In the words of Noddy Holder…”It’s Chriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistmaaaaaaaaaaaaas”. To help your home feel festive, it’ll soon be time to put your tree up – whether you follow the tradition of putting it to celebrate Saint Nicholas Day (December 6^th), twelve days before Christmas or you have your own family tradition.

Whenever you put your tree up, to help ensure it remains the focal point of your Christmas decorations, we’ve compiled these 11 tips on how to decorate your Christmas tree.

• Decorating your tree so it looks good and stands out during the festive period starts with purchasing the right tree. We’re not saying you have to go out and purchase a real tree – although they do offer that extra Christmas magic – but you do need to select your tree carefully.Key to getting the right tree for your home is to get one which fits. To achieve this measure the space from ceiling to floor and then purchase a tree which is at least a foot smaller than this gap. It’s also worth remembering when buying a real tree that price really does indicate quality, so if you want a tree which will last the 12 days of Christmas, don’t skimp.
• We’ve all got our own way of decorating our trees, but according to John Lewis, you should be decorating your tree to suit your home. This means, if your home is sleekly designed and minimalist you should have a tree which has sleek yet bright decorations, whilst for country cottages decorations which are orange or deep red in colour should be used, alongside wooden decorations.That said, we think all trees should have a personal touch, and what better way to achieve this than to use decorations which have been made by your children / grandchildren.
• The first decorations to be put on your tree should always be the lights. But, before placing these on your tree we recommend you lay them over the floor and test them – after all the last thing you want is to finish decorating the tree only to find the lights don’t work.Should you find the lights aren’t working, find the perfect replacement Christmas lights with us.
• Add the lights from top to bottom on your tree, making sure to wind your way around the tree. You should also make sure the Christmas lights are running close to the centre of the tree to add more depth.
• With the lights on, move onto the tinsel, decorative beads or garlands – again working your way from top to bottom of the tree, and wrapping them around until you get to the bottom of the tree, once you’ve added these you can move onto the baubles and decorations.
• Using two or more colours? Intersperse them throughout the tree to prevent clumps of the same colour being stuck together. It’ll also help your tree look its best from all angles.
• Mix various shaped baubles around your tree, from the traditional spheres to stars and tear-drops. All look great and bring a different bit of Christmas magic with them, when hanging from your tree.

• Create height and depth to your tree by placing your decorations not only on the edge of the branches, but along the branch and close to the trunk.
• Always place the heavier and larger baubles and decorations at the bottom of your tree – if they’re placed towards the top there’s a risk the tree will topple.
• If you’re using a selection of colours (or shades of colour) start with the darkest at the bottom and work your way up. You should be left with the lightest / brightest / shiniest decorations towards the top. [source: http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/lifestyle/home-decorating-ideas/linda-barker-christmas-tree-decorating-tips]
• With everything on your tree, all that is left is to add the finishing touch, the tree topper. Whether you opt for a star or an angel falls down to personal choice, as well as the look of your tree. If you cannot decide, do what I do – alternate each year.

By following the 11 tips on how to decorate your Christmas tree, there’s no reason why your tree cannot stand out, adding a sparkle and Christmas magic to your home. And to further help your tree look its best, it is worth noting there is a recommended number of lights, baubles and decorations to have on your tree – depending on the size of tree.

If you’ve opted for a 5ft tree you should have roughly 120 lights, 50 baubles and 25 decorations, on a 6ft tree the number of lights should increase to 240, baubles to 60 and decorations to 30 – although obviously you can add more or less to suit your individual tastes. [source: http://www.diy.com/help-advice/how-to-decorate-your-christmas-tree/PROD_npcart_100045.art]

With these tips fresh in your mind, go forth and decorate your Christmas tree and bring the festive spirit to your home. Once you’ve decorated your Christmas tree, spread the festive cheer by sharing a picture of your tree with us on Twitter. Simply tweet @eSpares with the #MyChristmasTree

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Lights, Christmas Tree