well lights definitely first - then a bunch of silver and light catching ornies deep into the tree - then the largest ornaments and focal point ornaments then smaller filler ornaments, then garlands, then glass icicles and crystals .....and.....then I tweak ALOT!!!! .....

Lynne

I always put the garland and strands of pearls on last also.
Jane your tree's are beautiful,
Christine

Love your trees Jane they are beautiful. I have never been good at putting garland or beads on they look terrible. I've been reading here and see what I've done wrong so I'm going to try again this year and see how it goes. I have several trees so will try both ways.

Nancy

Jane, your trees are gorgeous. I see you also use the flickering candle lights on your tree. I found those 3 years ago and they're probably my favorite tree "things".

I'm going to do the lights first. Then the small sparkly ornaments way deep into the tree near the trunk. Then my bigger oversized ornaments. Then the net garland will be tucked around and under the big ornaments. And then I'll add the mid-sized ornaments and the beaded garland last.

I hope this gives me the look I'm going for.

If you happen to be using the poly mesh "net" garland, you might want to put that on before the ornaments. OR any thicker garland/ribbon for that matter. Problem with trying to put the mesh in, is that it sticks to just about everything (especially the tree) and you may lose a few ornaments during installation. If you use another thicker type garland/ribbon it usually more difficult to get it just right while navigating your ornaments. For the beaded garlands I would definitely put them on after the ornaments...that's kind of like sprinkles on the icing and you don't want to lose it underneath everything else.

My order of things...lights, mesh, topper, ribbon/bows, extra greenery, flowers/pinecones, ornaments, sparkly sprays (this year feathers and frosted sticks) are last.

Hope you have fun decorating your tree this year no matter how you get it done!!

If you use all this beautiful stuff, how do you get the cat out???????? Karen, Jim and I need to know these things :^)
Jane your trees are amazing!!!!!!!!!!

lol Jaybird - that is the dilemma of every cat owner. I have been fortunate in that I have only had one tree climbing cat and have had up to 4 cats at a time (gonna get 2 sibling kittens in January so that may change). She only did it during her 'kitten' year and I didn't decorate with all my breakable ornaments - that goodness for the non-breakable ones. The other cats are all too lazy although they love laying in the garlands and greens before I put them up and then sleep in the empty tubs :D .....

Lynne

I'm allergic to real pine trees (touching them gives me hives and their Spring pollen is murder), so all our trees are artificial and most already have lights on them. If we're adding extra lights, we put them on first. Next we add our tree topper. After that we put on our gold glass bead garland as we like it draped very symmetrically. And then, last, all our ornaments.
Lynn

Jane, your trees are gorgeous. Speaking of cats, when I saw your silver icicles my first thought was, she must not have cats. Most love to eat that stuff. I love those icicles as that's all we had as children, but with my bad cats I can no longer enjoy them.