The best Christmas tree decorations

If you like traditional clear lights with a steady glow, you'll love the Prextex 100-count Christmas Lights. The green wire blends in with your tree, and the lights are bright and dependable. The string of lights is approximately 18 feet long, and you can connect up to five strings to cover your entire tree.

Forget about tediously winding a long string of lights around your Christmas tree: With the ingenious Star Shower Tree Dazzler, all you need to do is slip the ring over the top of your 6- to 7.5-foot Christmas tree, tuck the eight attached vertical strings of lights down and around your tree's branches, plug into your nearest electrical outlet, and then choose one of the 31 possible colorful displays, which include steady, wave, scroll, fade, and spin in several different colors.

If you have fond childhood memories of these vintage bubbling candle-shaped lights adorning your Christmas tree, you'll be thrilled with the Novelty Lights Bubble Set. You're not going to decorate your entire tree with bubble lights (probably), but tucking one or two strings of these old-fashioned fun bubblers along the tree branches adds an instant dose of nostalgic fun and color. Each string is 7 feet long and has seven bubblers with small clips to keep them in place and steady.

Once your lights are in place, it's time for the topper. Typically, these slip over the top of the tree's trunk, and generally take a little bit of wiggling or adjusting before they sit steadily. While stars and angels are very popular options, there are plenty of other choices as well.

Your kids will love watching Santa flying around the Christmas tree in his reindeer-drawn sleigh with a "Believe" banner trailing behind. The Mr. Christmas Santa Sleigh Animated Tree Topper has a brightly lit yellow star that attaches easily to your tree's top, and with a flick of the on/off switch, Santa begins his journey. This topper is AC powered with adapter included.

Snowflakes are a popular Christmas-tree theme, but this handcrafted, laser-cut beauty from Cost Plus World Market isn't the run-of-the-mill cheap plastic design. Instead, the Layered Wood Snowflake Tree Topper has three overlapping wooden pieces with just a hint of glitter for extra pizzazz. The wire-coiled base holds the star securely on the top of your tree.

The Hugging Snowman Tree Topper will absolutely thrill your kids, but let's admit it: It's adorable enough to thrill adults as well. It's easy to position too. Just slip Mr. Snowman's head over the top of the tree, and then bend his wired arms to grip the branches and keep him in place. His long red scarf adds even more fun to the tree.

While many angel tree toppers are somewhat tacky, that's not the case with the Santa's Workshop Pine Cone Angel. This delicate beauty combines rustic and vintage appeal into one lovely tree topper that you'll treasure year after year. At 16 inches tall, it's big enough to grace even a large tree.

Owls aren't a traditional Christmas motif, but if you're looking for something out of the ordinary, why not top your holiday tree with this wise bird? The blown-glass Owl Topper from Old World Christmas is beautifully handcrafted, hand-painted, and sprinkled with a bit of glitter. It's definitely a conversation starter and a wonderful addition to an Old World, vintage, rustic, or country-themed tree. The owl is a little over 8 inches tall.

Your tree is up, it's strung with lights, and your topper is firmly in place. Now it's time for the best part: trimming it with your favorite ornaments.

While everyone has their own preference when it comes to ornaments, it generally makes the most sense from a budget and convenience perspective to decorate the bulk of the tree with inexpensive, easily found shatterproof or glass balls in your favorite holiday colors. You'll find every color of the rainbow at Target or Walmart. Then add your own personality with individual ornaments or small sets reflecting a hobby, color, interest, or something whimsical that strikes your fancy.

The holidays are all about family, so celebrate yours with a personalized ornament that includes everyone's name. The Winter Family Ornament from Bed, Bath & Beyond includes your family name in the center, surrounded by up to 12 first names. It's made of porcelain with a glossy finish and is nearly 3 inches in diameter.

What do you get when you combine traditional blown-glass with an of-the-moment and absolutely adorable craze? This super-cute sloth ornament from Old World Christmas, that's what. The Christmas Sloth is hand-blown from glass, then hand-painted and sprinkled with a bit of glitter. The kids are going to argue over who gets to put this on the tree, but don't feel bad if you have the urge to step in and do it yourself.

While Cost Plus World Market has a large selection of wonderfully unique felted-wool Christmas ornaments, you can't go wrong with this adorable set of two Christmas Mice. Mr. and Mrs. Mouse are all dressed up and ready to celebrate the holiday with their very own tree and gifts. The mice are made of handcrafted of wool and 5.5 inches tall.

You already have your shiny glass or shatterproof ball ornaments, so add some warm texture, pattern, and color with two sets of 12 Knit Ball Ornaments from WEWILL. Each ornament measures around 3 inches in diameter and is completely covered with knitted wool in a colorful winter sweater design. Each set contains multiple patterns.

Snowflakes are a traditional Christmas motif, and we really like the Iridescent Glass Snowflake Ornaments from Banberry Designs. You get a set of six, and just like the real thing, each is a different design. All are made of clear glass with a bit of iridescence to add a subtle touch of shimmering beauty to your holiday tree. measure around 2.5 inches in diameter.

It's hard to imagine any child — or adult, if we are being honest — who wouldn't break into a huge smile at the sight of these Felt Dog Christmas Ornaments. Dressed in little scarves, hats, and shirts, each of the four winter-loving pooches measures roughly 4 inches across. The set includes a dalmatian, golden retriever, dachshund, and Scotty.

While the majority of Christmas ornaments are made of glass, plastic, or wool, it's nice to mix it up a bit with a variety of textures, which is why we love these Wooden Heart Ornaments. You get two sets for 24 ornaments in all. Measuring 2.7 inches across, each ornament is delicately laser-cut by hand into a reindeer-and-bird design and finished with a red satin ribbon for hanging.

Most Christmas tree stands are not very attractive, so a Christmas tree skirt serves two purposes: It covers up the stand, and it provides a horizontal counterbalance to the upright shape of the tree. Smooth your tree skirt in place once the tree is fully decorated, and then arrange the wrapped gifts on top of it. Now you're ready for Santa's visit!

While most tree skirts are some type of fabric, Cost Plus World Market breaks with tradition with their Natural Seagrass Tree Collar. Woven by hand in the Philippines, this unique alternative to the tree skirt adds a somewhat rustic, woodland touch to your holiday tree. It consists of two pieces that hook together around the tree stand and measures 22 inches at the top, 27 inches at the bottom, and 10 inches in height.

The Snowy White Faux Fur Christmas Tree Skirt is hard to resist. It's almost like a wintry drift of snow beneath your tree, except this snowdrift is warm, plush, and fuzzy. At 48 inches in diameter, it's large enough to work with just about any tree and has hooks and loops along the slit edge to fasten it around the tree's trunk. The only downside is that your cat or dog might decide this is the best sleeping spot ever, but never fear: The skirt is hand-washable in cold water if necessary.

The Holiday Plaid Christmas Tree Skirt is decorated with a red and green plaid print with a thick border of green velvet for a traditional finish to your Christmas tree decorations. Best of all, it comes personalized with your family name or any word up to 20 characters. The skirt is 47.5 inches in diameter and can be spot-cleaned.

The Reversible Fair Isle Christmas Tree Skirt is softly knit like your favorite sweater, and sports a cheerful red-and-white Fair Isle reindeer pattern on one side. Flip it over, and it's white with red stripes. Whichever side you choose to display, the tree skirt is a traditional design that adds lot of holiday cheer. The tree skirt is 48 inches in diameter and can be spot-cleaned.

If your holiday decor leans more toward classic elegance than cutesy designs, you'll love the beautiful Valery Madelyn Gold Christmas Tree Skirt. This 48-inch velvet and satin stunner has gold sequins throughout the central star as well as along the satin border. The cream and gold color scheme complements a collection of metallic gold and clear glass ornaments.

Artificial Christmas trees have come a long way. Now they offer a much more realistic and festive look during the holiday season than their predecessors. Here are our top picks for the best artificial Christmas trees you can buy:

• Best artificial Christmas tree overall: Balsam Hill Classic Blue Spruce
• Best artificial Christmas tree for big rooms: Pre-lit 12-foot Dunhill Fir Tree by National Tree
• Best artificial Christmas tree for small spaces: Home Heritage 7-foot Pre-Lit Artificial Half Christmas Tree
• Best budget artificial Christmas tree: Best Choice Products 6-foot Artificial Christmas Tree
• Best nontraditional artificial Christmas tree: Treetopia Silver Shadow Ombre Artificial Christmas Tree

Whether it's your one touch of holiday decor in a tiny studio apartment, part of an extensive collection of Christmas decorations, or even a shot of holiday spirit for your office cubicle, a tabletop Christmas tree lets you celebrate the season without the space commitment required by a full-size tree. Here are the best tabletop Christmas trees:

• Best live tabletop Christmas tree: L.L.Bean Christmas Reindeer Live Tree with Lights
• Best natural-looking tabletop Christmas tree: Cost Plus World Market Pre-Lit Faux Tree With Gold Berries and Pinecones
• Best traditional tabletop Christmas tree: National Tree Company Kincaid Spruce Tree (3 Feet)
• Best tabletop Christmas tree with fiber optic lights: Holiday Time Fiber Optic Conical Christmas Tree
• Best pre-decorated tabletop Christmas tree: The Holiday Aisle Green Fir Artificial Christmas Tree

Whether you're young or old, there's something magical about the sight of an overflowing Christmas stocking awaiting you on Christmas morning. These are the best Christmas stockings you can buy:

• Best Christmas stocking overall: Lands' End Needlepoint Christmas Stocking
• Best vintage-style Christmas stocking: Quilted Christmas Stockings
• Best Christmas stocking with bling: Gilded Christmas Stocking
• Best Christmas stocking for dogs: Plaid Dog Bone Paw Stocking
• Best Hanukkah stocking: Velvet Happy Hanukkah Stocking
• Best Christmas stockings for NFL fans: NFL-Team Christmas Stocking
• Best elegant Christmas stocking: Jeweled Holiday Christmas Stocking
• Best knit Christmas stocking: Knitted Christmas Stocking
• Best toddler Christmas stocking: North Pole Reindeer Stocking
• Best set of Christmas stockings: Imperial Home Classic Christmas Stockings
• Best contemporary Christmas stocking: Boho Gray Shag Holiday Stocking