Learn how to decorate your Christmas tree beautifully and affordably with these step-by-step tips!
This is a fun sponsored post by Scentsicles because scents of the season matter. All words, pictures, and opinions are my own.
How to Decorate a Christmas Tree
Decorating for Christmas is something I look forward to all year long! I love the challenge of transforming the same space into a different kind of Christmas wonderland every year. Perhaps I come by it honestly. Growing up, our family typically had three decorated Christmas trees. One tree was the “kids’ tree” sporting colored lights, popsicle stick ornaments, and an anything goes vibe. Our main tree was the “family tree” with cozy handmade and purchased ornaments, strings of popcorn & cranberries, and plaid ribbon bows. The third tree was the pièce de résistance–my mom’s formal tree. This tree had a tight color palette, approachable elegance, and gorgeous ornaments. Over my lifetime I’ve learned a thing or two about how to decorate a tree, and I am confident that whether your style is eclectic, farmhouse, or glam, obtaining a curated look for your Christmas tree is doable! I’m going to share my best tips, hints, and tricks with you on how to decorate your Christmas tree affordably and beautifully this season.
Tip 1: Artificial trees are easier to decorate than live trees.
Up until last year, I was a live-tree snob. I’ll admit it. I LOVE the smell of a live Christmas tree. The smell of fresh greenery is synonymous with Christmas for me, and I just couldn’t imagine the holiday without it! However, something I didn’t know is that live trees are kind of a nightmare to decorate. After my gorgeous live tree attempted suicide in the middle of the night–and made casualties out of most of my favorite ornaments–I lost some of my affinity for live trees. Can you obtain a decorator’s look with a live tree? Absolutely. However, it will be much more difficult and your tree might fall over in the middle of the night due to the weight of the ornaments. Trust me on this one. Faux is the way to go!
Tip 2: If your tree is not pre-lit, place lights on tree first and then use a bag of Poly-fil batting to create faux snow.
My tree is lightly flocked, but I prefer the look of a tree that’s been through a heavy snowstorm! I grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan where the woods meet the lake, and every winter the forest transformed into a fairyland. You can achieve this winter wonderland look at home with a simple bag of Poly-fil batting. Take handfuls of Poly-fil and place it on the outer branches of your tree where snow would naturally fall. It’s an inexpensive way to add instant character to your tree!
Tip 3: Pick your color scheme and your focal point.
Whether it’s a tree or a room, decorating with a tight color palette will always yield a polished look! Pick two or three colors and shop the store (and the house!) with your palette in mind. This year, I knew that I wanted to decorate with soothing neutrals. I decorated with traditional reds, greens, and plaids last year so wanted to go in the opposite direction this year. Neutrals can sometimes feel a bit formal, so I incorporated a lot of furry things and woodland creatures to create a cozy, kid-friendly vibe.
With my color scheme in mind, I purchased ornaments from Target, HomeGoods, Joann’s, the Dollar Store and Michaels and added some organic and handmade ornaments into the mix. When buying large ornaments, purchase at least three to place on the tree. An odd assortment of large ornaments looks best on the tree. Although your tree will look best decorated on all sides, chances are good your tree will have a “main” side. Choose your tree’s front focal point and order your decorations from this angle.
Tip 4: Place ribbon or garland on the tree before the ornaments.
This isn’t a hard-fast rule. If you decide to add ribbon or garland later on, you certainly can! However, for the safety of your ornaments it’s easiest to add your garland before the ornaments.
Tip 5: Organize your ornaments on the floor before placing them on the tree.
I have all of my ornaments organized by color in large plastic bins in our basement. When I want to decorate in all whites and silvers, all I have to do is grab the white and silver labeled bins! If you like to change your Christmas colors from year to year, I highly recommend putting away your ornaments by color. It will make your Christmas decorating so much easier. Likewise, organizing your ornaments on the floor before you begin decorating will help you assess what you already have, what you might want to buy, and what you might want to make.
Tip 6: Place ornaments in a zig-zag pattern on your tree and get creative with large ornaments.
Stagger your ornaments back and forth on your tree starting at your main focal point and working around the tree. Also don’t be scared to use non-ornaments on the tree. This cute Merry and Bright sign was found in the Target Dollar Spot and isn’t necessarily meant to be a tree ornament, but it looks great on the tree!
Tip 7: Bring your color palette and theme to the surrounding area.
Decorating your mantel and surrounding room with the same theme and color palette will create a cohesive look. My pom-pom wreath and stockings (all from Home Goods) tie in my rustic farmhouse glam theme. If you look closely on the tree, you will see that I used mini-embroidery hoops to create “furry” ornaments using craft fur and faux fur from a throw blanket.
I cut the bottom off of a throw and created two pillow covers and the ornaments from the material and then sewed the throw back together to use as a throw. The project took less than an hour and for $19.99 I had two pillow covers, a small throw blanket, and coordinating ornaments. It’s always helpful to think outside the box when decorating. 🙂
The rocking horse on the coffee table is from Amazon and I gave him an updated saddle with some craft fur. The A and Z stocking ornaments were found on clearance at Michaels.
Tip 8: Use a blanket or basket instead of a tree skirt.
I love the look of a Christmas tree in a woven or galvanized basket. If your tree stand is small enough, you can place your tree inside a basket or purchase a tree collar for your tree. I also like to use throw blankets instead of actual tree skirts. Since I decorate underneath my tree and place gifts all around, the tree skirt barely shows. This year I used a white faux fur throw as my tree skirt and it works perfectly.
Tip 9: Decorate underneath your tree.
Your wrapped gifts serve as gorgeous and inexpensive decorations! If you don’t have any of your Christmas gift shopping done yet, find things you have on hand that fit your theme and stick them at the base of your tree. An old teddy bear on a stack of books looks adorable and festive!
I also like to use other little props from around the house to decorate under my tree.
Tip 10: Use Scentsicles to make your tree smell like Christmas!
Choose your scent, place the ornament on the provided hook, hang on your tree and enjoy!
Scentsicles come in a variety of fragrances that you can mix and match to craft your scent. Our family’s favorite Scentsicle fragrance is Spruce mixed with Cinnamon!
If you’re looking for more Christmas decorating inspiration, be sure to check out my related posts below!
Methao says
I’m so in love with your wood sign ornaments. May I know the measurement of it?
Mati says
Love your tree and your home decor. May I ask where that beautiful clock is from?
Princess says
What’s a beautiful tree!! I’d love to use some poly-fill batting on my artificial tree this year but my tree hasn’t no flocking whatsoevever. I think it would look weird with lots of snow piled on but no sprinkles of elsewhere. Did you flock your tree yourselves or buy it like that? Thanks!
Emy says
thanks to u for these perfect tips! I have selected several who are very brilliant! Merry Chrismas 😉
Tonya Cato says
Love it all !!1 Can you tell me the paint color on your walls behind the tree ?
Beth says
Thanks! It’s Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray.
Eliza says
Your tree and home decor are picture perfect! What color ornaments did you use on your tree? I’m so going to use your tree as Inspo and start following your blog!
Terri says
Such a pretty tree! I love your “merry Christmas” script ornaments! Where did you find them?? Adorable! x
Beth says
Thanks! They are from Michaels craft store.
Kelly Richards says
This is perfection! Everything is so beautiful!
Beth says
Thanks so much Kelly!
GinaE says
Your tree is so lovely, Beth! May I ask where you got the little white stuffed squirrel? Happiest of Holiday to you and your family.
Joanie says
Beautiful !!!!!!
Nora Dolan says
Wow, what a good guide, and easy to follow- thanks!
Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says
Oh my this is so stunning. I need a new tree and this one is absolutely amazing. Beautiful room and post.
Beth says
Thank you so much Marty!
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
Everything is just gorgeous Beth!!!
Allan says
This is my first time to your blog and I love this post (and many others!) I live in Australia now and recently saw the Scentsicles at one of the department stores here for a very reasonable $10. I’m wondering how well you think they scent? Are we talking the whole room or just when you’re really close to the tree?
Keep up the awesome work!
Beth says
Thanks so much for the compliment and welcome to my blog! To answer your question, I think it all depends on how well you smell things (I’m very sensitive to smells) and how large an area you are trying to scent. We have a very open concept (think bowling alley) floor plan with 10 foot high ceilings. I used two packs of the Spruce–one on the tree and then the other on the mantel and coffee table–and I can smell them throughout the entire level. They smell great. I didn’t like the Fir scent when I initially smelled it, but if you’re at all familiar with essential oils sometimes a direct sniff is not the best indicator. You need to allow the smell to diffuse. I placed a few of the fir-scented sticks in our powder room, and it smells good in there but it’s a bit much. The space is very small, and I think 1 stick would suffice. Bottom line, I never recommend any products on my blog that I dislike and I would purchase these again. Maybe ask the store if they’d consider using a container as a tester so you can get a waft of the scent before purchasing? Spruce is my personal fav of the bunch followed by Cinnamon.
Karen Howard says
Hi Beth! Happy Thanksgiving! I love your designs-white always goes with everything! I hope I win because I want what you got!! Happy Holidays To You & Yours!-Karen
Beth says
Good luck Karen and thanks so much for the compliment!
sharon says
So warm, cozy and gorgeous. Would love to wake up christmas morning here. Can you tell me where you got your rug in the family room?
Beth says
Thank you! The rug is from RugsUSA purchased during one of their 75% off sales. It’s the Maui something or another rug. I can’t remember the exact name. 🙂 I love it.
stephanie kelly says
i love it Beth, its gorgeous. Great job! I tried to enter the contest but it wasn’t letting me submit it 🙁 I read it says on or about nov 11, so maybe its not just official yet?!
kimberly mukes says
Great ideas! I’m using an artificial tree this year for the first time. I’m excited to try the Scent Sicles:)
Beth says
I think you will be amazed at how much easier it is to decorate an artificial tree! I know I was. 🙂 And the Scentsicles definitely help me feel like it’s real.
Yanira says
Love these ideas but its risky have a christmas tree with cats… 😛
Beth says
Ha! Yes, I bet. I have two Pomeranians which are like “puppy cats”. They don’t climb the tree of course but they will occasionally take off with a stuffed animal from underneath the tree. 🙂
Sarah @ Thrifty Decor Chick says
Ack! Beth! This is gorgeous!! You have me in the mood now! Now can you come to Indiana to help me?? 🙂
Beth says
Thanks Sarah! You certainly don’t need my help, but I’d love to decorate together. That would be fun to do. 🙂