How Many Decorations Do You Need For Your Christmas Tree?

You probably see hundreds of pictures of perfect artificial Christmas trees throughout the season and wonder how many decorations you need for your Christmas tree. What is the right amount of decorations and when do I need a few more ornaments to complete the look?

There is no correct answer to the question ‘how many decorations for a tree’, but there are some handy tips to follow to bring your festive scene to life.

Types of Christmas tree decorations

Firstly, let's look at some of the possibilities for Christmas tree decorations. You might already have some of these in your home or need to buy some more.

Baubles

There is probably no more classic Christmas decoration than colourful baubles. They can come in so many different styles, from striking solid colours to unique hand-painted designs. You may even have some that commemorate special events!

Christmas lights

Another must-have element of any tree is the Christmas tree lights. With the right colours, you can add a warming glow to your Christmas tree and bring character into your home for the whole of Christmas. You could even use our sparkling outdoor Christmas lights to brighten up your garden and bring the festivities outside!

Nutcrackers

These decorations are brilliant if you're looking for something to decorate your tree, but they also look great in table displays and on windowsills. Nutcracker soldiers are a classic and traditional decoration that is loved by many.

Garlands & wreaths

Christmas decorations aren't all about your Christmas tree either! Our garlands and wreaths are perfect for decorating your home and look fabulous paired with our artificial Christmas trees. Wrap our garlands around your windows or bannisters, or hang a wreath on the front door to offer your guests a warm welcome when they arrive.

Tree toppers

Every Christmas tree needs a beautiful decoration for the top, traditionally in the form of a bright star or an angel. The Christmas tree topper can sit on top with a coil or cone securing it in place, or you might attach them with a simple clip instead. You can choose whatever decoration you like as your tree topper - it could even be your favourite bauble!

Other Christmas decorations

There are plenty of other decorations you can hang from artificial Christmas trees, such as:

Father Christmas
Snowmen
Christmas tree skirts
Angels
Tinsel
Snowflakes
Bells
Gingerbread men
Wooden sledges
Candy canes
Stockings
Reindeer
Stars
Poinsettias

How many Christmas decorations do you need?

Now that we have covered some possibilities for decorations, it's time to look into how many of those you will need.

How tall is your Christmas tree?

The height of your tree will affect how many decorations it needs. For example, a 4 foot Christmas tree requires at least 52 separate pieces to be well-decorated. A 5 foot Christmas tree may need closer to 68 pieces.

As you might have guessed, the number of decorations will increase the more significant your tree is. A 6 foot Christmas tree will need at least 128 pieces, a 7 foot Christmas tree will need at least 196 decorations, and an 8 foot Christmas tree will need a minimum of 212.

What kind of Christmas tree do you have to decorate?

It's one thing to consider your tree's size, but look at what kind of Christmas tree you have. Different trees have varying shapes, and therefore will need varying amounts of decorations to look their best.

For example, our Mountain Pines have bushy "swept up" branches that may need more decorations to fill those spaces. The Arbor Vitae, Foresta Pine, or Woodland Pine trees have bushy and full silhouettes and may not need as many decorations, depending on the look you are going for.

If you have a twig Christmas tree, you may not need many decorations or any at all. These trees come pre-decorated with sparkling lights and realistic blossom flowers, which is why most people choose not to decorate them.

How much do you want to decorate your Christmas tree?

You might go online and find calculators and other articles detailing how to decorate a Christmas tree. However, the only way to decorate your Christmas tree is to do it your way.

If you do not want a tree completely covered in baubles, lights, garlands, and the like, you do not have to do it. However, if you want a tree that could light up a huge room all by itself, covered in all your favourite symbols of Christmas, you can do that.

It is your tree, so you can make it as festive (or non-festive) as you like!

How do you decorate a Christmas tree?

Again, there is no right or wrong way to decorate your Christmas tree. However, there are ways to mix and match colours and take advantage of the different spaces in your tree.

Take stock of what kinds of ornaments you have. Do you have a lot of different-coloured baubles? You can mix these up across the tree or pair them with complementary colours for a cohesive colour scheme.

Hang the largest ornaments further back

While you may have some lovely ornaments that are a bit heavier, place them towards the back of the tree. The branches are thicker closer to the trunk, and larger shapes will fill the gaps between branches.

Hang smaller ornaments closer to the front, where smaller branches can still support them, and there is not as much space to fill.

Play around with various sizes of bauble

All that said, you do not have to follow any specific order for placing ornaments. Sometimes the best-decorated trees have a completely organic look to their decoration.

Hold up different-sized ornaments to the tree and see where they might go best. If need be, step back and review the tree to see where the following Christmas tree accessories will go.

Play with colour schemes

You may want to experiment with colour schemes if you have more than one tree to decorate. It might not create as much visual impact as using different baubles, but it still makes a classic, festive look perfect for any tree.

Some examples of classic Christmas ornament colour palettes include:

Green and red with gold or silver
Silver or gold with white and blue
Silver and gold
Any solid colour with silver or gold

Decorate all around the Christmas tree

Many people put many decorations on the front of the tree and leave the back of the tree untouched. It makes sense to place ornaments where people can see them, but at least put a few decorations on the back to keep things even.

Try not to let the tree get too cluttered. If one spot has a dozen ornaments while another only has one or two, spread the ornaments out a little more.

Keep breakable decorations high on the tree

If you have children or pets who might knock ornaments down, keep the breakable ones higher on the tree. Make sure they are secured well with bendable ornament hooks.

Try to put some decorations on the bottom of the tree

You might decorate your tree differently if you have pets or children, but you can at least put a few baubles on the bottom of the tree.

Place your decorations according to weight and size. Again, make sure they are attached well with wire ornament hooks in case something bumps them.

Decorate your tree perfectly in time for Christmas

Decorating a Christmas tree is a much-loved tradition in many households, though it can be daunting if it is a larger task. Remember that it is your tree, and whatever you put on it represents you, your home, and your family. However you decorate a Christmas tree, it will undoubtedly be a highlight in your home during the festive season!

If you're looking for a brand new Christmas tree this winter, take a look at our Christmas tree shop! Use our Christmas tree decoration calculator to help you find the ideal number of baubles and tree lights this festive season.