How Many Ornaments, Ribbon & Garland Do I Need for My Christmas Tree?
One of the most common questions when decorating a Christmas tree is simply: how much decor do I actually need?
It can be difficult to know how many ornaments to buy, how much ribbon to use, how many floral stems to add, or how much garland will make the tree feel finished without looking overcrowded.
At The Jolly Christmas Shop, we use this Christmas Tree Planner as a helpful starting point for planning a decorated tree. The amounts below are designed to give you a general guide based on tree height, but your final quantities may vary depending on the fullness of your tree and how heavily decorated you want it to look.
Printable Christmas Tree Planner
Save or print our Christmas Tree Planner before you start decorating or shopping for your tree.
Download the Printable Christmas Tree Planner
Our planner includes suggested quantities for 6-foot, 7.5-foot, 9-foot, 10-foot and 12-foot Christmas trees.
Christmas Tree Decorating Guide by Tree Size
For a 6-foot Christmas tree, start with approximately:
- 125 ornaments
- 1 tree topper
- 6–7 feet of decorative garland
- 8 floral stems
- 10 yards of ribbon
For a 7.5-foot Christmas tree, start with approximately:
- 150 ornaments
- 1 tree topper
- 8–9 feet of decorative garland
- 10 floral stems
- 12 yards of ribbon
For a 9-foot Christmas tree, start with approximately:
- 175 ornaments
- 1 tree topper
- 10–11 feet of decorative garland
- 12 floral stems
- 14 yards of ribbon
For a 10-foot Christmas tree, start with approximately:
- 200 ornaments
- 1 tree topper
- 12–13 feet of decorative garland
- 14 floral stems
- 16 yards of ribbon
For a 12-foot Christmas tree, start with approximately:
- 225 ornaments
- 1 tree topper
- 14–15 feet of decorative garland
- 16 floral stems
- 18 yards of ribbon
These quantities are meant to be a starting point rather than a strict rule. A slim tree may require less decor, while a full tree or heavily layered designer-style tree may need more.
How Many Ornaments Do I Need for a Christmas Tree?
The number of ornaments you need depends on the height and fullness of your tree as well as the size of the ornaments you are using.
A 7.5-foot tree, for example, may use around 150 ornaments for a full finished look. But that does not mean all 150 ornaments should be the same size.
For more depth, we recommend mixing:
- large statement ornaments
- medium ornaments
- smaller filler ornaments
- decorative shapes and specialty ornaments
Larger ornaments can be placed slightly deeper into the branches to help fill the interior of the tree, while smaller ornaments can be placed toward the outer branches.
If you are using a lot of ribbon, picks, sprays and other decorative accents, you may need fewer ornaments than someone decorating primarily with ornaments.
How Much Ribbon Do I Need for a Christmas Tree?
Our planner recommends approximately:
- 10 yards for a 6-foot tree
- 12 yards for a 7.5-foot tree
- 14 yards for a 9-foot tree
- 16 yards for a 10-foot tree
- 18 yards for a 12-foot tree
This amount works as a general starting point for ribbon incorporated throughout the tree.
If you prefer very full ribbon loops, long cascading ribbon or multiple ribbon styles, you may want additional yardage.
As a separate rule of thumb, approximately 5 yards of ribbon can make about 2–3 bows depending on the size and number of loops.
Shop Christmas Ribbon & Tree Accessories
How Much Garland Do I Need for My Christmas Tree?
The garland measurements in our planner are intended for decorative tree garland such as beaded garland, rather than greenery garland.
Suggested amounts are:
- 6–7 feet for a 6-foot tree
- 8–9 feet for a 7.5-foot tree
- 10–11 feet for a 9-foot tree
- 12–13 feet for a 10-foot tree
- 14–15 feet for a 12-foot tree
You can drape beaded garland in loose swags around the tree or layer it between ribbon and ornaments.
If you want deeper or more dramatic swags, you may need additional garland.
How Many Picks or Floral Stems Do I Need?
Floral stems, picks and sprays are one of the easiest ways to make a Christmas tree look fuller and more dimensional.
Our planner recommends:
- 8 floral stems for a 6-foot tree
- 10 for a 7.5-foot tree
- 12 for a 9-foot tree
- 14 for a 10-foot tree
- 16 for a 12-foot tree
These can be spaced throughout the tree to add color, texture and movement.
For a floral-style tree topper with a full 360-degree view, plan on approximately 10–15 floral pieces, depending on their size and fullness.
Shop Christmas Picks, Sprays & Tree Accessories
How Do I Make My Christmas Tree Look Fuller?
A full designer-inspired tree is usually built in layers.
Start with the tree itself and lights, then gradually add larger decorating elements.
A helpful order is:
- Lights
- Ribbon
- Decorative garland
- Large ornaments
- Smaller ornaments
- Floral stems, picks and sprays
- Tree topper
- Final statement accents
Placing some decorations deeper inside the tree and others closer to the outside branches creates more depth than hanging everything at the tips.
Do Lights Go on the Tree Before Ornaments?
Yes. If your tree is not already pre-lit, we recommend adding lights before hanging ornaments and other decorations.
This allows you to distribute the lights evenly without having to work around ornaments, ribbon and other decorative pieces.
Once the lights are in place, you can begin layering the rest of the tree decor.
What Size Tree Skirt Do I Need?
Our planner includes one tree skirt for each tree.
The exact diameter you need will depend on the width of your tree and the size of the tree stand.
As a general rule, choose a skirt that is large enough to cover the tree stand while still leaving some of the skirt visible around the base of the tree.
Does Every Christmas Tree Need the Same Amount of Decor?
No. Two trees that are both 7.5 feet tall can require different amounts of decor.
A few things that affect how much you need include:
- tree width
- branch fullness
- ornament size
- whether the tree is flocked
- how much ribbon you use
- whether you are adding picks, sprays or oversized accents
- whether you prefer a simple look or a heavily decorated designer look
Use our planner as a starting point, then adjust based on your own tree and decorating style.
How Much Decor Do I Need for a 7.5-Foot Christmas Tree?
For a 7.5-foot Christmas tree, our planner recommends approximately:
- 150 ornaments
- 1 tree topper
- 8–9 feet of decorative beaded garland
- 10 floral stems
- 12 yards of ribbon
This is a helpful starting point for a full, decorated look.
How Much Decor Do I Need for a 9-Foot Christmas Tree?
For a 9-foot Christmas tree, start with approximately:
- 175 ornaments
- 1 tree topper
- 10–11 feet of decorative beaded garland
- 12 floral stems
- 14 yards of ribbon
Add or subtract pieces depending on the fullness of your tree and the look you want to achieve.
Christmas Tree Decorating Checklist
Before you begin decorating, gather:
- Christmas tree
- lights if the tree is not pre-lit
- ornaments in several sizes
- ribbon
- decorative or beaded garland
- floral stems, picks or sprays
- tree topper
- tree skirt
Having everything together before you begin makes it much easier to create a balanced look.
Print the Christmas Tree Planner
Keep this guide handy while decorating or use it as a shopping checklist when choosing ornaments, ribbon, floral stems and other tree accessories.
Download the Free Christmas Tree Planner
[LINK TO THE PRINTABLE PDF]
You can also save the planner image to Pinterest or keep it on your phone while shopping.