How to Decorate an Outdoor Christmas Tree in Six Easy Steps

Are you planning to decorate an outdoor Christmas tree for the first time? You may look forward to adding bright, exciting lights, colors, and decorations to this tree to get into the holiday spirit, but you aren't sure how to make that happen. You've seen others around you with their well-lit, neatly decorated trees, and now you're wondering how to decorate an outdoor Christmas tree yourself. The good news is that you don't need to hire someone to complete this task for you. If you follow this guide, you can gather some of the best outdoor Christmas tree decorating ideas and take a step-by-step approach to decorating it the way you want.

Step #1: Select Your Theme

The first step to decorating a large or small outdoor Christmas tree is selecting the theme. You may come across many outdoor tree decorating ideas while searching for inspiration. However, if you're feeling indecisive and need some fresh ideas, there are a few color and style theme options worth considering, such as:

• Traditional Christmas - These bright and colorful decorations may remind you of the holiday season when you were a child. From rainbow string lights to ornaments in the shapes of snowmen, snowflakes, and reindeer, this theme is sure to leave you feeling nostalgic.

• Blue, White, & Silver - Some people love that wintry mix of blue, white, and silver during the holiday season. These colors pair well together and leave the outside of your home looking full of holiday spirit.

• Red & Gold - Red and gold decorations will remind everyone of the holiday season! These colors are great to use when decorating your outdoor Christmas tree. You might even want to pop a little white in the mix to go along with the theme.

While these are three color theme options, there are plenty of others. You can get as creative as possible with outdoor Christmas trees for porch spaces and other outdoor areas surrounding your home.

Step #2: Find an Electrical Source for Your Lights

Once you've selected your theme, it's time to search for an electrical source that you can use to keep your tree well-lit at night, especially when your neighbors are passing by and checking out the stunning tree you've decorated. Luckily, you have a few options here. First, you can use an extension cord to ensure that the string lights reach an outlet that leads to your home, giving you complete control over the string lights. You can choose to put them on as often as you'd like, illuminating your outdoor space with the beautifully decorated tree. However, there's another convenient option worth considering!

Some people like to purchase battery-operated outdoor lights. These lights are a major convenience because you don't have to worry about getting an extension cord or wasting a lot of electricity to keep your tree lights lit throughout the holiday season. If you're going with this option, you'll still have plenty of choices in terms of style and color for the lights you plan to wrap around the tree.

Step #3: String Your Lights on the Tree Branches

The next step involves stringing the lights on the tree. You have a few options when hanging your lights on the tree branches. For example, some people hang them horizontally, while others prefer to start from the bottom of the tree and work their way up. If you have a lot of string lights, you might even want to start at the bottom, work your way to the top, and then begin working your way down to the bottom again, doubling up the lights on all the branches. You can skip every other Christmas tree section if you want when putting your lights in place, but this will depend primarily on the size of your tree. If you have a large, tall tree outside of your home, you may need to pull out a ladder for this step. Be sure to have someone helping you hold the ladder while you climb it and hang your lights to stay safe!

Step #4: Add Your Favorite Decorations to the Branches

After adding your lights to the tree, it's time to choose the ornaments that you'll use. You may want the ornaments to match the Christmas tree yard decorations placed around the front lawn or by the front door of your home. However, you can choose anything that you feel would look best on the tree.

When picking out ornaments, make sure they're the kind that won't get ruined due to poor weather conditions. The weather is frigid in many areas during the holiday season, and it's not uncommon for it to snow outside. You wouldn't want valuable ornaments ruined by rain, snow, or sleet!

Some people keep it simple by ditching ornaments and using bows. If you'd rather take that approach, you can head to Dollar Tree, where you can easily find a large selection of bows in different colors and styles. It's not uncommon to find bows in red, gold, silver, and white hues, but you may find other colors while you're there, too. Who says you need costly ornaments when you can use simple and affordable bows to dress up your tree and give it that holiday aesthetic we all know and love?

Step #5: Don’t Forget to Consider the Tinsel and Garland

While this step is completely optional, you may want to add a bit of tinsel or garland to your outdoor Christmas tree. The only problem with tinsel is that because it's so lightweight, it might fly off your Christmas tree on windy days. In that case, it's best to stick with the garland if you want to have at least one of the two options on your tree. And, when placing your garland, be sure to tie it down to secure it in place and prevent it from blowing away. You can find garland in many colors, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a color or style that goes with the theme you’ve selected for your tree.

Step #6: Secure Your Tree in Place to Keep It from Falling

Once your outdoor Christmas tree is decorated, you'll want to ensure it stays in place. After all, you don't want a small tree to fly as soon as it gets windy outside. You're probably wondering how to keep outdoor Christmas trees from blowing over and landing on your neighbor's porch or sidewalk. While it may seem challenging, securing a tree in place is not as difficult as most would think.

If you want to know how to secure a Christmas tree outside, you can use a heavy-duty umbrella stand for a small Christmas tree. As long as it's heavy and not lightweight, it should stay in place. You can also use a tree stand, filling it with something heavy, such as a handful of large rocks or a bag of sand. There are several other ways to secure a Christmas tree in place outside, such as using zip ties and attaching it to a pole or railing by your porch and even using shepherd hooks.

Now that you know of different ways to secure your tree in place, you won't have to worry about it blowing away or getting knocked over. You can keep it tied down and looking its best throughout the holiday season.

Conclusion

Decorating an outdoor Christmas tree is an excellent way to get into the holiday spirit while helping others do the same, including your neighbors and those who will pass by your home. If you're ready to get in the spirit and want to decorate a tree outside your home, big or small, follow these simple steps to make it happen.

It all starts with selecting the perfect theme. You can always switch up the theme over the years, trying something new and different each time. Once you have your theme, you can get your supplies, begin the process of decorating, and have a beautiful, decorated tree to put on display.