Decorating for Christmas goes much more smoothly when you work in a clear order. Measuring first saves you from buying a tree that bumps the ceiling or blocks a doorway. Checking your sockets and testing your cables before you hang a single bauble stops you having to undo your work later.

It also helps to pick two or three spots in the home and do them well rather than putting a little bit everywhere. Once the tree is up, dressed and lit, you can turn your attention to the front door, the windows and the dining table.

This guide takes you step by step, from measuring the room to packing everything away safely in January. You can browse our full Christmas range to see everything for the season.

Choosing the right tree starts with measuring your room before you buy. Measure from the floor to the ceiling in the spot where the tree will stand. Remember the stand adds height under the tree, and leave room above it for the topper and your hands when you put the topper on.

Height is only half the job. The width at the base decides how much floor space the tree takes up. Mark the base width on the floor where the tree will go, leave the mark down for a day and see if it gets in your way. Leave space around the tree so you keep it out of walkways and away from doors that open towards it. For safety, keep the tree away from fireplaces, stoves and heaters, and keep the lead off the walkway.

Picking a Tree Size and Style

Our full-size artificial Christmas trees come in heights from 1.2 m to about 2.1 m and start from about €43. If you want something small for a shelf, a sideboard or a table, we also have mini trees from about €4.

On our shelves you will find slim trees, snowy trees, pop-up trees, and pre-lit trees that come with LED lights already fitted, ranging from 40 LEDs up to 500 LEDs. Some of our tree names give the number of tips on the branches. More tips at the same height means a fuller tree, while a slim tree takes less floor. A pre-lit tree saves you wrapping the lights; just check the number of LEDs on the label to see how bright it will be.

A few simple checks keep the lights safe and tidy. Check the box says the lights can be used indoors before you put them on the tree. Lights for a balcony or a window that gets wet must be marked for outdoor use. Some of our battery-operated sets carry an IP44 rating, which means they are protected against splashing water; still check the box says outdoor use before you put any set outside.

Count the sockets you have near the tree before you buy plug-in sets, so you are not trailing a lead across the room. Battery-operated sets need no socket at all. Some sets are made to connect end to end, such as the Connect sets among our light decorations. Extension sets may need a separate adaptor or starter set, so check the box before you buy, and never connect more sets together than the box allows.

Always switch the lights off at night and when you go out. If you put the lights on a smart plug or timer, check the maximum load printed on it: a smart plug is for lamps and lights only, never a heater.

How Many Lights to Use and How to Wrap Them

A good rule of thumb for a fully lit tree is about 50 to 100 lights for every 30 cm of tree height, so a 180 cm tree takes about 300 to 600 lights. Using 50 lights per 30 cm gives a softer look, while 100 gives a dense one.

Tree light sets start from about €1. See our tree lights, or our decorative lights for more LED light sets. If you want light-up figures, scenes, icicle and net lights, take a look at our Christmas light decorations.

Test every set before it goes on the tree, and do not use a set with a damaged cable. The light colours on our shelf include warm white, extra warm white, white, cool white and multicolour. Pick one white and keep it across the tree, because two whites side by side look uneven. Check the label for the colour before you start. When you put them on, wrap the lights in towards the trunk and back out along each branch, not just round the outside.

Hanging your decorations in a set order gives the tree depth and stops branches from looking crowded. Put the lights on first, followed by any ribbon or tinsel. Next, take the largest baubles and push them in towards the trunk for depth. Hang the medium baubles after that, and use the small ones to fill gaps on the outer tips. Put the topper on last so you do not knock ornaments off while reaching up.

Choose a simple colour plan with one main colour, one second colour and one metallic. Our baubles come in red, gold and silver among others, from about €1. You can browse all our tree ornaments to find snowflake ornaments, bells, hanging figures, berry sets, tinsel, packs of small glass balls, and tree hooks.

Glass baubles break if they fall. Put glass higher up and keep the lower branches for ornaments that will not break, especially with children or pets in the home. Save your special family pieces for eye level on the side of the tree that people see most.

Once the tree is finished, you can bring the festive look to two or three other spots in the home. At the front door, you can put down a Christmas doormat, with Santa doormats starting from about €8. If you hang something on the door, use a hook that does not damage the door, and keep anything with a cable away from where the door closes. Battery-operated lights work well here when there is no socket nearby.

For your windows, we have window figures, as well as light-up scenes and little houses with LEDs from about €2. Around the home, you can place pine branches, berry branches, Christmas figurines, or a Christmas flower in a pot, and add Christmas blankets for the sofa from about €10. You will find all of these in our Christmas homeware section.

Setting the Dining Table and Wrapping Gifts

For the dining table, we have Christmas tablecloths from about €1, Christmas napkins from about €1, and Christmas placemats. Keep the centrepiece low so people can see each other across the table and there is room for the dishes.

Our range of candles and candle holders includes dinner candles from about €1, candle holders from about €7, and LED candles with a timer from about €1. Never leave a lit candle unattended, and keep real candles away from the tree, paper and fabric. LED candles are the safer choice near decorations.

Finally, for the presents under the tree, you can pick up wrapping paper from about €1, plus ribbon, in our gift wrapping category.

Packing your decorations away with care makes next year much easier. Before you take the tree down, take a photo of it. It helps next year when you want to remember what worked well.

As you take the lights off, test each light set and throw away any with a damaged cable. Wind each working set onto a reel so it does not tangle. We have reels for Christmas lights from about €3. Wrap fragile baubles one by one in paper so they do not knock against each other, and label each box with what is inside.

Proper Christmas storage helps keep dust off your decorations. Use boxes with lids and fitted bags for each item. We have Christmas storage boxes with a lid from about €9, an ornaments storage box from about €5, tree storage bags from about €11, a storage bag for Christmas lights from about €13, and a storage bag for wreaths from about €7.

Store everything somewhere dry and not too hot. Strong heat can bend plastic branches and damage light cables, so a cupboard indoors is a better place than a hot loft or an outdoor store.

Use the table below to check what to measure or inspect before you buy your decorations and storage items.

Item	What to Check	Price
Full-size tree	Ceiling height and base width	From about €43
Mini tree	Shelf or table space	From about €4
Tree light set	Indoor use, sockets nearby, how many sets can connect	From about €1
Baubles	One colour plan, glass higher up	From about €1
Light-up figures and scenes	Battery, plug or solar; indoor or outdoor use	From about €2
Doormat	Size of the doorway	From about €8
Tablecloth	Size of your table	From about €1
Candle holder	Real flames away from decorations	From about €7
Storage box with lid	Room in a dry cupboard	From about €9
Light reel	One reel per set	From about €3

What size Christmas tree should I buy?

Start by measuring from the floor to the ceiling where the tree will stand. Remember the stand adds height under the tree, and leave room above it for the topper and your hands when you reach up to place it. Next, mark the base width on the floor and leave the mark down for a day to make sure the tree stays out of walkways and away from doors. Our full-size artificial trees come in heights from 1.2 m to about 2.1 m. If floor space is tight, consider a slim tree, or put a mini tree on a table or shelf.

How many lights does a 180 cm tree need?

A simple rule of thumb for a fully lit Christmas tree is to use about 50 to 100 lights for every 30 cm of tree height. Following this rule, a 180 cm tree needs about 300 to 600 lights in total. Using 50 lights for every 30 cm gives your tree a softer look, while using 100 lights for every 30 cm gives a dense, bright finish. If you want to skip wrapping light strings around the branches altogether, you can choose a pre-lit tree; ours come with 40 to 500 LEDs, so check the number on the label against the rule above.

Can I connect several sets of lights together?

You can only connect light sets together if they are made for it, such as the Connect sets among our light decorations (check the box for any adaptor they need), and you must never connect more sets end to end than the box allows. Before you buy plug-in lights, count the wall sockets near the tree so you do not have to trail a lead across the room or walkway. Test every set before putting it on the tree and never use a set with a damaged cable. For safety, always switch all your Christmas lights off before going to bed at night and whenever you go out.

Are battery-operated lights a good idea?

Battery-operated lights are a very practical choice for places where there is no plug socket nearby, such as a front door, a mantelpiece, or a window sill. Using battery sets on or near a door also helps you keep cables away from where the door closes. Always check the label on the box to see if a light set is made for indoor or outdoor use. If you are putting lights on a balcony or a window that gets wet, they must be marked for outdoor use. Some of our battery-operated sets carry an IP44 rating, which means they are protected against splashing water; still check the box says outdoor use before you put any set outside.

How do I store Christmas decorations so they last?

Before packing your lights away, test each set, throw away any with a damaged cable, and wind good sets onto light reels, which start from about €3. Wrap fragile glass baubles one by one in paper. Pack everything into lidded boxes or bags and label them clearly. We have ornament storage boxes from about €5, lidded Christmas storage boxes from about €9, wreath storage bags from about €7, tree storage bags from about €11, and light storage bags from about €13. Keep your boxes in an indoor cupboard that is dry and not too hot, to protect branches and cables.

At Superhome Center, you can find your tree, lights, table decorations and storage boxes for Christmas. Use the links below to browse our main Christmas categories.

Shop Christmas Trees | Shop Tree Lights | Shop Christmas Storage