Christmas Ornament Calculator With Instant Anwers

How Many Ornaments for a 7 Foot Tree

A Christmas tree with too many ornaments can make it too busy, and not using enough Christmas tree ornaments may just leave the tree looking bland. I have been decorating Christmas trees for years, and I would say that I now know the right amount of ornaments. Generally, I recommend using 29 ornaments per foot of tree height for trees that are 5 ft. wide. Then, for other widths of the same height, I can size up or down by adding or subtracting 40 ornaments per foot. So, a 7 x 5 feet tree should have around 203 ornaments, but a 7 x 4 feet needs only 163 ornaments. Similarly, a 6 x 5 ft. needs 174 ornaments, but for a 6 x 6 ft. you need about 214 ornaments.

The chart below shows the number of ornaments for the average-sized Christmas trees:

Tree Height in Feet	Tree Width in Feet	Light Coverage	Heavy Coverage
2	1.5	15	20
3	2.3	35	45
4	2.5	50	63
5	3.6	90	114
6	4	120	152
7	4.3	149	189
8	5	198	251
9	5.75	257	362

Factors that Determine the Ideal Number of Ornaments to Use on a Christmas Tree

Density of the Branches

Calculating the ideal number of ornaments for a 7-foot tall, 5-foot wide Christmas tree, we arrived at 204 ornaments. But then, depending on its density, 204 ornaments may be insufficient.

Generally, dense Christmas trees will require more ornaments, and not decorating them with enough ornaments might leave them looking bland. You just may not get the festive atmosphere of the holiday season around the tree. On the other hand, sparse Christmas trees can do fine with fewer ornaments.

So, while an averagely dense 7 x 5 ft. tree can make do with around 204 ornaments, a dense one might need 300 ornaments. However, a sparse one could do just fine with 120 ornaments.

With artificial trees, it’s easier to predict density. But with natural trees, density can vary greatly. So, when working with natural trees, you may need fewer or more number of ornaments.

Ornament Size

The size of the ornaments also affects the number of ornaments you need for a 7 ft. tree (and pretty much any Christmas tree height).

So far, our recommendation of 204 ornaments for 7 x 5 ft. tree is based on 3-4 inches ornaments. But when working with larger ornaments, use fewer ornaments per foot. Contrarily, if you are using smaller ornaments, use more units to make up for the small size.

Using the 204 units reference for 3-4 inches ornaments, you can infer the number of ornaments to use for your ornament size. All you have to do is calculate the ratio of 3.5 inches (midpoint between 3 and 4 inches) relative to your ornament size. Then multiply 204 by that ratio.

For instance, if you have 2 inches of ornaments, the ratio would be 1.75. So, you would have to use around 204 x 1.75 ornaments = 357 ornaments. On the flip side, if you have 5 inches of ornaments, the ratio would be 0.7, so you would have to use 143 ornaments.

Ornament Type

When decking a tree with ornaments like tree toppers, garlands, and tree skirts, one or a few units is typically enough. But for ornaments like baubles, icicles, and snowflakes, you’ll probably need multiple units to give the tree a befitting look.

Apart from that, when decorating with multiple ornament types, each ornament will contribute to the visual appeal in different ways. Similarly, each one will influence the number of ornaments you need for the tree in different ways.

For instance, if you have a garland on the tree, you’ll probably need fewer baubles or icicles around the garland. Also, if you have Christmas lights wound around the tree, you may need more or fewer smaller ornaments, depending on how many lights you have on the tree.

If you are decorating the base of your Christmas tree with a tree skirt, you probably wouldn’t need any other ornament in that area. But then, the size of tree skirts remains a consideration – you should probably get one that matches your tree’s size.

Decoration Style and Personal Preference

The decoration style you choose to follow and your personal preference are perhaps the ultimate factor when it comes to Christmas tree decorations.

If you prefer to opt for a minimalistic decoration, you probably wouldn’t need as many as 204 ornaments for your 7 ft. x 5 ft. tree. You could make do with just 50 ornaments or less.

However, if you are the type who wants an elaborate decoration, you’ll definitely need extra ornaments, especially if the tree is quite broad.

If you are decorating your home with multiple trees, you may want to consider trying different decoration styles/themes for each one.

Tree’s Structure

When coming up with the 204 ornaments reference, we used tree height and tree width for our calculation. This just shows how vital the tree width is when calculating how many ornaments you need a for a 7 ft. Christmas tree.

You can get 7 ft. Christmas trees in different widths. In other words, some 7 ft. trees are slender while some are broad. With slender ones, you would need fewer ornaments. But with the broader ones, you’ll need extra ornaments.

So, while a 7 ft. tall, 5 ft. wide tree would need around 204 ornaments, a 3-foot wide tree of the same height only needs around 118 ornaments. Then a 4-foot wide tree would need around 160 ornaments.

Ornament Weight

Besides their sizes, the weight of the ornaments can influence how many ornaments you use on your tree. Be they tree lights, baubles, finials, or icicles, if the ornaments are significantly heavier than usual, you may want to use fewer pieces. But if they are as lightweight as expected, you probably wouldn’t have to worry about adjusting the recommended number.

Using a lot of heavy ornaments on your tree may leave the tree’s branches dangling. Of course, that wouldn’t be a good look.

While there’s typically just one tree topper on a Christmas tree, you should consider the weight of your tree topper, too. Heavy tree toppers are best used on thicker trees. Using them on thinner ones may not be ideal.

What Size of Tree Stand Should I Get?

The size of your tree determines the size of the stand to get. But generally, when buying a tree stand, ensure the base is on par or wider than the tree trunk’s width – wider is better. So, if you have a tree whose trunk is 6 inches wide, the stand’s base should be at least 6 inches wide.