Decorate Your Christmas Tree Like a Pro with These 7 Tips

A Christmas tree is the centerpiece of every holiday home. To help you make sure your tree looks its best each year, here are decorating tips from style experts Dagmar Obert and Brad Schmidt.

In this video, Dagmar shares her process to help you decorate your Christmas tree like a pro:

Tip #1. Build on classic ornaments

When choosing Christmas decorations, opt for pieces in a classic color scheme, like red and white. These mix and match with other ornaments to create a different theme each season.

Tip #2. Divide your tree into sections

Think of your Christmas tree in segments such as top, middle, and bottom. Decorate one section at a time starting from the top and working your way down. To help you check for a cohesive and balanced look, further divide your tree into quadrants. This allows you to make sure no two similar items are too close together. Here, Dagmar divided her tree with floral picks, combining two different styles for more drama.

Tip #3. Hang larger ornaments first

Begin with larger pieces as these take up more room and tend to hang lower on branches. Aside from hanging ornaments at the tips of the branches, try placing some toward the inner branches to add depth.

Tip #4. Add interesting details

Place smaller ornaments and heirloom pieces next. For a unique tree topper, take a cue from Dagmar and tie picks together in an elegant bouquet.

Brad shares his Christmas tree decorating techniques in this video:

Tip #5. Cluster decorations together

Combine different sized ornaments to make a bold statement. Here, Brad mixed metallic accents to give the classic red and white theme a modern twist.

Tip #6. Use ribbons as accents

Ribbons are versatile enough to be used as ornaments themselves. To make double-layered bows, use two contrasting ribbons, shape them into cascading loops, and tie them together. Using floral wire to tie the loops will help the ribbon retain its shape longer.

Get more ribbon decorating ideas here.

Tip #7. Fill in spaces

If you’re going for a full look, fill in spaces that look sparse. Floral picks are a good way to add texture to your tree.

Red and white is just one of the many holiday looks to try out. Explore more decorated Christmas tree ideas here, or check out our step-by-step guide on how to decorate a Christmas tree.