Decorating a Beautiful Christmas Tree is quite an undertaking. But, it’s not as overwhelming if you break it up into stages and steps.
With some planning and preparation, you can have a tree as beautiful as any you see at a department store.
Be sure to read til the end for my opinion of the King of Christmas tree. Is it worth the money?
This post is all about decorating a beautiful Christmas Tree.
What is the correct order to decorate your Christmas tree?
- choose your tree
- choose your color scheme or theme
- organize your decorations by ornament size, ribbon, picks, focal point signs, or ornaments.
- fluff your tree – many people often skip or rush through this step but it is extremely important that you fluff your tree well
- if your tree is prelit, you should typically start by removing the top section and decorating your topper. You may want to do this last if your tree is not prelit.
- add lights if your tree is not prelit.
- add reflective balls deep into the center of the tree to add depth
- add any large focal point signs or ornaments
- add ribbon
- add decorations starting from largest to smallest
- add picks
- decorate the tree topper if you haven’t already
- add a Christmas tree skirt
How to Choose the right Christmas Tree
When choosing your Christmas tree, you need to decide what look you are going for. Are you looking for a full tree filled with ornaments or are you wanting more of a minimalist tree?
Do you need to spend a lot of money on your Christmas tree?
No! You do not need to spend a lot of money on your Christmas tree. I have seen plenty of beautifully decorated Christmas trees purchased from Walmart.
If you follow the plan I have laid out for you here, you will have a beautiful tree to enjoy the entire holiday season.
If you are using a more inexpensive tree, there are a couple of things you can do that will really make difference. First, you will want to make sure to fluff the tree really well. This will give it a full look. Second, make sure to place quite a few reflective ball ornaments deep inside the tree. This will add depth to the tree. The goal is that you shouldn’t be able to see thru the tree once it’s fully decorated.
How to Choose a Color Scheme or Theme for Your Christmas Tree
Purchasing enough decorations for an entire tree can prove quite costly. So, unless uoi are planning on purchasing new decorations each year, you don’t want to choose a theme that is too trendy. Try to choose more of a classic theme.
When we moved into our new home, my kiddos were still pretty young. So, I chose a peppermint theme. It had the traditional red color but it was also fun and whimsical. Something that would not go out of style and would look beautiful for years to come.
After having the peppermint theme for about 10 years, I decided to change it up a bit. But instead of purchasing all new ornaments for a new theme, I just added green to the peppermint and went with more of a Grinch-themed Christmas tree. We were able to have a completely updated look without needing to replace all of the ornaments.
Be sure to find that perfect stocking stuffer for the men in your life.
Is the King of Christmas Tree worth the money?
For the past 20 years, we’ve been using a Christmas tree that I inherited from my grandmother. Last year I finally decided to upgrade our tree. After lots of research, I purchased a King of Christmas tree.
I chose a King of Christmas tree because they are so full. I love a tree that has a lot of ornaments but still showcases the actual tree. If you have a King of Christmas tree you will need to plan a lot of time to fluff this tree. By “a lot of time”. i mean an hour or two.
If you prefer a tree that is completely covered with ornaments, to the point that you don’t really see any of the tree, then purchasing a King of Christmas tree may be kind of a waste of money.
Organize your Decorations
You will want to organize all of your decorations so that once you start adding them to the tree, you will see the natural progression.
I typically put all of my ribbons together, picks together, oversized ornaments together, regular-sized ornaments together, topper picks together, and my smaller ornaments together. This makes it easy to find what I need as I am decorating the tree.
Fluff your tree
This is a step that is often overlooked but it is so incredibly important. It really doesn’t matter what quality your tree is. All trees will benefit from being fluffed.
You will want to go through each branch individually and make sure that all of the stems are fluffed. You don’t want to leave any of them pressed against the branch. This will ensure that you don’t have any holes in your tree.
How to Decorate Your Tree Topper When Decorating a Beautiful Christmas Tree
If your tree is prelit you will want to take down the top section so you can decorate the topper. This is much easier than trying to decorate it while it is on top of the tree.
There are a couple of ways you can decorate your topper. The first option is to arrange the picks how you like them using wire to hold the bunch together. Then using more wire attach the bunch to the top of the tree.
The second option is to just place each pick into the top of the tree individually. I would still recommend wiring the picks into place so they don’t move around on you.
How to Add Lights When Decorating a Beautiful Christmas Tree
If your tree is not pre-lit, you will want to add lights to the tree before you add any of the decorations.
You want to push lights into the tree a bit to show as little wire as possible when adding lights. If you prefer trees that are completely covered with ornaments, then you don’t need to worry about the wire showing. It will be hidden by all of the decorations.
How to Add Reflective Balls to the Inside of the Tree
You can use inexpensive reflective balls in your color scheme to add depth to your tree. You will want to hang them on each branch near the center of the tree. This will make the tree appear thicker. You shouldn’t be able to see thru the tree once it is decorated. And doing this goes a long way in achieving that.
How to Add Focal Pieces to Your Beautiful Christmas Tree
When adding focal pieces you will want to make sure that it is visible from various angles in the room. Once you attach it, step back and see how it looks from different areas.
Our tree can actually be seen from; our front door, our dining room, our living room, and our kitchen. So, I wanted to make sure that the Grinch Street Sign could be seen from each of those places.
I changed the location of my Grinch Street sign 3 times before finding the perfect place for it. Once you are happy with the location, use floral wire to attach it to your tree.
How to Add Ribbon to Your Christmas Tree
When decorating a beautiful Christmas tree, I try to add 2-3 different types (20-30 yards of each type) – this variety of ribbon adds interest to your tree. –
It’s best to choose 1 pattern ribbon, one solid ribbon, and then one lux/glitter ribbon so they don’t compete with each other.
There are many different ways to add ribbon to a tree. One of my favorite ways is to let my ribbon cascade down the tree, pushing it into the tree in random places.
I typically start with a piece that is about 5-6 feet long and attach it near the top of the tree letting it cascade down. Do not stress if the ribbon doesn’t look perfect at this point. Once you add the ornaments and picks, it will all come together.
I typically don’t follow a pattern when adding my ribbon, but if you prefer the pattern look, then you can.
When the tree is completely decorated, I go in with smaller pieces of ribbon and tuck them into any holes I may still have in my tree. – using the twist and tuck method.
How to Choose Ribbon for Your Christmas Tree?
- your ribbon needs to have a wired edge- this helps you manipulate it throughout the tree.
- Choosing more than one pattern of ribbon can add interest to your tree.
- look for ribbon with texture
- choose ribbons with different widths – a wide velvet ribbon looks fabulous on a Christmas tree
- you can use deco mesh as a more economic alternative to ribbon.
Where’s the best place to buy Christmas Ribbon?
- Decorator’s Warehouse – This store is incredible. It’s the largest Christmas Store in Texas AND THEY SHIP! Even if you don’t buy anything from them you will get so many ideas from their website! Check it out:)
- Holiday Warehouse – Another incredible store in Plano, Texas. They also ship!
- Craft Outlet
- Hobby Lobby
- Joann
- Walmart
- Target
How to Add Ornaments to a Christmas Tree
When decorating a beautiful Christmas tree, you really need to use floral wire to attach the ornaments to the tree. This has a much more “finished” look and allows you more control over where you put the ornaments. “Hanging” ornaments just don’t have a nice look to them.
You want to start with the largest ornaments first. It is best to either work in a zigzag pattern or triangles. This will allow for a more balanced tree.
Next add your medium-sized ornaments, still working in a zigzag or triangle pattern.
When decorating a beautiful Christmas tree, I wouldn’t add any ornaments that are less than a 3.9 diameter. If you have a lot of smaller balls that you would like to add, you can make them more substantial by wiring 3 of them together. This gives the illusion of a larger ornament.
How many ornaments you add to your tree is really a personal preference. Many people do not like any of the branches to show. So they completely cover the entire tree with ribbon and ornaments.
I like for some of the branches to show in my trees. So I use fewer ornaments.
How to Add Picks When Decorating a Beautiful Christmas Tree
At this point, your tree should be fairly full. So using your picks, you want to add another layer of depth to your tree. Be sure to fill any holes with picks and don’t be afraid to use 2 or 3 different picks in one area.
How to Add a Tree Topper to Your Christmas Tree
If you haven’t already, now is the time to decorate your tree topper following the directions above.
How to Add a Christmas Tree Skirt
When adding your Christmas tree skirt, first lay down an inexpensive white, or light-colored blanket. Then lay your skirt on top of the blanket. This will make your tree skirt look more luxurious.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on tree skirts or collars. Just go to Hobby Lobby, when they have their fabric on sale, and buy a nice coordinating fabric.
It’s super easy and will look great. At the end of the day, you are going to be covering it up with presents. So there’s really no need to spend a lot of money on it.
How to make a sparse tree look full?
- Use deco mesh – this will fill in all the gaps in the tree.
- Only use large ornaments
Tips and Tricks for Decorating a Beautiful Christmas Tree
- FLUFF YOUR TREE– I cannot emphasize this enough
- use floral wire instead of hooks or thread for a more finished look
- add inexpensive reflective balls to the interior of your tree to add depth
- walk around your room and look at your tree from different angles.
- for an extra boujie look, you can wrap your Christmas presents in coordinating paper.
- choose a color scheme or theme that isn’t too trendy unless you plan on buying all new decor within a few years- which can get expensive.
- remember to have fun with it. Don’t get so caught up on everything looking perfect that you forget to enjoy the process.
This post was all about decorating a beautiful Christmas Tree.
With a little planning and patience, decorating a beautiful Christmas Tree is something that everyone can do.
The process may take a while, but if you take your time with each step, you can achieve a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, no matter what your budget is.
