42 Best Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas & Pro Secrets!
Best Christmas tree decorating ideas & tutorials! Easy pro tips on using ribbons, natural decorations, beautiful ornaments, colors & themes!
A Christmas tree is often the focal point of our holiday decor. Christmas tree decorating can be really enjoyable and rewarding with a little thoughtful planning before diving into a giant box of ribbons and ornaments. You may be wondering:
“How do I decorate my Christmas tree like a professional, and easily?“, “How to use ribbons to decorate a Christmas tree?“, “How to choose Christmas tree decorations with an elegant color theme?“
These 42 inspirational Christmas tree decorating ideas will answer these questions and more. Choose your favorite tree theme, be your own designer, and create a beautiful harmonious look throughout your home. You may also love our other Christmas tree ideas:
- How to decorate one Christmas tree in 4 beautiful styles, with only ribbons and ornaments
- 25 beautiful Christmas tree ribbon ideas
- Best salt dough recipe for ornaments and crafts
*Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here.
Simple and natural Christmas tree decorating
If you love the serene beauty of minimal or Scandinavian style, you will love these simple Christmas tree decorating ideas.
This Christmas fir tree looks serene and elegant. String some folded paper dollies or pine cones as garlands, and cut out some family member silhouettes to use inside clear disc ornaments or ball ornaments , Source: Simple as That Blog
Christmas tree decorations with natural color scheme
White and brown colors are natural and elegant on a green Christmas tree, with DIY chipboard stars and ornaments that are inexpensive to make. Source: bhg
Farmhouse style Christmas tree decorations
Farmhouse is truly a timeless style. The key is to select natural and softly aged materials with a color palette of neutrals and whites.
The simple combination of tan colored burlap ribbon, soft white ornaments and vintage inspired metal star Christmas tree topper makes such elegant decorations for the holiday season. Source: Live Laugh Row
Decorate artificial Christmas tree with pine cone ornaments and white baubles
This stunning farmhouse Christmas tree is decorated with an artful blend of white ornaments, natural pine cones and cotton. Pine cones are also a great way to add a natural feel when decorating artificial Christmas trees. Source: Love Grows Wild
How to decorate snow flocked Christmas trees
Here’s a great idea for an all white Christmas tree. A snow flocked Christmas tree does not need much to look stunning. Less is more, keep it simple and elegant with silver and white ornaments. Source: Thrifty and Chic
White and gold Christmas tree decorating ideas
Gold and silver ribbons, tinsel, and ornaments look glam and elegant on a snow flocked Christmas tree in this living room. Source: A Pumpkin and a Princess
How to flock a natural or artificial Christmas tree
You can flock a Christmas tree easily using pre mixed Sno-flock, like here by Lovely Etc. You can also make your own snow flocking using a bar of soap in just minutes! Tutorial here.
Make fake snowy Christmas tree with easy to find materials
If you love the snowy look but don’t want to have a permanent snow flocked tree, there are many ways you can make some snowy elements to add to your Christmas decorations.
For example, I made this tabletop snowy tree centerpiece using DIY snow covered pine cones and branches, tutorial here. You can make them in just 5 minutes, and tuck them into your Christmas tree.
Modern glam Christmas tree decor ideas
You can also use cotton or poly fiber fill as snow decorations on an artificial or real Christmas tree. Tuck handfuls of them into the tree or create ribbon patterns around the tree, and add Christmas tree lights.
Christmas tree ribbon decorating ideas
One of the easiest ways to decorate a Christmas tree like a pro is to use ribbons. Ribbons come in so many sizes and colors, and you can create many beautiful patterns with them on a Christmas tree.
If you want to decorate a Christmas tree to look full without using lots of ornaments, try these ideas on different ways to use ribbons to decorate a Christmas tree. (Original photo source lost, please let me know if you find it!)
You can decorate a Christmas tree with ribbons in a spiral, horizontal or vertical pattern. You can also make ribbon bows as decorations.
How to put ribbons on a Christmas tree
Here’s a very easy way to put ribbons on a Christmas tree : use pipe cleaners or floral wire. They come in many colors to match your green or white Christmas tree. Via Hunker
White mesh ribbon on Christmas tree
The tutorial photo above shows how to create vertical patterns, aka waterfall pattern using 21″ deco mesh ribbon. Such a great idea via Re-fabbed
Decorating with layers or ribbons and ornaments
This beautiful variation from Shannon at Home Made Lovely uses neutral colored buffalo check plaid ribbons and burlap ribbons in vertical style.
Decorating a Christmas tree with ribbons in spiral pattern
One of the reasons ribbons work so well in Christmas tree decorations is that they create a unified look.
Ribbons also make a Christmas tree look full without needing lots of ornaments. Here the ribbons are used in a horizontal spiral pattern. Source: hgtv
Green Christmas tree with red ribbons
Here’s a great tutorial at Remodelaholics on using red velvet ribbons and Dollar Store ornaments to decorate a faux Christmas tree.
More Christmas tree ribbon decoration ideas
Once you learn the basics, you can create other beautiful patterns using a combination of different ribbons.
Another great way to find Christmas tree decorating ideas and inspirations is to look at online retail shops that sell Christmas trees. They usually have photos of beautifully decorated Christmas trees.
Advent Christmas tree decorations
Hang some numbers and signs as your advent calendar Christmas tree decor that count down to the big day. Source: Tater tots and Jello
Christmas tree skirt alternative
An alternative to Christmas tree skirt: add some gift packages at the base of the tree. The plaid ribbon tree topper is festive and easy to make. Via Design Dazzle
Red and white Christmas tree decorations
Speaking about red and white, here’s a red and white DIY Christmas candy cane wreath. You will never guess what it is made of! ( Spoiler: the material to make the wreath is FREE!)
You can never go wrong with the classic red and white Christmas tree decorations. Get creative with white “snow”, red berries, ribbons, ornaments, and candy canes! Source: A Pretty Life in the Suburbs | Inspired by Charm
Decorate a Christmas tree with stars & snowflakes
You can make Christmas ornaments with something as simple as paper! Here are some easy DIY 3D paper snowflakes which would look beautiful on a Christmas tree!
Instead of storing lots of really large ornaments, make some big paper stars and snowflakes to give your tree some bold accents. Source: Johnathan Stiers
Decorate a Christmas tree with garland
Garlands are easy and elegant Christmas tree decorations you can buy or make. There are colorful pom-pom garland, natural wood beads garland, fun paper garland, sparkly tinsel garland, etc, and you can mix them up to create layers. Via At Home in Love
Decorating a white Christmas tree
A faux white Christmas tree is the perfect tree to decorate with your favorite colors! I totally heart pink and gold Christmas tree decorations, and I can’t get enough of this happy modern boho white Christmas tree decorated by Emily Henderson with colorful ornaments and a big gold gift bow as tree topper!
White Christmas tree with gold decorations
This lovely white Christmas tree decorated by So Much Better with Age combines two of many people’s favorite styles: vintage, and French country. The neutral colors fits perfect in an elegant farmhouse living room.
Letters, quotes and banners in Christmas tree decorations
Letters and phrases can work the same magic as ribbons and garlands on a Christmas tree. Source: Make it Love it
Source: First Home Love Life
Tell a Christmas story
Christmas is so much about love and family. Jen at Craft-o-Maniac decorated her Christmas tree with copies of her grandmother’s piano music sheets. Such a heart warming story!
Decorate with Homemade Christmas ornaments
Although I studied art and worked as a designer until this blog took over, the best decorating advice I have for anyone is: if you are surrounded by things you love, you can throw all rules out the window.
The same applies to Christmas tree decorating: a tree will look happy and beautiful when it’s decorated with your favorite Christmas cards and your collection of charming little treasures. Source: Country Living | A Pretty Life in the Suburbs
DIY painted wood signs as Christmas tree decorations
Everyone loves painted wood signs with beautiful lettered quotes. Have you thought of using them as Christmas tree ornaments? Source: Lil Luna
Woodland country themed Christmas tree decorating
Use rustic materials like burlap and pine cones, and classic patterns like plaids and buffalo checks to create the feelings of a little country cabin in the woods. Source: A Pop of Pretty
Classic Christmas tree decorating ideas
The woodland style is very much a country cottage style. Anything reminding you of a cozy forest cabin will look perfect on your Christmas tree.
Here, forest animal and mini camper wooden ornaments and rustic mini wood signs make this Christmas tree irresistible. Source: U Create
Decorating a Christmas tree with candles
The old fashioned candles warm our hearts and souls. Don’t use real candles in a Christmas tree though!
You get clip on LED candle lights for Christmas tree decorating, or make some paper candles. Both options are SO much safer! Source: The House that Lars Built | Country Living
Decorate a Christmas tree with gold ornaments
If you love a romantic and glamorous style Christmas tree, gold and metallic ornaments would be great choices.
Even when we say “gold”, there are many gorgeous shades of gold, such as white gold, green gold. The two beautiful Christmas trees above are both from Randi Garrett Design here and here .
If you are wondering how to store all the Christmas holiday decorations, check out these helpful tips and ideas on Porch!
Rose gold Christmas tree decorations
For those who love pink but want a more subtle vibe, try the color made famous by Apple: rose gold, shown in tree above, decorated by Lucy at Craftberry Bush.
Decorate a Christmas tree with colors
Blue and chartreuse ribbons and ornaments on a snow flocked tree reminds me of the magical Christmas on Ice. Source: Centsational Girl
Colorful Christmas tree decorating ideas
This Christmas tree is utterly gorgeous and romantic with peach and plum colored ornaments in a sea of white feathers and flowers. Source: Jeweled Interiors
Unique Christmas tree decorated in rainbow colors
For our grand finale, a tree so full of imagination and exuberance : over 600 ornaments in a rainbow pattern. This tree would look amazing in any style home, another proof that inspiration is timeless. Created by Micheal at Inspired by Charm.
Can’t get enough Christmas tree ideas? Here are 48 alternative DIY Christmas trees perfect for small spaces!
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Thank you so much for sharing these creative christmas tree decoration ideas with us. I will have to try some of these ideas this Christmas.
hello from England. Nice lots of inspiration to encourage us to go for it. I also only have 4ft trees as our room is typically small and 7ft height. I love to change my decoration ideas each year but short of buying sale items which i did years ago, i trying to see where i can reuse stuff. One idea i picked up was with you decoration balls or baubles as we call them is to buy a small amount of dress lining, all shiny and lots of colours or dress netting cut a big enough circle to wrap the bauble in and small elastic band to hold it on the neck with neatly edge teased out to look neat gathers. Could add some ribbon if wanted too. Maybe make a longer loop. I reckon even this material could be decorated maybe with some rhine stones stuck on as well. Another idea I have used on a chicken mesh lampshade is brooches (pins) picked up from bootsales etc add them to bows or wherever they may add more sparkle.
hi Polly! these are really lovely ideas! thank you for visiting from England, and happy crafting! 🙂
Beautiful beautiful trees! I see so many I would love to have and decorated years ago but now I have just a 4 foot tree with golden glass pinecones and 45 year old glass balls my mother had years ago! The lights are large but my grandkids enjoy it every year!
sounds beautiful Ruth! 4′ is a good height, not too much work! 🙂
Nowadays, the trend of using artificial decoration pieces is getting popular. I very much like the flocked snow idea! Thank you so much for sharing that tip!
I have beautiful Christmas ornaments that my grand mother left me years ago. I added ribbons to the tree and it looks so nice!
Christmas is doubtlessly the brightest season of the year. Every building, home and tree become every brighter with glittering decorations that eyes and hearts can feast on. This article really gives me lots of decor ideas that are must haves for Christmas.
Love the flocked snow idea! Thanks so much for sharing that tip!
These Christmas tree ideas are amazing! I am so inspired and can’t wait to try some of these decorating ideas in future!
I agree with you The key is to use your imagination to come up with ideas that will reflect your interests and personal style. When it comes to Christmas tree decorating ideas, necessity really is the mother of some great inventions!
LOVE THESE!! Some of the best and most elegant Christmas tree decorating ideas are actually the ones that are the cheapest. Don’t think for a minute that decorating a tree, whether it be an artificial tree, a wall mounted tree or a real tree has to be boring! The key is to use your imagination to come up with ideas that will reflect your interests and personal style. When it comes to Christmas tree decorating ideas, necessity really is the mother of some great inventions!
Wow, what a great collection of ideas! Thank you for doing all that research. I have a tree fu ll of memories in no particular style, no color theme, but some of these were really awesome!
thank you kathy! 🙂 your tee sounds full of love and magic!!