When we were tiny tots awaiting Christmas day, we were, for the most part, oblivious as to how to decorate a Christmas tree. Eventually, we grew up and learned there is an order for how to decorate a Christmas tree and why it matters. (Hint: Between weaving garland into the tree versus hanging glass ornaments first, the former always wins.)
We brought home our school-made Christmas ornament, of the Santa, colorful evergreen tree or glittery bauble variety, and found an empty spot on the tree to display our museum-worthy masterpiece. We didn't think about the order of operations.
Here are a few must-know tips and ideas for how to decorate a Christmas tree.
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I distinctly recall hanging a Santa ornament I made in my first-grade class on our real fresh pine smelling Christmas tree.
A white, bushy beard, rosy cheeks and signature red hat defined Santa's face. That's really all the ornament consisted of: Santa's face, and a white braided string by which to hang it on the ever-full Christmas tree my mom painstakingly picked out at the local Christmas tree farm.
I would choose a spot close to one of the lights to ensure my Santa ornament glowed, much like this gorgeous matte white glass ball ornament.
Make a Christmas Tree Decorating Plan
In my post on Christmas mantel decorating ideas, I explained how coming up with a plan to decorate is the actual first step in this whole process. A well executed plan removes at least one point of stress during the busy holiday season.
Settle on a Color palette
One of my favorite parts of decorating our Christmas tree is settling on a color palette. No, I do not change out our decorations every year. Instead, I slowly collect pieces here and there to add to the tree.
A few years ago, in an effort to introduce calm into our living space at the holidays, I shifted away from traditional colors of red, gold, and silver to a dusty blue, blush pink, and creamy white palette. It's not for everyone, but it makes me happy.
Shop the photo: Small white vase | Tall white vase | Patterned rug (top) | Braided jute rug, off white, similar (bottom) | Beige pink flowers | Navy velvet ribbon
Over the years our fireplace mantel and tree have been decked out in soft whites, natural wood tones atop greenery, as well as a hint of dusty blue, while the garland on the stairs had blush pink bows once. Our soft color palette made its way into our presents as well.
Check out the Charming Christmas Present Wrapping Ideas, Whimsical Pink and Blue Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas, and the Beautiful Gift Wrap Ideas posts for inspiration.
Seek Inspiration for a Theme
Once you've landed on a color palette, decide on an overall look you want. You may have found this post when searching for inspiration on Pinterest, which is a great place to research themes.
After you've pinned several pictures, review your work. You may notice a pattern emerging. Do you notice a similar style surfacing? Is there a color palette or use of materials you gravitate toward? From there, pick your theme.
I created a Captivating Christmas Tree Decorated with Flowers one year and it is my favorite so far!
Supplies You Need to Decorate a Christmas Tree
Decorating a Christmas tree can be a fun family activity. Growing up, it seemed like a whole day affair. That could have been because my mom never got rid of any decorations. We had many ornaments. Each of us kids made a new one every year of elementary school, so decorations added up.
For our own tree, I use a mix of all sorts of ornaments.
Shop the photo: Glass finial ornaments (alternative) | Blue frosted glass ball ornaments set | White flowers (alternative)
Preparation is key before embarking on decorating a tree. Make a list of the supplies you'll need to decorate and head to the store if you don't have something.
Here are some supplies you may need to decorate a Christmas tree:
Christmas Tree
Whether you prefer a faux or a real Christmas tree doesn't really matter, as the process to decorate the tree is the same. I prefer a faux tree and even convinced my mom to switch when I found this 6.5ft pre-lit Dunhill Fir tree that includes the stand.
Balsam Hill, King of Christmas, and National Tree Company are probably the most well-known brands.
If you need help, read my Tips to Choose the Best Artificial Christmas Tree where I talked about our tree and more.
Shop the photo: Table lamp | Short white vase | Tall white vase | Large white vase | Patterned rug (top) | Braided jute rug, off white, similar (bottom) | Beige pink flowers | Navy velvet ribbon
Tree Skirt or Collar
You can use whatever you want as a tree skirt, or you can use a tree collar or both! In fact, one year I used an oatmeal cable knit blanket for our tree skirt. Neutral in color, and full of soft texture, looked lovely under the lush green branches of the tree.
You can find beautiful tree skirts at Balsam Hill, Brooke & Lou, Target, and other retailers.
I have not tried any of these, however I found a few charming tree skirts you may want to check out, just be sure to get the right size for your tree:
- Braided cable knit tree skirt
- Plaid faux fur tree skirt for Ralph Lauren vibes
- Block print tree skirt in many different patterns and sizes
If you prefer a tree collar, you may like one of these:
Tree Lights
Faux trees come in pre-lit or unlit options. I recommend pre-lit to make setting up and taking down your Christmas tree that much easier. Small LED lights can be found at a variety of stores around the holidays.
Target and Home Depot are great places to find Christmas lights, because both retailers carry a wide selection. Also, the Wondershop brand of lights at Target are super cute.
Garland
Wood beads, eucalyptus greenery, DIY orange garland, ribbon, or a string of bells not only add layers to a Christmas tree, but also help fill in any holes, making the tree appear fuller. Michael's, Amazon, and Hobby Lobby have some of best selection for garlands. They may also carry garland year-round online, so you can order when you have a coupon or during a sale.
I like to combine eucalyptus garland (similar) and lambs ear garland (similar) on our tree every year. Not only does it fill in gaps, but I love the variation in color against the evergreen branches
Ribbon
Another way to fill in any holes on your Christmas tree is to use ribbon. Ribbon adds texture, breaks up the greenery, and brings in color and interest.
Joann used to be one of my favorite places to find great quality ribbon. Today, I buy ribbon form places like Etsy, Michaels, and Amazon. Check out the post 9 Ways to Decorate with Ribbon for Christmas for more ideas.
Ornaments
From ball ornaments, brass bells and figurines to wood trees and tiny wreaths, ornaments provide infinite possibilities to decorate your Christmas tree with.
I highly recommend Brooke & Lou, McGee and Co., House of Jade Home, and Amazon for ornaments.
I bought gorgeous white glass ball ornaments (matte and glossy) from McGee and Co. a number of years ago as well as these blue frosted glass ornaments from Brooke & Lou, both of which are simply stunning. Who knew one could love Christmas ornaments so much?
My most recent find was blue and white porcelain chinoiserie ornaments (similar). They are so charming on a Christmas tree.
Tip:
If you don't like the string that comes with ornaments to hang them by, change it out with ribbon. Use a pretty caramel colored velvet ribbon, dusty blue velvet ribbon, or a pretty pink satin ribbon. Choose a color that goes with your theme or that will stand out against the green (or flocked) tree.
Tree Topper
Of all the Christmas tree decorations, the tree topper tends to carry significance. Some opt for a glowy, lit from within angel with feathered wings, while others top their tree with a simple star. One is not better than the other, so choose whatever tree topper makes you happy.
A few years ago I bought a wood star tree topper from the Studio McGee x Threshold Christmas collection at Target. Understated but beautiful, I decided to do a Designer-Inspired Tree Topper Makeover with Benjamin Moore Simply White paint, and I absolutely love how it turned out!
That's a great tip for you too. If you like a topper, but not necessarily the color or finish, change it!
Steps to Decorate a Christmas Tree
When it comes to decorating a Christmas tree, thinking about decor in terms of an order of operations will make this process much easier. Following a process should also help you avoid breaking ornaments in the process.
Tip:
Place the tree in its stand before the steps below. Moreover, if you plan to use a planter pot in lieu of a skirt or collar, place the tree in the pot before the steps below.
Step 1: Weave in Garland or String the Lights
If you plan to use any garland, start with the garland first. If you wait until after putting ornaments on the tree, especially fragile ornaments, there is a high likelihood you will knock an ornament off the tree, shattering it into a million pieces and your heart along with it.
If you do not plan to add any garland, string the lights on the tree first.
As I mentioned, I weave in both eucalyptus garland and lambs ear garland to make our tree appear fuller as well as for a lovely variation in color.
Step 2: Add the Tree Topper
You may have a sacred final moment of topping the tree with the angel or star, but, in reality, it is best to put the tree topper on after stringing lights or garland and before ornaments. You may be asking yourself why that is and the reason has to do with the possibility you will, again, knock a precious ornament off the tree in the process of adding the topper.
If you have an unstable, fragile tree topper, and you tend to shake the tree while adding ornaments making it likely the topper will fall off and break, add the topper before the ornaments.
In the end, use your own best judgement on when to place the tree topper.
Step 3: Place Large Ornaments
After lights, garland and the tree topper, place the large ornaments on the tree, beginning with large ball ornaments. Note: I also include stems, florals, or berry picks in the category of large ornaments. I suggest adding any picks and stems at this step.
Starting with large ornaments makes it easier to evenly distribute smaller ornaments on the tree later. Additionally, larger ornaments can more readily hide any holes in the tree.
Place larger ornaments deeper into the tree to get a fuller effect.
Tip:
Step back from the Christmas tree from time to time to ensure you've filled any holes and are happy with the placement of ornaments.
Step 4: Place Small Ornaments
After the large ornaments have been placed, move onto smaller ornaments.
Start with small ball ornaments, as you may find distributing ball ornaments to be easier before adding oddly shaped ornaments.
Step 5: Tie Ribbon Bows or Add Tinsel
If you plan to tie bows on a few tree tips or drape tinsel on some of the boughs, both should come last, but before the tree skirt.
Be gentle, while also moving slowly, so you don't disturb the ornaments.
Step 6: Arrange the Tree Skirt, Collar, or Blanket
The final step to decorate a Christmas tree is to arrange the tree skirt, collar or throw blanket to cover the tree stand.
I suggest arranging the skirt last so you don't trip over it while decorating the tree. If you believe you will not trip, place the tree skirt or collar as the very first step.
When you have presents ready, arrange them under the tree. Read my post on how to wrap presents.
That is it! Now, stand back and see if the tree is to your liking. You can always move things around after living with it for a couple days.
Frequently Asked Questions
The correct order to decorate a Christmas tree may depend on who you ask, but there is an order of operations that may work for you.
Start with garland, stems or string the lights. It's more difficult to weave garland, stems or lights into the tree when ornaments are hanging in the way.
Next, add the tree topper. Unless you move the tree considerably while adding decorations, it's much easier to place the topper before you've added the ornaments.
Then, add the large ornaments, filling in any holes. Given the size of large ornaments, you can place them deeper in the tree, but still be visible. Hang small ball ornaments next, as it's easier to evenly distribute ball ornaments before adding small, odd shaped ornaments.
Next, if you are using ribbon for bows, tie bows on a few tree tips or drape the tinsel over some of the boughs.
Last, add the tree skirt or collar. Your Christmas tree is ready for presents!
To make a Christmas tree look full, weave garland into the tree. Use eucalyptus, a different type of evergreen (i.e., cedar, pine, fir, spruce) or add picks/stems. You can also add wood bead garland, bell garland or even long lengths of wired edge ribbon as garland.
After you've added the garland, fill in any holes with large ornaments, placing them deeper in the tree but still visible. Add the other ornaments and consider tying bows on some of the branch tips to further make your Christmas tree look full.
You can decorate the back of a Christmas tree, but it might not make sense for every situation. For Christmas trees in the middle of a room, decorating the back of the tree makes sense, because you will see every angle of the tree. However, for a Christmas tree placed in a corner that does not back to a window, there is no reason to decorate the back unless you want to.
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