Christmas Tree Calculator

As the season approaches, every city becomes brighter and more cheerful, with streets and buildings adorned with twinkling lights and eye-catching decorations. After a while, the most familiar symbol of the festive season – the towering Christmas tree – stands proudly in city squares and public spaces. This time of joy also invites us to bring out our Christmas trees. Let’s figure out how to decorate them properly and estimate how many ornaments you actually need. Surprisingly, a math professor worked on the basic idea, and later our team of physicists refined it even further.

The calculator walks you through each step, showing instant calculations and visual results at the same time. If you’re not sure how it works, keep reading the article below for practical examples and helpful tips. We also share insights into the history of Christmas trees – explaining why people bring them home and decorate them year after year. Finally, we tackle a classic holiday argument and reveal whether ribbons really beat lights as Christmas decorations.

How to Use the Calculator

Before learning how the Christmas Tree Calculator works, let’s first understand how you can use it for your needs. To start the explanation, we’ll explain what each field means (refer to the image below for more clarity):

• Foliage Height: The vertical measurement from the top of the tree to where the foliage ends;
• Foliage Bottom Diameter: The width of the tree at its widest point, which is the lowest part of the foliage;
• What do you want to calculate?: This option allows you to choose from two different calculation methods;
• Strand Length: The total length of lights or ribbons used to decorate the tree;
• Tree Wraps: The number of times the selected ornament is wrapped around the tree;
• Strand Spacing: The distance between one complete rotation of the ornament and the next;
• Bauble Density: Indicates how much of the tree surface area the baubles will cover;
• Number of Baubles: The total number of baubles needed to reach the selected coverage level;
• Bauble Diameter: The average size of the baubles you plan to use; and
• Christmas Tree Coverage: The percentage of the tree’s surface area that the baubles will cover.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree – An image explaining how to use the Christmas Tree Calculator.

The Christmas Tree Calculator includes four main sections. The first section focuses on entering the size of the tree you want to decorate. The second and third sections deal with decorations, providing two options: lights (or ribbon) and baubles.

For the Christmas Tree and Baubles sections, you must enter two values ​​in each. For the ribbon or lights section, you only need to enter a value. In the first part of this guide, we explained how to decorate a Christmas tree in a balanced and visually pleasing way, and the calculator follows the same approach.

The Christmas Tree Calculator also displays a simulated image that shows how the tree will look with lights/ribbons or baubles. This visualization helps you clearly imagine the final appearance of the tree based on the settings you choose.

Christmas tree decorations and everything associated with this festive symbol did not become popular as quickly as many people think. The history of the Christmas tree is quite interesting, and we will explore it later. Here is a little hint: the very first Christmas tree appeared much later than most people expect.

Approach to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Christmas Trees

To compare different Christmas tree options and understand the impacts of each life stage of a natural or artificial tree, we conducted a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA). This assessment includes production (including fertilizers and pesticides), transportation, manufacturing, distribution, and final disposal.

For cut trees and artificial trees, we used data from several LCA studies and reliable online sources. For rented Christmas trees, we collected data directly from multiple suppliers. In this model, the company delivers and collects the tree, which continues to grow in a pot. For cultivation, we used the same dataset used for widely grown cut Christmas trees.

For the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), we evaluated two methods: the Swiss Ecological Scarcity Method 2021 (UBP) and the Global Warming Potential (GWP) 2021 over a 100-year period.

Calculator for environmental impacts

In addition, an Excel-based Christmas tree environmental impact calculator (available in German) was developed. Users can enter key parameters such as tree type, transport distance and location, tree height and country of origin. For rental and artificial trees, the useful life can also be defined. Based on these inputs, the calculator estimates the overall environmental impact.

Results for the carbon footprint and environmental impacts of Christmas trees
The results for the different Christmas tree options assessed using both LCIA methods are shown in the figures below. The calculations are based on the following assumptions:

• Height: 2 meters (rental tree starts at 1.2 meters)
• Transportation: 10 km by car for forest trees; 10 km by delivery van for rental trees; 5 km by car for all other options
• Useful life: 5 years for rental and artificial trees, 1 year for cut trees
• Origin: Directly on site for forest and rental trees
• China: Both artificial trees
• Switzerland: Mass-grown cut trees
• Denmark: Intensively grown cut trees

Discussion and interpretation

You cannot make a single, universal claim that which Christmas tree option always performs best. Many factors influence the comparison, including the type of tree, the transportation distance and the length of use, as well as the chosen evaluation method.

In general, fir trees obtained from forestry without fertilizers or pesticides perform much better in terms of total environmental impact than trees grown through plantations. The Swiss ecological scarcity method rates pesticides, fertilizers, land use and heavy metals from fertilizers particularly negatively.

When focusing on the carbon footprint, the use and disposal phases of artificial trees, along with private transport, gain greater importance. Even a few kilometers of private car travel can generate emissions that exceed all other impact factors combined.

For rental fir trees, winter storage in the hall is the most important contributor to the environmental impact.

For artificial trees, the service life, the materials used (such as PVC, PE and steel), and the total weight greatly affect the performance. However, after a few years of use, artificial trees are often better than fir trees grown in plantations, especially when evaluated using the Swiss ecological scarcity method.

Most importantly, while there is a heated debate about the most environmentally friendly Christmas tree, other aspects of the holiday – such as gifts, food and travel on Christmas Eve – typically have a much greater environmental impact than the tree itself. For reference, the average daily consumption per person in Switzerland produces about 38 kg of CO₂-equivalent emissions.

Putting the Christmas tree in the context of the big holiday

To better understand the scale of these impacts, the environmental impacts of typical Christmas gifts and meals are outlined below. As a general rule, these factors play a much more important role in the overall environmental impact than buying or renting a Christmas tree.

How to Measure for a Christmas Tree

Before visiting a tree stand or ordering online, take a tape measure with you:

• Check the ceiling height: Measure the distance from the floor to the ceiling where you plan to put the tree. Most homes have ceilings that are about 8 feet or 9 feet.
• Include a tree stand: Tree stands typically extend about 6 to 10 inches above the base. Make sure you account for this height.
• Allow room for a topper: Will you add a small star or a tall angel? Tree toppers often add 6 to 12 inches to the overall height.

Budgeting for Your Tree

Live Christmas trees cost money per foot. When you know your maximum height in advance, you avoid paying for extra height that you’ll cut down later.

• Planning your holiday spending? Try our Christmas gift planner to track your budget.
• Shopping for a discounted artificial tree? Use our discount calculator to confirm the final price.

Real vs. Artificial: Knowing the Size Difference

• Real trees: Vendors typically group them in 1-foot ranges, such as 6-7 feet or 7-8 feet. To be on the safe side, choose a shorter option within your limits.
• Artificial trees: These trees come in a fixed height, such as 7.5 feet. Our calculator helps you determine whether that specific size will fit comfortably in your space.