How many baubles does a Christmas tree need?

Ten to fifteen baubles per foot of tree, in two or three sizes, and the biggest ones at the bottom. The rest is detail.

Counts by height

Tree	Baubles	Sizes	Topper	Ribbon or tinsel
4ft	40 to 60	5cm and 6cm	20cm	6m
5ft	50 to 75	5cm, 6cm, 8cm	20 to 25cm	8m
6ft	60 to 90	6cm, 8cm, 10cm	25cm	9m
7ft	70 to 105	6cm, 8cm, 10cm plus 14cm low down	30cm	11m
8ft	80 to 120	8cm, 10cm, 14cm, a few 20cm	30cm	12m

A slim tree takes about half the count. A very full tree hides baubles that are hung on the tips, so push a third of them in towards the trunk where the lights are.

Sizes and where they go

The biggest baubles go on the lowest branches, the smallest near the top, which keeps the tree’s proportions. Mix finishes: matt, shiny and glitter in the same colour read as one scheme with more depth than all-shiny. The boxed packs are already mixed this way and include a topper.

Glass and shatterproof

Shatterproof baubles go low, where a child, a dog or a hoover can reach them, and on a slim tree that moves. Glass pieces go at adult eye level and above, on thick branches near the trunk, on a wire hook. Most trees end up with a boxed set for bulk and a dozen glass pieces for the parts people look at.

Toppers

A topper should be about a sixth of the tree’s height, and it needs 15cm of air above it. A 30cm angel on a 6ft tree is the upper limit; on a 7ft or 8ft tree it is right. Check the headroom before buying the topper rather than the tree.

The order

Lights first, pushed deep. Then ribbon or tinsel in loose swags. Then the largest baubles, spaced evenly, then the medium, then the small to fill gaps. Hanging shapes and feature pieces last, where the eye lands. The topper goes on after the lights and before anything else so it can be wired straight.

Colour schemes

One colour plus a metallic (red and gold, navy and silver, white and gold) is the scheme that looks considered. Three colours is the limit. On a white or flocked tree use fewer baubles in one strong colour; on a black tree almost none.