**Make sure to see the video at the end of this article for over 450 Christmas tree decorating ideas.
Have you ever wondered why some Christmas trees look good while others look absolutely amazing?
The difference between having a Christmas tree that looks good and having one that looks amazing might be just a few designer touches to make your Christmas tree extra special.
If you would like to take your Christmas tree to the next level this year, here are some of the tips & tricks that interior designers use to decorate a Christmas tree worthy of a design magazine.
Color Scheme
Decide on the overall color scheme that you would like to use for your Christmas tree decorations.
It could be different shades of green, red & gold, pink & white, aqua & turquoise, different shades of white, or any other color combination that you like.
The color scheme that you select for your Christmas tree should complement the color scheme of the room where your tree is going.
Consider using some of the non-traditional designer ornament colors available this year, such as bronze, magenta, peacock blue, plum, pink, sage green, lavender, or navy, to give your Christmas tree an updated designer look.
When decorating with 3 different colors, many designers prefer to use a 60-30-10 color theory where the the primary color is 60% of the ornaments, the secondary color is 30% of the ornaments, and the accent color is only 10% of the ornaments. This color theory makes your Christmas tree feel more interesting than using the same quantity of ornaments of each color.
Theme and Style
Decide if you want your Christmas tree to have a theme, such as angels, nutcrackers, nature, snowflakes, a specific sports team, family photos, peacock, a specific hobby, Disney, or any other theme.
Having a theme for your Christmas tree is optional.
Most sophisticated Christmas trees do not have a theme, however more family friendly trees do have a theme.
If you do not have a theme for your Christmas tree, it should have a style.
Style options include modern, traditional, elegant, rustic, coastal, glam, natural, and more.
Most people decorate their Christmas tree in the same style as the room where the Christmas tree is located.
Christmas Tree
You can use an artificial Christmas tree or a fresh Christmas tree.
For a traditional look, select a green tree or one that is slightly flocked.
For a more modern or whimsical look, consider using a non-traditional colored Christmas tree.
Ensure that the tree looks very full for a professional designer look.
Most artificial Christmas trees list their "tip count", which is how many stems that tree has. Usually, more tips give a fuller look.
For a fresh Christmas tree, make sure to rotate it to where the best side is in the most visible location and the less attractive side is in a less visible location, such as against a wall or in a corner.
Make sure to keep fresh trees watered daily so they don't dry out or turn brown.
For an artificial Christmas tree, make sure to adjust your Christmas tree branches vertically to ensure the branches fill all holes and don't expose the tree section joints.
Also check each needle cluster to ensure they are straightened before proceeding.
For more detailed instructions on fluffing your tree, see the article How to Fluff and Artificial Christmas Tree into the Correct Shape.
Christmas Lights
Next, you should put your Christmas lights on your tree. Use either clear or white non-blinking lights for a professional designer look. Select a wire color that is the color of your Christmas tree.
Make sure you put the lights on evenly around your Christmas tree - start at the trunk of your tree, then run the lights out towards the tip of one branch, then back towards the trunk on that same branch. Do not just string the lights around the outside.
100 mini lights per foot of tree is the minimum suggested. If you have a 6 foot tall tree, you should use at least 600 lights or 6 strands with 100 lights per strand. Even if you have a pre-lit tree, feel free to add more lights since most of the lights will be covered by ornaments and other decor.
If you would like your Christmas tree to have a slight sparkle effect, add one or two slow twinkling light sets #ad spread throughout your Christmas tree. Slow twinkle string lights will randomly fade in and out certain lights for a gentle twinkle unlike traditional blinking or flashing lights that just turn on and off and can feel harsh.
You may also want to add several strands of lights that are slightly larger #ad than the mini lights throughout your Christmas tree for added designer interest. Ensure that all of your lights are working before proceeding.
Greenery Stems
For a lush designer look for your Christmas tree, add greenery stems #ad of different shapes and colors to your tree. You can use a stem that looks like a flocked evergreen branch, one that looks like an evergreen branch with berries, and another that is a cluster of glittered branches.
For a standard 7 to 8 foot tall tree, add 3 different types of greenery stems and 10 of each type for a total of 30 stems.
If you have an artificial tree, consider adding in a few branches of a real evergreen tree to fill in the holes, add an additional texture, and add a bit of evergreen fragrance to your room.
For Christmas trees with a large gaps, consider adding an evergreen garland spiraling around the Christmas tree trunk to fill in any large holes.
Garland
There are many designer ways to add a decorative garland or ribbon to your tree.
For a ribbon garland, the most popular ways to attach it to your Christmas tree is to run it from top to bottom on your Christmas tree in loops or to loop it randomly throughout your tree using section of ribbon.
If you prefer to use an evergreen or man made garland, the most common method is to wrap it around the outside of your Christmas tree like a barber's pole.
For a grapevine garland, the most common placement is wrapped like a barber's pole but slightly tucked inside the tree.
A popular garland material on more modern Christmas trees is decorative mesh, also called deco mesh, floral mesh, or poly deco mesh. This garland is popular because it is very wide, holds its shape, and will take up a lot of space on a big Christmas tree so fewer ornaments are needed.
For a wider garland on a more traditional Christmas tree, consider using strips of fabric instead of ribbon.
You can even use several different types of garland or ribbon on your Christmas tree for a one-of-a-kind look.
For more garland ideas, see the article How to Add Garland to a Christmas Tree.
Ornaments
Now is time to decorate your Christmas tree with ornaments.
Start by placing any special ornaments in prominent places on your Christmas tree to be the focal points. These ornaments should be the first thing people notice when looking at your Christmas tree.
If you don't have any special ornaments to take center stage, you can get 5 to 7 different oversized ornaments to serve as focal points. Focal point ornaments don't have to be Christmas ornaments - they can be figurines wired to your tree, vintage toys, and whatever else catches your eye.
Next, fill in the rest of your Christmas tree with ornaments in the color scheme that you have selected. A designer trick it to use Christmas ornaments that are slightly larger since they look much better than standard sized ornaments - this is especially important if your tree is taller than 7 foot tall. 10 large Christmas ornaments per foot height of tree typically works well.
For a 7 foot tall tree, avoid using ornaments smaller than a tennis ball or larger than a cantaloupe.
If you are using multiple colors of ornaments, start by putting all ornaments of one color on your Christmas tree at a time and ensure that each color is equally distributed throughout the tree.
Multi-pack Christmas ornaments can be a good choice because they are usually less expensive, but purchase different styles of multi-pack ornaments #ad for more variety. You can choose ornaments in different shades of the same color, different shapes, or different textures.
If you already have simple ornament spheres of a smaller size, try connecting 3 ornaments together with wire to create one larger Christmas ornament cluster. You might choose to connect spheres that are identical or spheres of different colors.
Also consider adding items that might be found on a living tree in nature to decorate you Christmas tree, such as pine cones, feathers, or twigs. These items add a natural touch as well as adding texture to your Christmas tree that is especially important when your Christmas tree does not have a lot of different colors. Animals that might be found on a tree in nature also look nice, such as birds or butterflies.
Family Ornaments
Some people own sentimental family ornaments that might not have design magazine flair, but they are full of memories.
You might have an ornament that your child made at school, one that you picked up from your family vacation, or ornaments that were from your childhood.
These ornaments should be placed on a Christmas tree and treasured.
The best way to have a professional looking Christmas tree and celebrate family ornaments is to have 2 different Christmas trees.
Your Christmas tree in the most visible public area of your home can be decorated in a professional manner without family ornaments, however the Christmas tree in a family area of your home can be decorated with all of your family ornaments.
Christmas trees should be filled with memories, so consider purchasing a new ornament each year for your Christmas tree to remind you of something special.
Your yearly ornament could be a small ornament photo frame with a photo of your children with Santa, an ornament you select as a family on a planned Christmas ornament shopping trip, an ornament from a family vacation, or Christmas ornaments that you craft as a family each year.
If you have small children, consider pre-decorating your family Christmas tree with lights, greenery stems, and garlands before the family works together to apply the sentimental family ornaments to the tree.
Floral Pick Fix
A designer trick is to add more floral picks if your Christmas tree is not quite to your liking.
You can add textural floral picks to your Christmas tree for a more full designer look.
Consider using fresh or faux floral picks that look like berries, tree branches from your garden that can be spray painted gold, evergreen stems, magnolia leaves, eucalyptus, or anything you like.
Adding floral picks is especially helpful when you have your children help decorate the Christmas tree and they leave some holes.
If you prefer an even more full and textural Christmas tree, feel free to add even more different types of greenery.
Tree Topper
A tree topper finishes off the Christmas tree decorations.
If you have a lot of very precious breakable ornaments that you are decorating with, you might prefer to add the tree topper before adding ornaments to reduce the risk of knocking an ornament off the tree.
Traditional tree toppers include a star, Santa, a fancy designer bow, or an angel.
Some Christmas tree toppers even have integrated lights with different lighting options.
A current designer trend is to create a large clump of about 5 to 10 floral picks of different types to be used as a tree topper. Some of these floral pick Christmas tree toppers are quite large and elaborate, using items such as huge peacock feathers.
You can even use a traditional tree topper with floral picks.
Some people with modern trees choose to not use a Christmas tree topper at all.
Below the Tree
Don't forget to decorate below your Christmas tree.
You can purchase a Christmas tree skirt, make one, or just use a blanket wrapped around the base of your tree.
Some people like to use a Christmas tree collar #ad to hide the base of their tree either with or without a Christmas tree skirt.
Another designer trick is to color coordinate your Christmas gift wrap to your Christmas tree's color scheme.
You can use multiple colors, textures, and patterns of paper and ribbon in your color scheme.
Simple brown kraft paper #ad used as wrapping paper with a fancy bow or simple twine is a designer favorite for a more minimal or rustic look.
You might also like the article Your Christmas Gifts are Part of Your Christmas Tree Decorations.
