Skinny Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

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With the Christmas season around the corner, it's just about time to break out your decorations and put up your tree. If you don't have a lot of room in your home, a slim or pencil tree still adds holiday cheer without taking up too much space. Since slim Christmas trees are a lot smaller, you won't need as many decorations as you would on a full one. We'll walk you through some popular ways to dress up your tree and how to achieve different looks so you have a beautiful centerpiece all season long!

1
Choose 2–3 colors to feature in your design. Too many colors can make your tree look really busy and overwhelm your design, so only pick a few prominent ones to use. Organize your ornaments and decorations by color so they're easier to sort through and find what you need. Stick with your color theme throughout the entire design so all of the decor looks unified.^[1]
- If you want to go for a classic Christmas look, stick with red, green, and white.
- For something a little more modern, try going with white, silver, and gold.
2
Wrap lights around the branches for a little extra twinkle. Most artificial slim trees come pre-lit, but the lights might look a little sparse once you add your other decorations. For something that feels more relaxed and homey, choose multicolored lights.^[2] If you're looking for something more elegant, stick with plain white lights. Start wrapping the lights from the bottom branches and work your way up toward the top. ^[3] Aim to have around 50–100 lights per foot of height.^[4]
- LED lights might be a little more expensive, but they're brighter and last longer than incandescent bulbs.
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3
Fill gaps and the bottom branches with bulb ornaments. Look for spots in your tree where you can see the center pole through the branches. Take a spherical bauble and hook it onto the closest branch. Tuck the ornament close to the center so it hides the trunk and makes your tree look fuller. You can also put some of the largest ornaments on the bottom branches of the tree to help it look like it's more filled out.^[5]
- Metallic or reflective ornaments can also make the tree look like it's fuller.
- Avoid putting large ornaments on the upper branches near the outside since they can make your tree look misshapen and unbalanced.
- You only need to put ornaments on the side of the tree that's visible. If you're tucking your tree in a corner, then you don't need to decorate the back side.
4
Tie wire ribbons around your tree to give it more volume. Choose wire ribbons since you can bend and shape them to fit around your tree better. Take one end of your ribbon and fold it over by 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) to make a loop. Hold the looped end near the top of your tree so it slightly wraps around toward the back. If you're using an artificial tree, twist the closest branch around the ribbon to hold it in place.^[6] Fluff up the ribbon and wrap it around another lower branch to make it look like it's going in and out of the tree.^[7]
- Aim to use ribbon that's between 1 ¹⁄₂ –4 in (3.8–10.2 cm) wide so it's not too overwhelming to your design.^[8]
- Try twirling the ends of the ribbon if you want them to curve and spiral down.
- For a real tree, twist the ribbon once or twice around the branch until it's secure.
- Experiment with different ribbon textures to make your tree look more visually interesting.
- You can wrap the ribbon so it spirals around your tree or so it cascades down vertically depending on what style you want.
5
String garlands to add a dash of color to your design. You can buy premade garlands or create your own out of paper or popcorn for something homemade. Start by tying one end of the garland to a branch at the bottom of your tree and drape it loosely between the branches. Work your way up the tree in a diagonal pattern to fill the rest of the branches.^[9]
- For a classic Christmas look, choose a beaded garland.
- If you want something flashy and sparkly, get a garland made out of tinsel.
6
Hang smaller personal ornaments on outer branches and towards the top of the Christmas tree. Save ornaments that have sentimental value for last so they don't get covered by the garlands and other decorations. These are your special and unique items, they deserve pride of place. Hook the ornament over a tree branch and carefully let it go to make sure it doesn't slide off. Fewer ornaments work better on a slim Christmas tree, so spread them evenly across all of the branches so no one area looks empty or overcrowded.^[10]
- You don't need to hang ornaments on the back of the tree if you're tucking it into a corner.
7
Top your tree with a star, fairy, Angel or bow to draw people's attention. Your tree topper all depends on your preference, so choose whatever fits your style best. Position the tree top decoration so it covers the straight top branch on the tree so it doesn't stick out. Turn the topper so it faces the direction that you'll view the tree from the most so you can see it well.^[11]
- If the top branch is too flimsy to hold your topper, try wrapping a chopstick around it with a floral pick for additional support.
8

Spread something around the base of the tree that resembles snow. Cotton wool or stuffing from pillows or cushions works well. Use enough to cover the tree stand so it doesn't stand out too much. Make mounds of stuffing to make it look more like snow-covered hills. If you want, you can also add some decorations throughout the stuffing, such as wooden crates, pinecones, or twigs.^[12]

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1
Go with red and white decor and homemade ornaments for a classic tree. Look for ribbons and tinsel that are solid red and white or have stripes to wrap around your tree. Add some ornaments between the gaps that have sentimental value or are homemade so to make it look your tree is right out of Santa's workshop.^[13]
- Try incorporating classic Christmas flowers like red and white poinsettias into your tree.^[14]
2
Create a modern look with metallic colors and uniformly-shaped ornaments. Stick with white lights and ornaments to fill in most of your tree. Spread ornaments like brass rings, silver bulbs, or gold stars throughout the branches to catch the light and make your tree pop. Add some accents of small black decorations, like bulbs or hexagons, to add even more visual interest.^[15]
- You might be able to buy an artificial tree that has white branches instead of green.
- You can make your own modern-looking decor by taking hexagons off of mosaic floor tile and hot-gluing ornament hooks to the back of them.
3
Make a rustic tree with a neutral palette, burlap, and real twigs. Use a tan burlap ribbon around your tree to give it more volume. Make clusters of decor with 3–4 small pieces of twigs, berries, or pinecones and tie them together with wire or floral picks. Push your bundles into your tree near where you tied the ribbon. Intersperse some white and tan ornaments throughout the tree to fill in the gaps.^[16]
- Aim to have 1 cluster per foot of your tree's height.
- You can use twigs and pinecones you find on your own or pick up some decorative ones from a craft store.
- You might be able to find sticks, pinecones, berries, and other natural decorations covered with fake snow as well to make your tree more wintry.
4
Try a natural tree with fake snow, pinecones, and lights. Rather than decking out your tree with a lot of ornaments, you can make it look like you just brought it in from outside. Spread some fake snow on the outer branches so it looks like they're still coated in some fresh frost. Spread scented decorative pinecones throughout the tree so they look like they're hanging from the branches. Keep the rest of the branches free of ornaments.^[17]
- This is a great cost-effective design if you don't have the budget for decorating.
5
Work with round ornaments and blush tones for a neutral and elegant tree. While this design is more muted, it will fit in with most other decor that you already have in your room so it doesn't clash. Hang large bulbs that have blush pink and red tones to add hints of light color to your tree. Accent your tree with some deep matte red bulbs or sparkly white gold stars to fill up the rest of the space.^[18]
- Try incorporating thin ribbons that are silver or white to give your tree a little more volume and sparkle.
6
Do a glam look with sparkles, teardrop ornaments, and blue and copper tones. While they may not seem like traditional Christmas colors, they can make your tree stand out and feel more unique. Choose a few matte and reflective ornaments that are dark blue and copper. Spread the ornaments around the tree evenly so the colors look balanced. Stick in some decorative twig or pinecones coated in copper glitter to make your tree look even brighter.^[19]
- Play around with different textures of ornaments to give your tree a lot more visual interest.
7
Hang ornaments in blocks of colors to give your tree a bold, poppy look. Sort your ornaments by color so they're easier for you to work with. Take all of the ornaments and decorations of a single color and hang them in a thick stripe wrapping around your tree. After you have the ornaments of one color on, add the next color in a stripe above the first one. Add 3–5 stripes of color depending on how many ornaments you have to fill up your tree.^[20]
- You can even spray paint sections of your tree the same colors as your ornaments before you start decorating it if you really want to be unique.
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Question

What if I don't have a garland?

You could make your own paper chain from gift wrapping or other paper and use this to festoon the tree as well. Another option is to use ribbon as a garland, either wrapping it around or making a ribbon chain from it. Or, you can visit a dollar store for cheap garlands, tinsel or similar items you don't have to spend a lot on.

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When in doubt, match the decorations on your tree with the colors of other decor in the room. That way, your tree will look cohesive in the space.^[21]

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Be careful not to add too many decorations to a slim tree since it might look too busy and cluttered.
Use lights that aren't worn or broken since they could create a fire risk.^[22]

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