How to trim your tree

The tree is freshly cut and securely in the tree stand. Be sure to give the tree water everyday to make sure it stays fresh.

Once your tree is stable and in place it is time for the lights! This is where many people get frustrated and lose interest in decorating the tree. Here are some tips for a more simple light experience. The first thing is that you need more then one strand of lights for the tree. This tree is only 6 1/2 feet tall and we used 1,200 lights on it. The goal is to not be able to track the light trail. Start at the top with the female end of the lights and twist the lights around the top branch and then bunch up the light cord and push it into the tree in clumps. You can spread them around and even out the lights once you have the general placement of the strands. Continue around the tree placing sections of about 2 feet at a time into the tree and to the outer branches. Once you have gone all around the tree, it is time to even out the lights. Because you have sections of lights to work with, you can fill holes and gaps more easily due to the clumps of light strand you left to work with. Having lights in toward the center of the tree helps illuminate the ornaments as well as the tree.

The second layer for the tree is the ribbon or garland. You can loosely wind the ribbon around the tree or you can take 5 or 6 lengths of ribbon about 1.5 times the height of your tree, gather them together and make a knot at one end. Nestle that end at the top of the tree hiding the knot down into the branches. Wind and trail the ribbon making it look natural twisting and tucking as you go.

Now the fun really begins. On this tree we used crystal garland to add sparkle, texture and interest. We also bought sparkly leaves and branches at the craft store to tuck into the tree. It always takes more supplies then you think so buy extra and take back what you don't use. My general rule of thumb is that I don't buy less then 12 of anything for the tree and usually I work towards 24 as my magic number to purchase. There are many things that you can use and find at the craft stores. Don't limit yourself to the Christmas aisles. Go to the floral section and see what is pretty to you. I look for glittered things and things that will catch the light.

Once you have the under structure done, it is time to add the color and more interesting ornaments. We used dark red feathers on a stick that we found at the craft store, dark red feather balls with a hanging crystal, dark red matte finished balls as well as crystalized red balls. We finished off with white and silver balls, and glass icicles. This tree took us about 2 hours to complete.