I have always thought her light stringing technique is overkill - I just can't afford enough strings of lights to wrap them up and down each branch. Instead I do an inner circle of lights, and then an outer circle. I find this lights the tree nicely. Instead of metallic garland, I like to use strings of beads draped evenly from branch to branch. Red or pearly white are my colours of choice.

I like to put on the lights and then decorate a day or two later. It helps me to see the nooks and crannies of the tree and I can place the ornaments better. The other trick I use to make sure the lights are well balanced: narrow your eyes so they blur some and then looked at the lighted tree--it helps you see if there are any black holes or overly lit areas.

my favorite trick for decorating the tree is to string the lights vertically, up and down the tree, instead of around. I find I tangle the lights less this way and, since our tree is usually in the corner, I don't have to put as many lights were nobody will see them.

Stringing lights vertically, as Michelle suggests above, is a GREAT idea. Much easier to do, and I bet most of us have our tree in a corner, which means the horizontal round-the-mulberry-bush technique is not only a lot of work, it also hides a lot of lights from view.

My favorite trick is to let the kids do it. :)

Having worked in a large Christmas store and doing a lot of tree trimming, I HIGHLY recommend using metal wire to attach ornaments. This is also great if you want to bundle ornaments on one branch. The vertical method of stringing lights is much easier (especially if you're stringing a large tree or a tree in a tight space). Also, plug your 3 strands of lights together and start from the top of tree. This way you don't end up with extra cord running all down the tree.

I also divide the tree into segments, say into vertical quarters, and string the lights within that segment from top to bottom. I spend up to 2 days putting lights on because if I try to finish it all at once I get frustrated and never get the lights even (you kind of need at least one evening, with the lights on, to see whether you've gotten them on evenly or not). I wire delicate ornaments onto the branches to prevent my pets from knocking them off - or - put those under glass cloches on tabletops so I don't have to cringe when I look at the tree wondering if a pet has knocked something precious off. For the water problem, I keep a washing machine overflow pan under the tree and stand (I rinse out and reuse the same pan every year), that way if there's an overflow problem I needn't worry about the flooring. An overflow pan needn't cost a lot, though you'll see them at high prices at big box stores, I got mine for less than $20 at a mom & pop hardware shop (and that's worth it when you consider the possible damage to carpeting or hardwood flooring).

Above all make your tree personal, it's the one way you'll be enthusiastic about decorating each year, mine is both a Christmas tree and a family tree. I include small framed photos of family members all about the same age and dress pins from women going back three generations temporarily become Christmas ornaments for the season. Between Christmas and New Year's everyone is invited to tie on little scrolls that carry their wishes for the New Year and on NYE we burn those in the fireplace so the wishes are carried skyward.

for live trees, get your pruners out. i find most trees are too full, i like to open up spaces for lights and small, delicate ornaments.

kariwk, your technique of narrowing the eyes and blurring your vision is a technique that a lot of artists use when looking at their work to properly see value, color, composition, perspective, etc.,--myself included!

What I like to do with the lights is tuck them DEEP in.... and if you're in doubt at all that you don't have enough, don't go any farther decorating.

I have cats, and I rely on a) wiring the ornaments to the branches (no hooks, no ribbons, but wire wrapped around) and tying the tree to the wall (actually the window frame) with an eye hook and some high tensile fishing line.

Also never hurts to put some old plastic place mats or something under the tree stand.

Martha has some good tips sometimes, but she's a bit of a control freak.

"on how to properly string lights or twist wire hangers"

"on how to string lights of twist wire hangers properly" would be more correct

& so would doing the italics as intended - same old karma

I use crystal bead strings instead of garland, and I drape them vertically from the top down, at differing lengths.

And I use paper clips if I run out of wire or wire ornament hangers.

I think it's also helpful to decide on a style for your tree and stick to it. I have enough ornaments to have 3 trees so I like to change it up one year to the next. This year it's blue and silver, last year it was burgundy and gold. The year before it was cottage christmas, all the old and hand made ornaments and faux cranberry string garland and pine cones.

Or just choose colors that work with the colors already in your room.

For real trees, we had issues with pets and a twisted trunk one year, and now always wire our tree to a screw-eye in the corner of the room. I also have a cast-iron tree stand - less likely to crack than the plastic monsters they sell now.

I feel so old-fashioned now!! Am I the only one who still has a predominantly child-focused tree? It's covered with ornaments they have received, and made (my favorites) through the years...with a few of that I made when I was little thrown on for good measure. I would love to be able to have a color scheme...but at the same time I don't know what I would do without my kid-friendly tree :)

we usually do two trees - the larger traditional tree with a hodge-podge of family ornaments (including ones made by or for kids) - then a smaller tree with a theme or color scheme, like nautical, vintage, white and gold, or natural. This way we can change the little one every few years and continue to add to the larger traditional tree - memories don't need to be a fashion statement, but if you're looking for a way to clean up the look, try evening it out with a few boxes of candy canes - this will add some consistency =)

These are great tips. I am going to do some tree trimming in lake mary fl. We have a home there that we haven't been to in a while and we aren't going back for about another 4-5 months. I want the yard to look the best it can while we aren't around. Thanks for sharing!