Warning...Volatile Topic Enclosed:

[WildIrish]

When you're decorating the tree, what order to you put things on?

I grew up thinking it was supposed to be: Lights, then ornaments, then garland

Last night, Mrs. WI claimed the garland was supposed to be put on BEFORE the ornaments. And that everyone knows that! Mind you...we've been married 22 years and we're just now having this conversation.

So what's the right order?

[Oldfart]

Whatever works.

That being said, putting up the tinsel first increases the places you can hang ornaments and lights. Your choice, there is no right and Ffffffzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Lord Snow]

I think so long as you don't blow a fuze or burn the house down it's all good. I grew up with light, garland, ornaments, tinsel, then cat removal............constant cat removal.

[jseal]

... constant cat removal.
Yep! Socks, our fat, dumb alpha male insists on eating the needles, getting a far away look in his eyes as if he's stoned, and then running into the laundry room to barf. Again. For the N+1th time!

[dm383]

Always lights first, just so you don't get the wiring tangled up in tinsel, and/or knock the ornaments off and smash them!

Only then may you hang the tinsel (IF you use it - we don't!) then ornaments/baubles and garland.

Oh, and Fairy/Angel/Santa* is always, always last! :)

DM


* delete as appropriate.

[dicksbro]

Lights first. This year, after the lights, we did ornaments then garland. Don't know that we've ever insisted on that, though. :shrug:

(The cat removal, however, was right on!)

[Lord Snow]

When I was a little Lord we had a live tree. The cat removal was to for drinking the water, climbing the tree, and eating the tinsel. Though I always thought the idea of shiny poop amusing, it's not healthy for the animal.

[Pita]

Mrs. WildIrish is correct. Once you have the lights, garland, and other string like items, such as strands of beads perfectly arranged, then you may put on the ornaments. If you choose to use tinsel you will put that on at the very end. And please never toss on tinsel by the handful. Be patient and place only one or two strands at a time and you will have a perfectly gorgeous tree. :)

[AZRedHot]

We've always done lights, then garland, then ornaments. Anything that is spread throughout the tree repeatedly should go first, as a background to the individual ornaments. If you're one of those people who does a theme tree, I suppose all bets are off, but I prefer the time capsule tree, where every ornament has a story or comes from a certain time in your life.

Of course, since I've switched to a 4' tree, I decorated it 4 years ago, and after Christmas, I cover it in a hefty bag and put it away until next year. "Putting up the tree" now only involves taking the bag off, plugging it in, and finding the tree skirt. Smartest thing I ever did. :)

[WildIrish]

Mrs. WildIrish is correct.


I hear that a lot. Especially from her. lol

[Oldfart]

I hear that a lot. Especially from her. lol

Nod wisely and say "Yes dear".