Now that your DIY designer Christmas tree ornaments are finished, it’s time to start decorating that tree! I must say, decorating Christmas trees is one of my favorite things to do! (No joke, if I could professionally decorate Christmas trees all year long, I’d be living the dream!) There are many great ways to add class and elegance to your Christmas tree, but here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks to take your tree to the next level!

Pick A Color And Theme

Before you start decorating your Christmas tree, find a few inspirational photos online, or in your favorite magazine or catalog.

Themes can revolve around color pallets (ex: Red, white, gold, blue, or a combination of a few colors). Your theme can also center around an idea or concept such as “Birds and Nature” (above), “Farmhouse”, “Mountain Rustic” etc.

Once you have picked a color pallet and theme, start selecting decorations and accessories that fit within your concept. A theme will help your Christmas tree look more cohesive when everything is said and done.

Lights

Now, I’ve noticed that many people just string a few lights around their tree and call it a day. However, the lights really make the biggest impact when decorating a Christmas tree.

Since my husband and I have a pre-lit artificial tree, I don’t have to worry about stringing lights anymore (which is so awesome!). With that said, up until about a year ago, I always had live trees with lights strung by yours truly!

The real trick to lighting trees is patience! Take the time to wrap each branch individually using small lights. Start from the trunk and wrap the lights to the tip of each tree branch.

I know, I know, that sounds so tedious! To a degree, yes, you would be correct, it is!

However, keep in mind that taking the time to string the lights on your tree properly really does make all the difference! Stringing your Christmas tree this way sets the stage by adding more light, depth and vibrance to your decorations!

Lighting Tricks

A great trick for stringing Christmas tree lights is to separate the woven light string, and stick the end of the tree branch through the opening to keep your lights in place.

After stringing your tree with smaller lights, you can wrap your tree with larger lights as well to take your Christmas tree to the next level! The Combination of larger and smaller bulbs gives the illusion of sparking lights! (no, you don’t need to wrap each branch this time, the larger bulbs are just there to add some character!)

Note: Always wear gloves when stringing Christmas tree lights! This will protect your hands from broken lightbulbs, itchy pine needles, and scratches.

Wired Ribbon

I always like to start with a fun ribbon, like this grain sack striped ribbon I found on Etsy, or some sparkly white tule. Ribbon helps hide gaps, makes your tree feel fuller, and adds a little something extra to your decorations!

Unfortunately, the grain sack ribbon I ordered on Etsy wasn’t wired, but if you can find wired ribbon it’s ideal for tree decorating. The wire helps control how the ribbon sits in the tree, and can be easily adjusted as needed.

Zip Ties

Since my ribbon didn’t have wire, I used zip-ties to bunch my ribbon and make it look more realistic instead. You can also use this method to attach the ribbon to your tree while you place it so it doesn’t shift or move around.

Tule

Building up layers of white sparkly tule ribbon on a Christmas tree is so much fun! Plus, tule instantly gives the illusion of whimsical snow, without needing to flock your Christmas tree!

Methods

There are many different ways to add ribbon to a Christmas tree, but the methods that I like to use are spiral wrapping, vertical wrapping, and pinching or bunching.

Try to place the ribbon in your tree so that it weaves in and out of the branches. Weaving the ribbon throughout your tree gives it an effortless look. Plus, taking the time to properly place your ribbon will make a huge difference in your overall Christmas tree esthetic.

This is the trickiest part- making the ribbon look effortless when in reality, it is anything but!

Note: If you don’t have a star, you can also tie a ribbon bow to the top of your Christmas tree to give the illusion of a star! (Again, wired ribbon is key here!)

Artificial Natural Elements

This is my absolute favorite part of decorating a Christmas tree! I like to stock up on artificial “natural elements” in the faux floral section of my local craft store for my Christmas tree.

Some faux natural elements I’ve used in the past are fake berries, white frosted eucalyptus, frosted branches, pearl strings, and holly. However you can use any faux elements that catch your eye or fit within your theme. Since these faux natural elements are usually already on a stick, they are easy to insert into your Christmas tree and are a great option to fill in any remaining gaps.

Adding these faux natural elements builds visual interest, and adds a realistic touch that will make your Christmas tree really come to life!

Ornaments With Character

Add a few fun character ornaments to continue building your Christmas tree theme!

To tie into my “Birds and Nature” theme, I added some inexpensive yet adorable character ornaments like birds in nests, owls, acorns, and pinecones that I had found at the dollar store!

Character ornaments bring the fun and flair to any Christmas tree, and provide a nice much needed break from the classic “ball” ornaments.

Don’t Forget The Basics

With that said, don’t skip on the simple “ball ornaments” either! Classic ornaments like these add a classic touch to your tree, and help create and maintain your color pallet!

I personally like to scatter these classic ball ornaments throughout my tree. However, I also hang several ball ornaments deep in the center of my tree.

Why?

Because ball ornaments on the inside of the tree reflect light and draw you in!

Not only do these classic orbs fill visual gaps and to help disguise fake trees, but they also add an extra pop of color that is visually intriguing.

In my opinion, the more ornaments on the Christmas tree the better!

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Please leave a comment below if you have any questions about how to decorate your Christmas tree, or have a few fun tips, tricks, or ideas of your own that you would like to share!

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