Lighting and decorating the tree is an EVENT in our home. We have built a great deal of our family culture around our many Christmas Traditions and this is no exception!
When Chris and I were lighting our very first Christmas Tree together, I grabbed the lights and started to just put them on the tree with no rhyme or reason ( I was 20 and basically still a child… so don’t judge!). He was SHOCKED that I didn’t know HOW to put the lights on the tree like somehow I missed the Christmas Tree Illumination lesson from high school.
He began to explain the system and demonstrate how it should go… I was mesmerized and thought it was a little over-the-top… but the tree was BEAUTIFUL when he was done and I was a convert. He definitely drives this system in our home and it has evolved and improved through the years. We wanted to share it with you in case you too missed the Interior Illumination lesson in high school. .
Step 1: light the inside! We use bright white LED. We wrap them closer to the trunk of the tree and for a 7 ft tree, we use 4 strands.
Step 2: Twinkle lights. We use regular multicolored lights. We weave these in and out of the tree and all around. For our 7 ft tree, we used 9 strands.
Step 3: Specialty lights. We use gum drop LED lights. We work these around the tree towards the end of the branches. For our 7 ft tree, we used 7 strands.
Step 4: Wow lights. We use a super specialty light called a G35 that aren’t sold anymore… there aren’t that many on the tree. 30 bulbs total. But it adds a pop! You could add something like it like these from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ZHONGXIN-Colored-Christmas-Outdoor-Festival/dp/B07WZZGMRS/ref=sr_1_41?crid=1Z1HLINIAVP72&keywords=large%2Bbulb%2Bchristmas%2Btree%2Blights&qid=1701055220&sprefix=large%2Bbulb%2BChrist%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-41&th=1
Step 5: Add garland. We almost forget this step this year! We use an assortment of different garlands collected through the years.
Step 6: Add ornaments. Ours are mostly homemade crafts from our kids and memory maker type ornaments. The ornaments tell a story and we love that. It’s like an explosion of our family memories 
There are pictures of our kids through the years, handprints on ornaments, crafts made from paper plates and CD’s, and every foam-craft set you could dream of. Some might think it’s messy, but we think it is wonderful.
Step 7: Sit together in the glow of the tree and just soak it in, laugh about memories, and make some new ones 
This is the most important step and definitely my favorite part. All those years ago when it was just Chris and me, what we have today in relationship with our kids and connection as a family is beyond my wildest imagination. These are the moments that define family culture more than any of the rest of it. Enjoy your people and enjoy your story.