Decorating Indoor Trees

We got a little help from eHow.com for this article

Truly a Christmas tradition!  Get your entire family involved and create lifelong memories that will be cherished.

There's a preferred way to decorate a tree.  Think about it in this order:

• Lights

• Ribbon

• Ornaments

• Skirt

• Topper

Or... think LROST

First, pick the tree

Choose a tree. If you are buying a fresh tree, try to get the tallest one you can for your ceiling height. If you end up with a shorter tree, you can always put it up on a box or crate to give it some height. This also makes room for gifts. Simply cover the crate or box with fabric or your tree skirt and no one will be the wiser. Just be aware of the space, try not to choose a tree that is too bushy if it's meant for a corner and avoid a super skinny tree for a large open area.

Opt for an artificial tree if you're tired of hauling the tree home every year and finding needles everywhere. There are many companies that make great ones. The trees look very real, and even have cool metallic colors for a vintage or super modern look. Flocked trees are great, too. Make sure you buy a pre-lit tree, which takes all the labor out of stringing and removing lights every year.

Choose a color palette. Traditionally, most people just pile on all the ornaments, which is really fun and often means the tree comes out mostly red and green. If you want to do something more dramatic, pick two or three colors, like rust and gold, or fuchsia and lime green to switch it up this year. A few other hot palettes are gunmetal gray and black--mix those colors with white ornaments and silver for a truly modern look. Red and white is always fun, as are shades of teal and copper with feather accents. Think of your tree just as if you are decorating a room, then move from your tree to other areas of the house (candles, pillows, vases with ornaments) for a complete look--include the wrapping paper. This doesn't mean you have to go out and get all new ornaments. Pick out the colors you have that work, like your solid gold, silver, clear or white ornaments and mix those in with your colors of choice. Kmart has a great line of ornaments, as does Target and Michael's. Ornaments can really make your decorating extra special, while staying on budget.

Lights

If you don't have a pre-lit tree, start with stringing the lights. If your tree is flocked, make sure to get lights that have a white cord, if your tree is green, use lights with a green cord. Starting at the top, weave the lights around the tree, making sure to go all the way to the trunk of the tree, in and out each branch. This makes sure the tree glows all the way through, instead of being dark in the center and bright on the outside. This little trick makes all the difference, so don't skimp on the lights. Continue going around the tree, in and out on each branch until you reach the bottom. Your tree will glow and all the ornaments will catch the light and sparkle and shine.

Ribbon

Add ribbon. This gives a nice flow of movement around the tree, and another texture besides glass ornaments. The ribbon should work with your color palette and is another great way to bring color onto the tree. If you are using teal and copper colors, bring in teal or copper ribbon. Starting at the top, trail the ribbon down the tree on an angle, weaving it in the branches in some areas to create a flow. You don't want to just wrap the tree and make it very obvious; think about making it soft and natural--so weave some in and out. Also, avoid putting the ribbon on the back, because you won't see if it the tree is against the wall. Take pieces of about three yards in length and use those. You can also let it just fall off the spool, creating circles as you wrap it loosely through the branches.

Plug the tree with some other types of foliage for added texture and color. Use glittery branches, which can be found at many craft or holiday decor stores. Place them sparingly through the tree, making sure to tuck them in the tree so that just the tips pop out for extra color.

Ornaments

Place the ornaments and bulbs. Most bulbs need ornament hangers, so get the silver ones for a flocked tree and the green ones for the green tree. Use large 6-8 inch bulbs in and near the center of the tree. By tucking these large ornaments back in there, you'll get color radiating from the tree when you stand back. Plus, the large size gives a nice variation to the smaller ornaments on the ends of the branches. Try to place ornaments where they will be highlighted by the lights--this will give a glow and show off the colors. Using different shaped bulbs, place them on the ends of the branches (but always at least an inch from the end, this avoids it looking like there are ornaments floating on the edge of the branches. Place some halfway in as well and save the really small ones for the top branches that are smaller. If you have darker bulbs make sure the lights are near them to brighten them up. Make sure you keep the tree even, occasionally you'll want to step back and take a look at the whole tree from several angles to see what is missing. Find the gaps and add an ornament.

Skirt

Line the bottom with a tree skirt. Depending on what colors you are working with, there may be tree skirts available to purchase in stores; if not, you can use a fur blanket or even a curtain panel. Make sure you put the skirt slit at the back of the tree. Finally, think of the tree skirt as a way to keep the dog from drinking all the water in the pan at the bottom of your tree.

Topper

Place the tree topper or use a grouping of ornaments and feathers at the top. You can also use a large star ornament or even a big bow made out of the same ribbon you used on the tree. Have fun with the

Finishing Touch

Add the finishing touch: Wrap your gifts in wrapping paper that coordinates with the colors on your tree.

After Christmas

How do you take down the tree after Christmas.  Reverse the order.

Think about it in this way:

• Topper

• Skirt

• Ornaments

• Ribbon

• Lights

Or... think TSORL