Modern Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

Natasha Lawler Charlottesville House at Christmas Lemon/Citrus Christmas Tree

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Christmas trees are the centerpiece of the home and the holiday season. A beautifully decorated tree will evoke memories of the holidays for years to come. The first rule is to pick the best tree for your space, whether that be shorter and wider or taller and slimmer, and then the decorating fun begins. Fill it with colorful lights and ornaments, wrap in ribbon, or display a beautiful tabletop tree. No matter how big or small or how it is decorated, the tree should always reflect the personality of you and your family. Bring out the garland, wreath, and Christmas trinkets, and create a festive space with your Christmas tree as the star of your holiday decorations. Whether you're celebrating Christmas on the coast, in a cabin, or right at home, let the decoration around the room and outside the window inspire you to create picture-perfect Christmas tree decorations. These inspiring Christmas tree decor ideas will refresh your holiday look this year and bring new cheer into your home.

Let Sparkles Fly

Gold Metallic Christmas Tree

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

This 12-foot Fraser fir displays ornaments made by the homeowner's children. Glittery gold, light pink, and rose gold baubles with a sumptuous 4-inch gold ribbon polish off the look while also carefully camouflaging any gaps between the branches. The train circling the tree skirt is led by the engine from The Polar Express.

Vintage Christmas

Vintage Christmas Topper

Credit: Jessica Ashley

Feeling nostalgic this season? Give your tree a retro feel with trimmings–including ornaments, ribbon, garland, décor, and more.

Natural Wonder

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

A rust planter takes this gumdrop-shaped cypress to new heights. A strand of flameless candles adds an old-school effect while clove-studded oranges, dried-orange slices, and pinecones help the tree maintain an authentic look.

Sentimental Selection

Christmas Tree with Handmade Ornaments

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Texans Sara and Billy Jack adorn their Christmas tree with mostly handmade and sentimental decorations. Each year, they present each of their children with a new ornament specifically chosen for them and share the backstory of why it was picked.

Midwinter Magic

Glitzy Flocked Christmas Tree

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Icy white and pale pink filler ornaments set a backdrop for statement-making metallic textured balls and geometric spindles. Modern-day steel magnolias will flip for blush-and-bashful accents like mauve plastic foam flowers. Blue floral wrapping paper completes the wintry scene.

Blue Christmas

Blue Tabletop Christmas Tree

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Spread Christmas cheer in any room with this tabletop setup. Use a small blue spruce with battery operated light in a chinoiserie cachepot to achieve the look. Top your tree with a velvet bow that creates a garland as it cascades down the side.

Think in Multiples

A. Hays Town Baton Rouge Home Living Room at Christmas

Credit: Photo: Brittany Ambridge; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Instead of placing one large Christmas tree in the living room of this Baton Rouge home, designer Colleen Waguespack gathered a trio of smaller ones and accented them with flocks of white dove ornaments from her decor line, Fig & Dove

Whimsical Wonder

Whimsical Christmas Tree with Paper Flowers

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Colorful paper flowers are a great addition if you are running low on ornaments. Homeowner Cristina Lynch also added light all the way around the top of this extra tall tree for added emphasis.

Plaid Ribbon

Credit: Helen Norman

Unexpected details like antlers and bits of greenery provide contrast to the traditional plaid and red ribbon garland.

Just Add Sunshine

Natasha Lawler Charlottesville House at Christmas Lemon/Citrus Christmas Tree

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

When it comes to decorating her tree, Natasha Lawler looks to her room for inspiration. Her sectional is covered in Schumacher's Citrus Garden, so she chose yellows, greens, and navy for her tree. With an abundance of decorative lemons she ordered from Amazon, sparkley sliced citrus, and a yellow ribbon topper, this tree stands out. She had a tree skirt made to match her sofa and even filled holes in the tree with styrofoam balls covered in the same fabric.

Holiday Decorations to Match the Décor

Purple and Green Christmas

Shades of purple and green–found in the living room's fabrics–are used to wrap gifts.

Local Flavor

South Caroline Christmas Tree

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Take inspiration from the surrounding landscape to infuse your tree with festive spirit and local flavor. The setting for this tree is Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, and that shows proudly with a profusion of palm fronds, oyster shell accents, and a palette of gold, burnt orange, and chartreuse that matches the interior. Tweak the look to suit your own home.

Neutral Territory

Silver White and Gold Tree

Credit: Jean Allsopp

If a red-and-green palette isn't your style, here's an alternative. We designed a holiday collection for Dillard's (available at dillards.com) full of subtle shades of silver, white, and gold that lend a sophisticated look to any interior.

Greenbrier Inspiration

Sparkly Ribbon

Credit: Ball & Albanese

This glorious tree takes shape at The Greenbrier every December. You can easily incorporate the wide ribbon garland and sparkle to your own tree. Wrapping your Christmas tree in garland can seam intimidating, but if you take your time it will look great.

Red and White

Red and White Small Christmas Tree

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lindsey Ellis Beatty

When decorating a smaller tree, keep things simple with only a few colors. We chose bright red and classic white for this Christmas tree.

Vintage Charm

Pink Christmas Tree Ribbon

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

If you come across a stash of vintage christmas oranments, a tabletop tree is the perfect way to use them. Stick with a pretty palette of teal and pink to really enhance the pastel hues.

Wrapped in Magnolia

Magnolia on the Christmas Tree

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

If you have magnolia leaves on hand, create a garland and wrap your tree with it. Keep the rest of your decorations simple with silver or gold.

Branch Out When Hanging Lights on the Tree

Wrapping Each Branch with Lights

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Birmingham designer Iris Thorpe has tried all manner of light-stringing techniques and has determined that nothing compares to wrapping individual branches from trunk to tip. "It's time-consuming," she says, "but when I've taken shortcuts and used nets, someone in the family is inevitably disappointed with the way it looks."

The Midas Touch

Gold Christmas Decorations

Credit: Helen Norman

The classic red-and-green holiday palette gets a fresh update with a heavy dose of gold. These gleaming accents–in the form of ornaments, gift wrap, and a do-it-yourself garland–help make everything old seem new again this season.

Whimsical Snow White Tree

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

"Once, I painted my living room pink to match my pink-and-red tree," says Lindsey. "This year, I let the white walls direct my motif. I found a tree that looks like it's been dusted with fresh snow." To coordinate with the peachy pink curtains (Island Ikat by China Seas; quadrillefabrics.com), she used candy-colored ornaments and garlands that look like jewelry. In lieu of a traditional skirt or stand, the tree is placed in a sculptural garden urn. Get this look.

Brighten up the Holidays

Red Silver Green Holiday Palette

Credit: Emily J Followill

If you love the glitz and glamour of the holidays, this look is for you. Pile on the shimmer with a palette of silver and green, including all shades from chartreuse to moss. Well-placed pops of red add energy to this punchy, can't-miss-it-scheme.

Simple Christmas Tree

Putnam Living Room

Credit: Ngoc Minh Ngo

This simple Christmas tree complements the casual and chic decor of the living room in a beautiful way.

Blue Christmas

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Many of us love to decorate with blue, so why not incorporate it into a holiday palette? "The gorgeous shade of this wallpaper (Jute Grasscloth in Dungaree by Twenty2; twenty2.net) inspired this shimmery tree," says Lindsey. "To offset the rich colors with plenty of sparkle, I piled on the silver—glass ornaments, disco ball-esque garlands, and a quirky topper." Get this look.

Magnolia Garland

Magnolia Christmas Tree Garland

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Wrap your tree in a garland formed from magnolia leaves stapled together with their backs facing out.

Tinsel Town

Glitzy Silver Christmas Tree

Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lindsey Ellis Beatty

If you're not afraid of a little sparkle, go for a super fun tinsel tree and some shiny pink and silver ornaments. Throw in a few mini pineapples for an extra splash of joy.

Colorful & Coastal

Coastal Christmas Tree

Credit: Photo: Helen Norman

Shades of aqua, turquoise, and white create a crisp, festive holiday vibe. Glass pinecone ornaments reflect the area's indigenous conifers and bring a traditional holiday motif to the tree. The unconventional color scheme extends to the giftwrap papers, none of which are Christmas patterns but were chosen to reflect the cottage's fresh palette. See all of this Coastal Holiday Home.

Bring Nature Inside

Charlotte Lucas Christmas Tree Decor

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Elly Poston Cooper

When it came to decorate a tree for this formal living room, interior designer Charlotte Lucas, chose tree colors in rich jewel tones that complimented the room. With turquoise, lime green, and a hint of coral, Lucas was able to achieve a sophisticated tree. She added whimsy with her ornament choices, including feathered birds and paper butterflies to adorn the tree. Instead of a traditional star, Lucas found two gold starbursts that she wired together.

Cotton and Copper Mesh Ribbon

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

This rustic tree is chockfull of natural decorations like pinecones, feathers, dried pods, silk magnolia blooms, and branches. A stunning trail of fluffy white cotton garland winds its way through the tree. Copper mesh ribbon brings a pop of color and allows the lights to really shine.

Suited for the South

Norway Spruce

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

This "Hillside Upright" Norway spruce—with lights, pinecones, burlap, and feathers—grows up to 20 feet tall and is suited to the Upper and Middle South.

Fashionable Fresh Greens

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

The trick to keeping this graphic look punchy, not ho-hum, is choosing the right shade of green. "This crisp apple hue pops perfectly—anything darker or lighter would fade into the tree," Lindsey says. To keep the holiday look fresh and bright, she chose all-white ornaments for their modern feel and bold contrast. A playful paper lantern tops the tree, and the trailing garland and ribbons echo the colors of the rug's chevron stripes. Get this look.

Metallic Sparkler

Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas: Metallic Christmas Tree

Credit: Photo by Laurey W. Glenn

Create an opulent feel without overwhelming the space by decorating your Christmas tree with a limited color scheme of silver, gold, and bronze.

Out of the Woods

Woodsy Small Christmas Tree

Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lindsey Ellis Beatty

If you think a woodland themed tree has to be dark, think again. We've covered this small Christmas tree in just enough sparkle to keep things lively.

Refined Rustic

Refined Rustic Christmas Decorations

The grasscloth wallpaper and cool slate fireplace in this living room dictated a natural holiday palette with warm colors and nubby textures. Burlap unifies the look, with homespun stockings on the mantel, an oversize bow topping the tree, and gifts wrapped in the woven material. Cool mercury glass ornaments add a touch of shimmer. Get This Look.

Colorful Classic

Colorful Classic Christmas Tree

A Fraser fir, with its symmetrical shape, coordinates nicely with this room's classic architecture. A Southern magnolia wreath hangs in the window by strips of a fabric that is used elsewhere in the room, and the red and gold ornaments play up a traditional bells and holly theme. Strands of large, clear glass bulbs, usually used to light a patio, give this tree an ethereal glow at night. Get This Look.

Bold and Bright

Bold and Bright Christmas Tree

Cascading Ribbon Tree

Christmas Decorating Ideas: Tree Ribbons

Credit: Photo by Robbie Caponetto

Decorate your Christmas tree with long, cascading tendrils of colorful ribbon, rickrack, and pom-pom fringe. Search the remnants section of a fabric-and-trim store for good deals on pieces that are at the end of a roll or odd-sized, and collect throughout the year. Attach ribbon directly to an embroidery hoop and then simply slide over the top of your tree.

Classic Red & Silver

Red and White Living Room Christmas Tree

Credit: Lucas Allen

The common color of old and new silver ornaments makes this tree elegant; different shapes and sheens make it interesting. Red beads mimic cranberries without the mess. Vintage-look white bulbs cast a calming glow. A Fraser fir tree holds lots of ornaments. See all of this Lowcountry Holiday Home.

Colorful Tabletop Display

If you're tight on space, try a tabletop tree planted in a sculptural garden urn. Dripping with antique glass ornaments and beaded garland, it's a festive way to display your treasures.

Golden Glow

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Complement a colorful living room with an all-gold tree. Pair antique ornaments with modern ones for a more collected and less "designed" look.

Organic & Shimmery

Organic and Shimmery Chritmast Tree

Skip the ubiquitous metal tree stand, and give your tree a unique base by anchoring it in a large container. Adjust the vessel to your style: fancy urns for an elegant look and rustic baskets for a casual one.

Beachy Casual

Sand dollars, sea stars, and shells make ideal ornaments if you live by the coast. Collect them all summer to bring a warm smile to the holidays.

Winter Wonderland

Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

Credit: Photo: Helen Norman

The theme of this tree is colors of silver and gold, basically neutral but with a little bling. Glittered ornaments and mercury glass balls lend a glimmering, glamorous feeling. Skip the tree skirt for a clean and simple look, and to let the lower limbs of the tree brush the floor. Place packages around the outside of the tree to make it look larger.

Twinkling Delight

For the ultimate twinkling tree, dress each branch with white lights. It can be tedious, but the glow is worth it. Minimal ornaments in a limited color scheme show off the tree.

Nostalgic Red & Gold

Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

Credit: Photo: Helen Norman

Nothing is more traditional than a red and green holiday palette. Give it a twist by using only red and gold ornaments on the tree, so that the pine needles, gift ribbons, and threads of green in the tartan blanket are the only green elements. This look proves that a nostalgic color scheme can be updated for a fresh, modern look.

Green & Gold Tabletop Tree

Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

If you have small kids, we suggest a tabletop tree to keep fragile ornaments and alluring packages out of reach. A wide burlap ribbon festoons this tree, cascading down the branches with casual elegance.

Cascading Velvet Ribbons

Christmas Tree with Red and Blue Ribbons

Credit: Alison Gootee; Styling: Elizabeth Demos

Add a pop of color and texture to your Christmas decor with vertical, velvet ribbons. Here, the vibrant look pairs with a family ornament collection that grows each year.

Up Next