted ball and a ribbed ball shape giving your trimmings a festive sparkle.

Step 3
Surprise family members with a theme tree. Honor sports fans with memorabilia from their favorite team. Use seed packets to create ornaments for your favorite gardeners, or the chefs in the family with a tree filled with kitchen-related ornaments, such as cookie cutters.

Step 4
Create a natural-looking, eco-friendly tree using materials gathered from the garden. Use gold, silver or white spray paint on twigs and vines, then weave them through the branches. Combine dried flowers, decorative seedpod and ornamental grasses to craft eye-catching ornaments. Use florists’ wire to secure berry-laden twigs and pine cones to branches.

Step 5
Consider a theme based on edible ornaments: candy canes, gingerbread people, colorful citrus fruits and clove-spiked oranges. Create “stained glass” decorations by melting hard candies into cookie-cutter shapes.

Step 6
Gather or print out your favorite family photos and create your own mini frames for them using recycled holiday cards and gift wrap. Accent the frames with glitter, sequins and beads to make them sparkle, everyone will love those!

Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

You have seen lighted Christmas trees with varieties of Christmas tree ornaments such as toys, candies, baubles and nosegays hanging from its branches. Garlands, ribbons and light strands give it a magical touch. Christmas tree decorating ideas include how to keep your tree fresh till Christmas day and making it look special and unique at the same time.

Here are some tips that you can use:

Keep refilling lukewarm water in the tree stand frequently to keep the real tree fresh for longer period of time. At first, you may have to refill the stand quite frequently and the need tapers down slowly. You will know when to refill from the water level in the stand.

Spray the needles with the wilt resistant spray to keep them fresh for several weeks.

The decorations of the tree include lights, garlands and ribbons, and finally ornaments, holiday nosegays, candies, fruits and other decorations.

Arrange the lights from innermost branches to outside and from top to bottom for safety purposes.

Place garlands and ribbons to provide a finishing touch to your tree.

Mix special and more expensive ornaments with cheaper ones to make a greater impact. These special ornaments can include, bird nests, painted fruits, music notes, toy alphabets, costume jewelry pieces and other such things that can be used with candies, cookies, baubles, berries, glittery boughs and pinecones.

Filler and special ornaments can be placed on tips of boughs. Put some inside the branches too, to add depth to Christmas tree decorations.

Tips on Decorating Your Christmas Tree

You've chosen your perfect Christmas tree, but now what?

Our tips on the next pages will give you ideas for setting up your tree, lighting it, keeping it fresh, and decorating it to be beautiful.

Keep Your Tree Fresh and Green
Cut the stump of the tree with a fresh cut and set it in water immediately. A fresh-cut tree will absorb several quarts of water right from the start. So it's important to check and refill the water level several times a day for the first week. You can cut down on frequency later. Be sure to place you Christmas tree in a stand that has a large water reservoir and keep it filled.

Christmas Tree Preservative
You can prolong the life of your Christmas tree by mixing up a concoction of 1 quart water, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon liquid bleach. You can also read information on caring for Christmas trees.

Putting Lights and Decorations on the Tree
When decorating your Christmas tree, put lights on first, then garlands, then the ornaments.

Work From the Inside Out
Start arranging Christmas tree lights on the branches near the base of the tree. Weave strings of lights along the branches "inside," then move to the outer edges of the branches.

Placement of Ornaments
Don't hang all your ornament on the tips of the branches. Place ornaments and other decorations 'inside' your tree to add depth and interest.

Basic Ornaments for Fill
Start by arranging the "filler ornaments" evenly spaced around the tree. This would include basic solid color balls that are easily found at discount stores in a wide range of colors to coordinate and enhance your decorating scheme. You'll need about 20 "filler ornaments" for every 2 feet of Christmas tree.

Special Themed, Collectible Ornaments
Mix one-of-a-kind special ornaments between the basic ornaments. Plan to use at least 10 special themed ornaments for every 2 feet of tree. As your collection grows, put the special ornaments closer together.