Find a tall stick. That and one good eye are all the tools you’ll need. With the stick in hand, walk exactly 11 paces from the base of the tree and mark the spot by driving the stick into the ground.

Now that you’ve found the perfect Christmas tree, it's time for the fun-yet-daunting task of decorating it. If your tree is taller or shorter than last year’s (or perhaps a little more rotund), you ...