Talk

DH and DD got the Christmas box out whilst I was enjoying a lie-in, so I didn't really have much of a say. The lights are nearly even, bless them, and there's an unsightly big sparkly cluster of green baubles just at DD's armsreach, but as long as they are happy, there's no fallout

I don't! DH does it with a bit of help from DD2.

Another squinter here

I kind of swag the lights from side to side so that they almost meet at the back but I don't have to get stuck go behind it.

I used to spend hours getting it all to look perfect, nowadays the children come along and blitz it!

We've decided not to put on tinsel this year and I could instantly see huge gaps in the lighting. Think we will have to get some more lights...

DH& I discuss disagree every year when doing the lights. We did them last night & he moaned nicely & threatened to get a fake pre-lit one for next year rather than the lovely real one we have, althoughI would agree getting more & more expensive.

We turn lights on first to make sure working (!) & then leave on whilst we put on tree - we have 2 sets of 400 micro white lights on it & it looks gorgeous. We tend to start at top & go round & do the same with the second set & it looks pretty even - tend to stand back & squint too.

We have 512 lights. There are no gaps there's barely any tree visible between the lights

A tip. Make sure your lights are working BEFORE you put them on the tree. A fellow mumsnetter put hers on (loads of them) the tree only to find they didn't work!

Squint!

I've not put my tree up yet, and I think I have had an inspiration. It's a fake tree that you build from the bottom up; would it work to put the lights in between each layer of tree, as I am building it up?

Another squinter!! I was told if you squint your eyes and you should see the shape of a Christmas Tree

Big string of lights and a teeny-tiny twig tree (approx one metre tall).