How to Decorate a Christmas Tree: Step-by-Step

Decorating the Christmas tree is one of my favorite holiday traditions. I love taking it step-by-step to build up layers, add sparkle, and create that perfect, festive look. Whether you’re a seasoned tree-decorator or this is your first go, I’ll walk you through each step to make your tree feel like a holiday showstopper. So, gather up your ornaments and lights, and let’s get started!

For even more holiday decorating tips, check out my blog post How to Decorate for Christmas for ideas on transforming your entire space into a cozy, Christmas-ready haven.

Step-By-Step Instructions: How to Decorate a Christmas Tree

Follow the step-by-step instructions to get a designer-looking tree – even if you’re a complete tree-decorating beginner!

Step 1: Fluff the Tree

Whether you’re using a real Christmas tree or a faux tree, set up your tree in its stand and fluff the branches.

Spread faux branches out to fill in any gaps.

TIP: If your tree has seen better days and has large gaps, try winding a garland or two down the trunk of the tree or between the branches to create a nice full tree.

Step 2: Add Lights (optional)

If your tree is pre-lit you can skip adding Christmas lights. If it’s not pre-lit, now is the time to add those string lights. 

Weave the strands in and out of branches for depth. Add in as few or as many lights as you’d like.

Personally, for a 6-7 foot tree, I like an absolute minimum of 300 mini lights and as many as 700.

About 100 mini lights per foot-tall of a tree is a good general rule.

And I like to keep my Christmas tree lights on the warm side. I just find it adds a much nicer holiday glow, you know?

Tip: Plug your lights in as you arrange them in the tree, so you can see better where to place them.

Step 3: Add Stems

You can add sprigs or stems of greenery to fill in any gaps or just to add some texture and visual interest to your tree. Twigs or berry sprays work really well here too.

I’ve been doing this with our trees for the last few years and by buying a few new stems each year, I’ve kept the overall cost to a minimum.

And yes, the tree will look a little odd and even janky at this point. Have faith and keep going! 

Tip: Keep and stems and sprays that you add parallel to the existing branches (except for the ones near the top of the tree) so they look like they’re part of the tree.

Step 4: Add Ribbons

Ribbons are a big-impact low-cost way to change color schemes and themes when the mood strikes.

To include ribbons on your tree, decide whether you’d like to wrap the ribbons around the tree or have them cascade down the tree in various ways:

• Wrapped around the tree is sort of like wearing horizontal stripes, and makes the tree look wider.
• Letting the ribbons cascade down the tree gives the appearance of a taller tree. 
• You can tuck ribbons into the branches, curl them, let them hang, etc.

If you’re using multiple styles and colors of ribbon add the largest or boldest or largest first. Then move on down to the next size/color.

To get the curled ribbon, buy wired ribbon, wrap it around your hand, and then gently pull the end that is closest to your hand to make a sort of corkscrew curl. The wire will help the ribbon to stay curled.

Here’s another way to add ribbon to your Christmas tree 

• Take 3 kinds of wired ribbons and cut them all to about 3 feet long (give or take). 
• Lay all three pieces of cut ribbon over each other, sort of in a stack and loosely fold in half. 
• About 6 inches from the fold, pinch all the ribbons together. Secure them together using a piece of floral wire or an unwound wire ornament hanger.
• Separate the folds to fashion a sort of bow, as seen below. 
• Curl the “tails” around your hand and then separate, as seen below. 

Tip: It’s so much easier to place ornaments after ribbons than to do it the other way around. 

Step 5: Add Large Ornaments

Add any really large or bold ornaments or decorations you have next, spreading them out visually on the tree. 

It’s much easier to do it at this stage than to try to find a good place for these large ornaments later. 

Step 6: Add Sets of Ornaments

Add any multiples or sets of ornaments, one set at a time, by style or color.

Space them out all over the tree for visual balance, stepping back to take a look from all angles to be sure they’re well balanced. 

Step 7: Add Small or Special Ornaments

If you’ve got small or specific individual ornaments or keepsakes, find lovely spots for those on your tree now. 

Step 8: Add the Skirt and/or Tree Collar

Once all your ornaments and ribbons are on the tree, give the area beneath the tree a sweeping or vacuum to pick up any stray bits that may have fallen off the tree as you decorated.

Then, lay down the tree skirt or add your tree collar.

Step 9: Add the Topper

Now that our kids are mainly grown, I do most of the actual tree decorating. But it is still a tradition for Dean and Jonah to put the tree topper on the tree together and we actually wait for them to do this each year. (Don’t tell the kids I shared this pic 😉)

Bonus Step: Coordinate your gift-wrapping

Another way I like to “decorate” our Christmas tree is to coordinate our wrapping paper for each year with the colors or theme that the tree is decorated in. That way when the presents make their way under the tree, the living room looks super pretty, elegant, and filled with holiday cheer. 

And now you have a fully decorated tree!

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree – Video

Watch as I explain how to decorate your tree with step-by-step instructions. 

 

And there you have it—your beautifully decorated Christmas tree! I hope following these steps made the process easier and more fun. Decorating a tree is all about adding those special touches that make it feel like your holiday centerpiece.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Do you have a pretty tree? Or a family tree? Or both? Let me know in the comments below!