DecoratingGuide

Christmas Tree Ornament Sizes and How Many You Need

Christmas tree ornament sizes in inches, how many ornaments to hang by tree height, and how to mix small, medium and large balls on one tree.

By Christmas Trees editorial teamUpdated November 1, 20264 min readHow we research

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Christmas tree ornament sizes run from 1 inch minis to 10 inches and up. St. Nick’s calls 3 to 4 inch medium ornaments right for most trees, including 6 to 7.5 feet. Add minis as filler and 5 to 8 inch pieces on taller trees. Old World Christmas suggests 10 to 15 ornaments per foot of tree height.

Christmas tree ornament sizes in inches

Christmas tree ornament sizes fall into four groups in St. Nick’s chart below. Other retailers draw the lines differently, so read the diameter on the package rather than the word “large” or “small.”

Size	Diameter	Where St. Nick’s uses it
Small	1 to 2 in (25 to 50 mm)	Trees 4 ft or shorter, filler on bigger trees, tabletop displays
Medium	3 to 4 in (75 to 100 mm)	Most trees, including 6 to 7.5 ft
Large	5 to 8 in (125 to 200 mm)	Trees 8 ft and taller
Oversized	10 in and up (250 mm and up)	Trees 12 ft and taller, or outdoor displays

For a 6- to 7-foot tree, about 3 inches works as a main size under both St. Nick’s chart and Christmas Ornaments Online, which scales its sizes to the tree. Its main size runs 1.5 to 2.5 inches on a 2- to 4-foot tree, 2.5 to 3.5 inches on a 6- to 7-foot tree and 3.5 to 4.5 inches on a tree of 8 feet or more. King of Christmas goes smaller at the top end, starting 8- to 9-foot trees with its largest ornaments at about 80 to 100 mm. Sellers draw these lines differently, so treat the figures as starting points.

Ornament sizes by Christmas tree height

Ornament size should rise with Christmas tree height, because a small ball disappears on a big tree and a large one crowds a small tree. Mahoney’s Garden Center gives examples of the mix at three heights:

4.5-foot tree: 2.4 inch baubles and a few 4.75 inch pieces.
7-foot tree: 3 to 4 inch pieces, plus larger statement pieces.
Full 7.5-foot tree: A mix of 3, 4 and 6 inch pieces.

Narrow shapes are the exception to the height rule: our slim tree guide and small tree guide both lean smaller. For the top of the range, see our guide to large Christmas ornaments.

Christmas tree ornament sets

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Shatterproof sets

How many ornaments a Christmas tree needs by height

A Christmas tree needs roughly 10 to 15 ornaments per foot of height for a traditional look, a rule Old World Christmas and King of Christmas share. St. Nick’s splits its figures by style, and the table compares them.

Tree height	Old World Christmas	King of Christmas	St. Nick’s classic	St. Nick’s full
4 ft	40 to 60 (calculated)	25 to 50 (3 to 5 ft trees)	60 to 80	90 to 120
6 ft	60 to 90	60 to 100 (6 to 7 ft trees)	90 to 120	150 to 180
7 ft	70 to 105 (calculated)	60 to 100 (6 to 7 ft trees)	105 to 140	175 to 210
8 ft	80 to 120	110 to 150 (8 to 9 ft trees)	Not given	Not given

Higher rules exist. Hicks Nurseries suggests 20 average-sized ornaments per foot, or about 150 on a 7.5-foot tree. Home Depot counts each size separately: 3 large, 8 to 10 medium and about 20 small per foot. Because these rules vary so much, buy for the lower figure and add more where you see gaps. The full comparison is in our decorating guide.

Gold ball ornaments and a silver glitter reindeer packed in an open blue box — Gold balls in matte, glitter and ribbed finishes, boxed with a silver reindeer and snowflake.

How to mix small, medium and large ornaments

Mixing small, medium and large ornaments starts with the biggest ones, so they set the balance of the tree. Home Depot, Hicks Nurseries and Reviewed all work from large to small. Home Depot then sends medium ornaments farther into the branches and uses small ones in the gaps and at the tips.

A smaller copper glitter ball hanging above a larger gold glitter ball on a Christmas tree — Two sizes in the same glitter finish, one above the other.

Christmas Ornaments Online suggests a split of about 70% medium ornaments (2.5 to 3 inches), 20% large statement pieces (4 inches or more) and 10% small accents (1 to 2 inches). On a box of 100 that means 70, 20 and 10 (calculated). Hicks Nurseries adds that some ornaments should go deeper for depth, and designer Brad Schmidt tells Reviewed to cluster three baubles of different sizes.

Old World Christmas suggests placing larger ornaments as focal points around the tree, medium ones in the middle ground and smaller ones on interior branches. If you buy glass, our glass ornament guide covers how to hang the weight safely.

Small and mini Christmas ornament sets

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Frequently asked questions

What size ornaments are best for a 7-foot Christmas tree?

Mostly 3 to 4 inch ornaments. St. Nick's calls that medium size right for 6- to 7.5-foot trees, and Christmas Ornaments Online suggests 3 to 3.5 inches as the main size on a 7-foot tree, with 4 to 5 inch statement pieces and 2 to 2.5 inch accents.

How many ornaments do I need for a 6-foot Christmas tree?

About 60 to 90, according to Old World Christmas and St. Nick's minimalist figure. St. Nick's classic look goes to 90 to 120, and its full look to 150 to 180.

What are mini Christmas ornaments used for?

St. Nick's puts ornaments of 1 to 2 inches on trees 4 feet or shorter, as filler on larger trees, and on tabletop displays. On a full-size tree they add depth next to bigger ornaments.

Should all the ornaments on a tree be the same size?

Mixed sizes are the usual advice. Home Depot, Hicks Nurseries and Reviewed all work from large to small, and designer Brad Schmidt tells Reviewed to cluster three baubles of different sizes.