Enter your tree’s height and pick the look. You get the lights, the ornaments, the garland and the tree skirt to buy, and the tallest tree your ceiling takes.
Lights to buy
750 lights8 strands of 100 · for a 7.5 ft standard tree
Ornament mix
Quick answer: use about 100 lights per foot of tree height for a classic look, and 150–200 per foot for a brighter, designer look. For ornaments, use about 20 per foot. A standard 7 ft tree takes 700 lights and about 140 ornaments; a 7.5 ft tree takes 750 lights and about 150 ornaments. Slim trees need fewer and full trees need more. The calculator above adjusts for your tree’s shape, and adds the garland, the tree skirt size and the tallest tree your ceiling takes.
How to use the Christmas tree calculator
- Enter the tree’s height, the number it is sold by: 6 ft, 7.5 ft and so on. Add your ceiling height to see the tallest tree that fits.
- Pick the shape: pencil, slim, standard or full. If you know the width at the bottom branches (it is on the box or the listing), type it in instead.
- Pick the look: how bright you like the lights and how full you like the ornaments.
- Read what to buy: lights and strands, the length of lit strand, ornaments in three sizes, garland, ribbon and the tree skirt. Copy link keeps the list for the store.
The rules the calculator uses
How many lights for a Christmas tree
The rule most decorators use is 100 lights for every foot of tree height. That is for a classic look, with the lights tucked into the branches. For a brighter tree, use 150 per foot. For the dense, glowing look of a store display, use 200 per foot. The rule is written for a standard tree, about 60% as wide as it is tall. A slim tree has about a quarter less branch surface to cover, and a full tree about a fifth more, so the calculator scales the count by the tree’s surface area.
How many feet of lights
Light sets are sold by bulb count, but the length matters when you plan. On mini lights, bulbs are usually 4″ apart, so 100 lights make about 33 ft of lit strand. Some sets space them 2½″ apart, packing the same 100 lights into about 21 ft. The calculator gives the length for 4″ spacing, and the note under the result gives the 2½″ figure.
How many ornaments for a Christmas tree
Use about 10 ornaments per foot for a light touch, 20 for a classic tree and 30 for a tree where the ornaments are the show. A mix of sizes looks fuller than the same number of one size. The calculator suggests about one-fifth large (4″ and up), two-fifths medium and two-fifths small. Hang the large ones deep in the branches, near the trunk, to fill the gaps, and the small ones near the tips.
How much garland or ribbon
Garland wrapped around the tree in bands about 15″ apart follows a spiral, and its length is about π × the tree’s radius × its height ÷ the band spacing. For a standard 7 ft tree, that is about 37 ft: five 9 ft garlands. Closer bands need more garland; loose, draped swags need a little less.
What size tree skirt, and what size tree for your ceiling
A tree skirt looks right when it reaches about as far as the lowest branches, so the calculator picks the largest standard skirt that is no wider than the tree. For the ceiling, leave at least 6″ above the tree for the topper. Under an 8 ft ceiling, that makes a 7.5 ft tree the tallest that fits. A tall star or angel needs more room, so go 6″ shorter.
Christmas tree lights and ornaments chart
Standard-shaped trees, classic lights (100 per foot) and classic ornaments (20 per foot):
| Tree | Lights | Feet of lights | Ornaments | Garland | Tree skirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft | 400 | 133 ft | 80 | 12 ft | 30″ |
| 5 ft | 500 | 167 ft | 100 | 19 ft | 36″ |
| 6 ft | 600 | 200 ft | 120 | 27 ft | 42″ |
| 6.5 ft | 650 | 217 ft | 130 | 32 ft | 42″ |
| 7 ft | 700 | 233 ft | 140 | 37 ft | 48″ |
| 7.5 ft | 750 | 250 ft | 150 | 42 ft | 52″ |
| 9 ft | 900 | 300 ft | 180 | 61 ft | 60″ |
The tallest Christmas tree for your ceiling
| Ceiling | Tallest tree (6″ left for the topper) |
|---|---|
| 7 ft | 6.5 ft |
| 8 ft | 7.5 ft |
| 9 ft | 8 ft |
| 10 ft | 9 ft |
| 12 ft | 10 ft |
Three worked examples
A standard 7 ft tree. At 100 lights per foot, it takes 700 lights: seven strands of 100, or about 233 ft of lit strand at 4″ spacing. For a brighter tree, it takes 1,050 lights, or 1,400 for a designer look. Add 140 ornaments (28 large, 56 medium, 56 small), about 37 ft of garland, which is five 9 ft garlands, and a 48″ tree skirt.
A slim 7.5 ft tree under an 8 ft ceiling. A slim tree is about 42″ wide and has about a quarter less branch surface than a standard one. It takes 600 lights, 120 ornaments, four 9 ft garlands and a 42″ skirt. It is also the tallest tree that fits that ceiling, with 6″ left for the topper.
A full 9 ft tree with designer lights. At 200 lights per foot, plus the extra branch surface of a full tree, it takes 2,150 lights: eight strands of 300. Add 215 ornaments, eight 9 ft garlands and a 72″ skirt. It also needs a ceiling of at least 9.5 ft.
Common Christmas tree mistakes
- Buying lights by the box. Two or three strands light a tabletop tree, not a 7 ft one. Count the lights first, then buy the strands.
- Wrapping lights only around the outside. Weave them toward the trunk and back out along each branch, so the tree glows from inside.
- Hanging ornaments before the garland. The order is lights, then garland or ribbon, then ornaments. The ornaments sit on top and hide any gaps.
- Buying the tallest tree without measuring the ceiling. The height on the box usually includes the stand, but never the topper.
- Hanging every ornament at the tips. Large ornaments deep in the branches add depth; the tips are for small ones.
Read next
- Gold and red Christmas tree ideas
- Red and white Christmas tree ideas
- Small Christmas tree ideas
- DIY Christmas ornaments
- Christmas decor ideas for the living room
Christmas tree questions
How many lights for a 7 foot tree?
About 700 lights for a classic look on a standard 7 ft tree: 100 per foot of height. A brighter tree takes 1,050 lights, and a designer look takes 1,400. A slim 7 ft tree needs about a quarter fewer.
How many feet of lights for a 7 foot tree?
About 233 ft of lit strand for 700 lights at the common 4″ bulb spacing. With sets spaced 2½″ apart, the same 700 lights come in about 146 ft of strand.
How many lights per foot of Christmas tree?
100 lights per foot of height for a classic look, 150 for a bright tree and 200 for a designer look. That rule is for a standard tree; a slim tree needs fewer and a full tree more.
How many ornaments for a 7.5 foot tree?
About 150 for a classic look, 20 per foot of height. Use 75 for a light touch or 225 for a tree covered in ornaments. A mix of large, medium and small ornaments makes the same number look fuller.
How many ornaments for a 6 foot tree?
About 120 for a classic look. Use 60 for a light touch, or 180 for a full tree.
How much garland for a 7 foot tree?
About 37 ft, or five 9 ft garlands, wrapped around a standard tree in bands about 15″ apart. Wrap the bands closer together and you need more; drape them in loose swags and you need a little less.
What size tree skirt do I need?
One that reaches about as far as the lowest branches. That is a 48″ skirt for a standard 7 ft tree, 52″ for 7.5 ft and 60″ for 9 ft. Slim trees take smaller skirts: about 42″ at 7.5 ft.
What size Christmas tree for an 8 foot ceiling?
A 7.5 ft tree, which leaves 6″ for the topper. If your topper is a tall star or an angel, choose a 7 ft tree instead.
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