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SmartShoppers.pk

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree, Step by Step (With What Each Tree Size Needs)

Real customer photo of a 6 ft green artificial Christmas tree bought from SmartShoppers.pk

To decorate a Christmas tree, open every branch first, then add the fairy lights from the top down, wind a garland if you use one, hang the big ornaments, fill the gaps with small ones and put the star on top last. Working in this order hides the light wire inside the branches and makes the tree look full.

This guide is from SmartShoppers.pk, where we sell artificial Christmas trees from 1 ft to 9 ft across Pakistan. The photos are our customers’ own trees, and the numbers below come from what they ordered for each tree size.

What you need

How much of each depends on the size of your tree:

Tree size Tree price Fairy lights Ornament pieces Where it fits
2 ft Rs 899 1 string about 20 Table or shelf
3 ft Rs 1,499 1 string 25 to 30 Small room or low table
4 ft Rs 1,699 1 or 2 strings about 30 Room corner
5 ft Rs 4,499 1 or 2 strings about 35 Most rooms
6 ft Rs 6,999 2 strings 40 to 60 Ceiling 7 ft or higher
7 ft Rs 9,499 2 strings about 50 Ceiling 8 ft or higher
8 ft Rs 15,999 2 or 3 strings about 80 Ceiling 9 ft or higher
9 ft Rs 19,999 3 strings or more about 100 Ceiling 10 ft or higher

We counted these from our completed orders in which a customer bought one tree together with our lights or decorations. A pack of 12 balls counts as 12 pieces; the star is extra. The 9 ft numbers are our suggestion, because we have too few 9 ft orders to count.

How to decorate a Christmas tree, step by step

Step 1: Open every branch

An artificial tree arrives with its branches pressed flat. Start at the bottom and work up: pull each branch out, then spread its small tips in different directions, some up, some sideways. This one step decides whether the tree looks full or thin, so take your time with it before anything goes on the tree.

Opening the branches of a tree on its metal stand.
7 ft green Christmas tree set up with its branches opened, before decorating
A customer’s 7 ft tree with the branches opened, before decorating.

Step 2: Add the fairy lights

Lights always go on before the ornaments. Plug the string in first to check it works. Start at the top and wind it around the tree, working down, and tuck the wire a little into the branches so it stays hidden. Spread the lights evenly so there are no dark patches.

Our LED fairy lights cost Rs 350 a string, 15 to 18 ft long, with a switch to change the light modes. A common guide online is about 100 small lights per foot of tree; because our strings are sold by length, the table above gives the number of strings our customers use instead. Choose the colour to match your ornaments:

  • Warm/Gold: a soft yellow glow, the one in most of our customers’ photos. Plug-in or battery operated, so it also suits a tabletop tree far from a socket.
  • White: a bright, cool white for blue, silver and white ornaments. Plug-in.
  • Multi: multicolour lights for a cheerful, colourful tree. Plug-in.

Step 3: Wind the garland or ribbon

Start at the top and wind the garland round the tree in loose loops down to the bottom. A ribbon goes on the same way. Put it on after the lights and before the ornaments, so the balls sit on top. A white tinsel garland stands out on a Green tree; Snow White matches a Snow Green tree. On a 6 ft tree or bigger you may want two.

Step 4: Hang the big ornaments first

Hang the largest pieces first, such as big balls, bells and bows, and spread them around the whole tree, not only the front. Put a few deeper inside the branches, near the trunk: they catch the light and make the tree look fuller.

Step 5: Fill the gaps with small ornaments

Step back and look for empty spots, then fill them with small balls, stars and figures. Keep heavier pieces on the strong lower branches and lighter ones near the top. One or two colours look neater than many.

Step 6: Put the star on top

The star goes on last, when everything else is in place. Our white glitter star costs Rs 300 and the red glitter star Rs 399. Then switch the lights on and check the tree from across the room.

How to make a Christmas tree look full

  • Open every branch and spread every tip (step 1). Most thin-looking trees were never fully opened.
  • Tuck some lights and ornaments deep in the branches, not only on the tips.
  • Use enough pieces for the size: see the table above.
  • Fill gaps with groups of small balls rather than one big piece.

Decoration ideas for each tree size, with prices

Each list below is one complete look with today’s prices. Swap the colours freely: what matters is roughly the same number of pieces for your tree size.

How to decorate a 2 ft Christmas tree

The 2 ft tree sits on a table or a shelf, so small ornaments look best. Big balls hide its branches. One colour, such as gold, with a few pine cones keeps it neat.

Ornaments: 18 pieces, plus a star. Lights: 1 string, Warm/Gold (battery if the table is far from a socket).

2 ft green Christmas tree with gold balls, pine cones and warm fairy lights
A customer’s 2 ft tree: gold balls, pine cones and warm fairy lights.

How to decorate a 3 ft Christmas tree

The 3 ft tree stands on the floor in a small room or on a low table. Red looks bright against both Green and Snow Green branches, and small Santas give children something to look for.

Ornaments: 30 pieces, plus a star. Lights: 1 string.

3 ft Snow Green Christmas tree with a star, Santas and red balls beside a TV cabinet
A customer’s 3 ft Snow Green tree with a star, Santas and red balls.

How to decorate a 4 ft Christmas tree

The 4 ft tree is slim and fits a room corner. Mixed colours suit it: coloured balls, little gift boxes and candy canes fill the branches without looking heavy.

Ornaments: 30 pieces, plus a star. Lights: 1 string, Multi for a colourful tree, or 2 strings if you want it brighter.

4 ft green Christmas tree with candy canes, lights and numbered gift boxes
A customer’s 4 ft tree with candy canes, lights and gift boxes.

How to decorate a 5 ft Christmas tree

The 5 ft tree is the family size, and the smallest tree we deliver across Pakistan. Red and white is the classic look: red balls, white balls and small red bows spread evenly from top to bottom.

Ornaments: 36 pieces, plus a star. Lights: 1 or 2 strings, Warm/Gold.

5 ft green Christmas tree with a silver star, red bows and candles at the base
A customer’s 5 ft tree with a silver star and red bows.

How to decorate a 6 ft Christmas tree

The 6 ft tree is about the height of an adult, so it needs more of everything. A two-colour theme keeps 50 pieces from looking busy. Blue and silver with white lights gives a cool, wintry tree.

Ornaments: 50 pieces, plus a star. Lights: 2 strings, White.

6 ft green Christmas tree with blue and silver balls
A customer’s 6 ft tree with blue and silver balls.

How to decorate a 7 ft Christmas tree

The 7 ft tree is tall enough to carry one big piece near the top, such as a large bow under the star. Red and gold with warm lights is a rich look that works in a living room or an office.

Ornaments: 54 pieces, plus a star and a big bow. Lights: 2 strings, Warm/Gold.

7 ft green Christmas tree decorated with a red bow, tinsel and coloured balls
A customer’s 7 ft tree with a red bow, tinsel and coloured balls.

How to decorate a 8 ft Christmas tree

The 8 ft tree is for halls, lobbies and high ceilings. People see it from across the room, so use bigger groups of one colour and a sign that reads from a distance.

Ornaments: 78 pieces, plus a sign and a star. Lights: 2 or 3 strings, Warm/Gold.

8 ft green Christmas tree with a gold star and a Merry Christmas sign beside a fireplace
A customer’s 8 ft tree with a gold star and a Merry Christmas sign.

How to decorate a 9 ft Christmas tree

The 9 ft tree suits double-height lounges, halls and churches. We have only a few 9 ft orders, so this list is our suggestion, scaled up from the 8 ft tree rather than counted from orders.

Ornaments: about 100 pieces, plus a star and a big bow. Lights: 3 strings or more, White.

9 ft green Christmas tree with red balls and white lights
A customer’s 9 ft tree with red balls and white lights.

Which tree size should you choose?

What size fits my ceiling?

Take your ceiling height and subtract at least 1 ft, so the star on top has space. A 7 ft ceiling takes a 6 ft tree, an 8 ft ceiling a 7 ft tree, a 9 ft ceiling an 8 ft tree, and a ceiling of 10 ft or more a 9 ft tree.

Is a 6 ft or 7 ft Christmas tree better?

It depends on your ceiling and your budget. The 6 ft tree costs Rs 6,999 and needs a ceiling of 7 ft or more. The 7 ft tree costs Rs 9,499, needs 8 ft or more, and takes a few more ornaments. Pick the 7 ft tree if your ceiling is high and you want the tree to be the centre of the room.

Is a 4 ft Christmas tree too small?

Not for a room corner, a flat or a kids’ room. At about 122 cm it is roughly the height of a child, and about 30 pieces fill it well. It is delivered in Karachi only. Outside Karachi, the 5 ft tree is the smallest size we deliver.

Delivery and payment

We deliver the 5 ft to 9 ft trees and all decorations across Pakistan: up to 3 working days in Karachi, up to 7 in major cities and up to 10 in remote areas. The 1 ft to 4 ft trees are delivered in Karachi only (not Bahria Town); the 2 ft and 3 ft trees also go outside Karachi in the same order as a 5 ft or bigger tree. Pay the delivery charge in advance and the rest in cash on delivery, or the full amount by bank transfer. Details: Shipping & Delivery, Advance payment, Returns.

Ready to start? Choose your size from our Christmas trees, then add lights and ornaments from the decorations in the same order.