Christmas Tree Inspo, Tips and Ideas
I'm sharing a collection of my favorite decorated Christmas trees from years past as well as some beautiful top rated faux trees and some of my best tree purchasing and decorating tips!
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It's November! And that means that bloggers everywhere are starting to
decorate for the most wonderful time of the year! 🎄
I'll be starting to share some brand new Christmas ornaments that I've been
working on, as well as other projects as we get further into the season.
All about Christmas trees
But today it's all about Christmas trees. I love planning my trees each year, making new ornaments and seeing it all come together. Let's start with a quick look back at some of my favorite trees that I've decorated.Decorated Christmas trees
I'm not going to bombard you with pictures of every Christmas tree I've ever decorated, but here are a few of my favorites. You can click on the links in the titles if you want more details of each tree.Ribbon tree
Why am I calling it the "ribbon tree"? Because I've received so many questions
about the ribbons I used on this tree. I'll be addressing this and a few other
questions in the FAQs below.
I made an easy banner for this tree that is difficult to capture in pictures.
I printed letters onto book pages and then notched the ends with scissors.
Red and white Christmas tree with DIY buffalo check collar
This sweet tree is a celebration of red and white, which I find myself drawn
to every time Christmas rolls around! I made the buffalo check tree collar for
less than $20.
The inspiration for this tree came about one night when I should have been
sleeping! I envisioned a French farmhouse style tree, decorated with bits and
pieces of antique ironstone and transferware. I hung my
ticking striped farmhouse wreath
as a topper, and it turned out so beautiful!
Here is another red and white tree with lots of ribbon and a cottage feel, and
I set it up in my
farmhouse office/craft room. I hung some of the
thrifty chippy spindles
that I made from an old chair and love how they look on the tree! It was fun
to have a decorated tree in my office and if I could only keep this room
clean, I'd consider doing it again! It currently looks like a Christmas bomb
went off!
I typed that title and thought, hmmm, maybe I should changed it to "flocked".
Nah 😃 These trees aren't truly naked, they do have lights and a very few
select ornaments, but I wanted to show you this picture when the lights aren't
on, to demonstrate how beautiful trees can look even when they're not loaded
up with ornaments and ribbon!
FAQs about Christmas trees
- Where do you buy your ribbon? I have had luck finding gorgeous wide ribbons at HomeGoods and Marshalls in years past, although they tend to have a very limited supply. I also frequent my local Hobby Lobby and Walmart. Some unexpected sources of beautiful ribbons are Home Depot, Lowes, Costco and Sam's Club!
- How much ribbon do you need? That is dependent on many things, including the height and width of your tree, how full you want it, etc. My tip is to purchase lots of ribbon and return what you don't use. Also, consider using more than one style/color of ribbon on your Christmas tree. Just like ornaments, it will add depth and interest.
- How do you decorate a Christmas tree? I always start by fluffing the branches and then adding the lights. I usually hang my largest ornaments on the tree (this includes unusual items like small signs, etc). Next I hang my ribbon, I like to loop it by simply tucking pieces into the branches. Finally, I add my smaller ornaments and then tweak as needed.
- Real or faux? There are definitely pros and cons to both. We always got a real tree when we lived in cooler climates, but down South it's just not practical because they dry out so quickly. It's really a personal preference.
- How do I choose a Christmas tree to purchase? Aside from what you like, consider the room where you'll use the tree. How tall are your ceilings? How much width do you have to work with? Do you have enough ornaments to decorate a huge tree? Do you need a skinny pencil tree to fit in a tight spot? It's all very relative to your personal space. Take a look at the trees I'm linking below, I've included a wide variety.
- Should I buy a tree with lights or not? I personally prefer to purchase an unlit tree because we all know how easily lights can burn out. I have removed burned out light strands from a tree, and it's a long and sweaty process! For that reason, I like to buy an unlit tree and add lights myself.
- Do I have to throw my tree out if the stand breaks? Absolutely not! There are ways to stand your tree up without the stand. Watch this Christmas tree stand hack video if you have a smaller, lightweight tree. For larger trees, I recommend doing what Ella Claire did and making a DIY concrete Christmas tree stand. Mr DIY and I made a couple of these already this year and they are working great!
- How many Christmas trees do you have? That number seems to grow each year, haha. I currently have two 7.5' green trees, a 7.5' flocked tree, a 6' flocked tree and a variety of smaller trees. The jury is out on whether or not I have the energy to decorate them all this year!
My favorite Christmas tree tips
- Consider using unusual items on your tree...children's books, small signs and decorative elements, little tin houses and lanterns. These are great ways to fill in the holes that most trees have.
- When purchasing ribbon, always buy wired ribbon! It's much easier to get a nice, loopy look on your tree. I also try to purchase ribbon that is at least 2-1/2" wide or wider for a full look.
- Large, plain ornaments will fill up the bulk of the tree quicker and add to that full look without as much effort or money. I love to buy the 8" shatterproof ornament balls from Walmart for this purpose. Save your favorite, smaller ornaments to hang on the tips of the branches.
- Purchase Christmas branch and berry picks to add interest to the tree. Just stick them in, leaving several inches exposed. Look at the trees above again to see some examples.
- Save your money all year and purchase the tree you really love! It's a one-time investment that you'll enjoy for years, rather than making do with something you don't love all that much.
- Something to consider before you stock up on ornaments for your tree... consider contrast. Light colored (white, gold, silver) ornaments will show up best on a green tree, while darker ornaments will show up better on a flocked or white tree.
Top rated Christmas trees
I scoured the internet to find a wide variety of trees in all sizes, shapes
and price points that have all received great reviews! Whether you like
flocked or green, skinny or 9 foot, have a big budget or a tiny one, there is
a tree to suit you! Just click on the images to shop.
I hope these tips, FAQs and ideas are all helpful to you as you plan your
Christmas decorating! Please reach out with specific questions or any way I
can help.
Pin it to remember!
bringing beauty to the ordinary,
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