The Angel doesn't go on top Either

The next layer after the lights is the topper. Sometimes a tall very thin spindle ornament looks alright on top. However placing the star on the very top squares off the top of the tree. Placing it too low is worse. This gives the tree a military butch.

This is my favorite type of top to deal with. It is triangle shaped, and it is porcelain. The triangle is going the right direction for a change. Hooray! The porcelain is translucent. I have a 15 watt light inside of this Madonna bust and I could go up to 40 before heat becomes a problem. Oriental porcelain makes the best lighted toppers. It is very fine grained, and is the whitest on the market. Lighted Porcelain Top Look at the outline of your tree. Edge the topper in where its shape will support the triangle at the top of the tree. Usually this is a foot below the top of the tree. Angels with flared skirts are the most difficult to place. The skirt has a strong horizontal line that stops the eye before it finishes moving to the point. The porcelain ones are heavy. The French Doll from When Marcella's Away had both problems. I strengthened the tree trunk by wiring on a thick dowel. I adjusted the doll up and down to try to get the best triangle shape. Then I wired her onto the trunk in three places. To cut down on the horizontal line I raised her arm. I put a light near her hand so it looked like she was holding a star. I've used this technique with ballet dolls. With very wide skirts I'll tip the doll slightly to the left. Then I put a large star in their upraised left hand. This vertical line is more interesting than the skirt hem. This usually gets the eye off the horizontal line of the skirt. The eye travels up the left arm to the interest point at the star. Then it makes a natural jump to the right and upwards to the top of the tree, and down left back to the star.
French Doll French Doll Side View

Use a Ladder
The White House Tree has very strong horizonal lines on top. It is attached to a bright gold sunburst brace that normally has a chandelier hanging beneath. I don't know how they counter act the crew cut effect here.

Use a Ladder A chair, stepladder, platform, etc. is essential on a large tree. Let me define a large tree. If it is over 5 feet tall - it IS a large tree. Theme trees can take up to ten hours to decorate. You can't hold your arms up that long any more than Moses could. A chair is a wonderful prop for doing the low branches. Decorating and wiring is much easier sitting on a chair than squatting on your hams.