How Tos & Expert Tips

How to Decorate Slim Christmas Trees

A slim artificial Christmas tree is the best choice for small and narrow spaces or as a second tree in your home. With its slender profile, you can achieve a beautiful holiday look while taking up less floor area.

In this video, Courtney of French Country Cottage shows three elegant looks for slim Christmas trees to help get you started:

Show Transcription

Courtney Allison: Hi, I’m Courtney from Balsam Hill. Today we’re going to talk about how to decorate slim Christmas trees. Slim Christmas trees are also called pencil Christmas trees and narrow Christmas trees because of their narrow shape.

Unlike a traditional Christmas tree which is a little chubbier on the bottom and gets narrow as it goes up, a slim Christmas tree is going to have a similar build from top to bottom. The size and shape makes these trees perfect for smaller homes and for smaller places like bedrooms and the end of the hallway to add a little Christmas magic all through the house.

Since you don’t have as much space to decorate here, this gives you an opportunity to bring out those beautiful heirloom ornaments or the ones you’ve been collecting all the years, maybe grandmother’s treasured childhood ornaments that she gave to you. When you put them on a tree like this it’s going to give them a really prominent position.

Something else that I’m asked all the time is, if you have a smaller tree like this can you still have all of that magic and beauty that a regular-sized Christmas tree brings? The answer is yes. This is the cathedral fur from Balsam Hill and it’s covered in these beautiful fairy lights. As you can see it’s absolutely glowing. You’re going to have all of that same beautiful look for your Christmas tree just in a smaller size.

Today we’re going to talk about three unique looks for this Christmas tree to show you just how versatile it is. Our first look is layers of beautiful blue. From frosty blue to icy blues to navy blues, we’re going to layer those blues on the tree and then bring in a bit of copper for a little bit of a glam element that’s going to add a beautiful elegant look.

Our second look is a traditional red and white with a Scandinavian theme. We’ve got some beautiful fairies and some Scandinavian-themed ornaments that have a childhood feel that are really going to make it feel like a traditional classic Christmas look. We’ve also got a little bit of a vintage inspired glass garland that I think adds a very special touch.

The third look is this one right here that’s a more neutral, but using blush as a neutral base. We’ve got beautiful tones of pink, a little bit of gold and also whites on this tree that really make it feel very elegant and traditional, but also very neutral. So it’s going to fit into any room of your home.

Then we’re going to do three simple DIY ornaments that you can do right at home with your own family to create a special ornament for your own tree this holiday season. Let’s get started.

For our blue tree we used 24 icy metallic plume picks, 48 blue ornaments in several shades, 8 copper color ornaments, 6 copper, gold and bronze egg ornaments, 24 icicle ornaments, 24 white ornaments, blue and gold glitter ribbon and a snowflake tree topper.

For our non-traditional look using layers of blue, I’m starting with this beautiful crystal covered picks. I love that these picks add another layer of shimmer and elegance to the tree and that they reflect the twinkle lights beautifully.

Up next we’re going to bring in shades of blue, white and copper ornaments to create a look that is elegant and welcoming and beautifully unique. A tip when using ribbon on a slim tree. Some of your ribbon is going to feel a little bit too large to use at the top of your slim tree which is a little bit more narrow than the regular-sized tree.

A tip is to actually take your ribbon and just cut it in half or fold it in half and create a smaller version of your ribbon and tuck these smaller ribbons up top in the smaller areas. Use your regular size ribbon down below. This will tie your whole tree together and make it feel very designed and elegant without overwhelming the top of your tree.

Slim trees also have more space underneath than a traditional tree and it’s a perfect place to add another layer of magic with pretty packages for a designer look.

To make our felt ball wreath you need 9 to 12 felt balls, a hot glue gun with glue, jute string, a needle and thread, ribbon and scissors. I’m going make a cute little wreath using these felt balls. What you need to do is start with your needle and thread and then simply start stringing your felt balls along to create a wreath.

You can make this as large or as small as you’d like. We’re going to do a small one for this demonstration, but you can always keep going, adding more of the felt balls to make the size that you’d like. When you’ve decided you’re done, simply tie the two ends together by putting your string through there and then creating a little bit of a neat knot.

Then you can simply cut the rest of your thread to loosen it. I like to leave a little space right here to be able to put the tie on. For this one we’re going to use jute, but you can use a wire if you’d like. Simply take your jute and string it through here. Then tie your loop to create the hanger. Once that’s tied you can clip the ends off or adjust it if you need it to be a different size.

Up next we’re going to add a cute little bow embellishment. For the bow we just want to take our hot glue and put it right onto the center of this already made bow. Then place the bow right where the jute is. Press it and hold it until it secures and there you have a charming little wreath for your Christmas tree.

For our red tree we used 12 red berry picks, 50 Nordic-themed ornaments, 15 porcelain star ornaments, 20 red ornaments, 20 white ornaments, 3 strands of red and green vintage-style glass garlands, a beaded tree topper and red striped ribbon. This tree has a more traditional color palette using reds and whites.

We’re starting with red berry picks which I love to use to add another layer of warmth to the tree. Then we’re going to bring in our ornaments in various shades of red, white and our Scandinavian-themed ornaments to create a charming look. I also love to use a vintage-inspired glass garland on this tree which I feel is a perfect finishing touch.

I wanted to share a quick tip about using those longer ornaments like this on your tree. When you’re decorating your tree with different size ornaments take the larger ornaments and set them deeper into the branches inside to add some depth and some layers of the ornaments.

Then you want to take your longer ornaments like this and you’re going to hang them on the outer branches so that they can dangle down. This creates a nice layered effect and also shows that there’s much more going on with the tree than just ornaments on the outside or just on the inside. It’s beautiful layers that really let your tree stand out.

What I love about this tree is that it feels very warm with old-fashioned Christmas charm and tradition. It makes me think of memories of Christmas past and of all the beauty and magic the Christmas season brings.

For our small animal ornament, you need a small bottlebrush animal, a 4 to 6 inch gold embroidery hoop, jute string, scissors and a hot glue gun and glue sticks. To make our cute little animal ornaments we’re going to take an ornament that we already have or if you don’t you can add a string to an existing little animal. These are like little bottlebrush animals, so I just have them ready to go. You want to use an embroidery hoop in a small size and some optional greens if you want to add those as well.

To get started, you want to take your glue and put it onto your embroidery hoop. Then you want to take your little animal and somehow attach it, however it works best. You can always add a little bit of extra glue if you need to to make sure that it stays. Then give it a second to dry and there you go.

For the hoop, I’m taking just this already there wire and just tying it right above the rabbit. I’m going to add a tiny bit more with the hot glue gun and just add a little glue to secure it. Then we’re going to be done with that.

If you want to add the embellishment, I’ve got some dried leaves here. You can use whatever you’d like. You want to take your embellishment and go down here so it looks like they’re sitting in the forest. Just add a bit of glue to your hoop and then you can put your greenery right on there and give it a second to hold before pulling it away. Then if you want to do more on this side you simply just take and repeat on the other side.

If you have too much and you feel like you want to cut it off, like there’s this little piece of branch here, so I’m just going to cut that off. Otherwise, that’s it. There’s your cute little animal woodland-inspired ornament that is perfect for hanging on the tree and enjoying this holiday season.

For our blush tree we used 24 gold pip berry picks, 60 rose and blush color ornaments, 12 gold ornaments, 10 burgundy ornaments, 30 vintage blush ornaments, 10 vintage pearl ornaments, gold glitter ribbon and a rose gold metallic tree topper.

Our non-traditional neutral tree starts with these beautiful gold berries. I love the elegant look they bring and also that they add that extra layer of glimmer. Up next we’re bringing in our various shades of blush, pink, white and gold ornaments along with a few vintage bobbles to create a warm and elegant neutral look.

I love the way that this tree, even though it has a little bit of color, it’s neutral enough that it can fit into any room in your room and look absolutely beautiful.

A tip for using picks on your slim tree is to actually take that full pick and just break it up into smaller sections. Use these smaller sections in places like the top of the tree to add that beautiful touch without overwhelming it.

I love using beautiful shades of those softer colors for a neutral look for Christmas. The rosy tones of the blush on this tree really warm up the look and make the tree feel very elegant. I also love that using the neutral color palette for Christmas trees can work perfectly to create a beautiful and welcoming look in any room.

For our vintage-inspired bottlebrush tree ornament, you need a one and a half inch to 3-inch bottlebrush tree, a 20-millimeter wood bead, or small feather tree glass ornament, hot glue gun and glue sticks and jute string.

For our next ornament, we’ve got simple, little, cute little Christmas trees that are bottlebrush trees, that are in a mini size like you would have maybe in a dollhouse. Then, we’ve got two options for creating the base of the ornament. We’ve got our wood beads that we’re using, and also, these little, tiny, mini feather tree ornaments that you can use if you’d like.

What you want to do is you want to take the ornament cap off, if using this ornament. Then, add a little bit of hot glue, and then, just take your tree, press it on there, and let it dry. As an alternative, you can also take a bead and simply put the glue right onto the bead, and then, press your tree onto it.

To add the string, I’ve got two options here. You can either use a jute or a wire or you can use something like this, which is a little gold string that’s just from another ornament. If you’re using something like this, you simply just take it and tie it right onto the top of your tree. Just loop it into the bristles so that it’s hidden, and you can pull it through so you can see that it’s hidden there, and then, you can tie it.

Once you’ve tied it, tie the top to create the loop. You can cut off any excess if you’d like. There you have a sweet, charming, vintage-inspired Christmas tree ornament. I hope that this inspires your Christmas decorating this holiday season. For more Christmas decorating tips and tricks, please visit the Balsam Hill blog.


French Blue & White Christmas Tree

A collage of photos showing a Christmas tree and assorted ornaments

What You’ll Need                                                               

Christmas Tree and Decorations:

Materials for Mini Wreath DIY Christmas Ornament

  • Felt balls
  • Jute string
  • Needle and thread
  • Hot glue gun
  • Ribbon
  • Scissors

How to Decorate a French Blue & White Slim Christmas Tree

Step 1: Create DIY mini wreath ornaments

A collage of photos showing steps for creating wreath ornaments
  1. With a needle and thread, string the felt balls to create your mini wreath. Add as many felt balls as you’d like to get your desired wreath size.
  2. Sew the ends together and tie a knot.
  3. Tie the jute string around the top of your wreath to form a hanger. Cut any excess string.
  4. Make a bow using ribbon.
  5. Use hot glue to attach the bow to the top of the wreath so it covers the bottom of the hanger.
  6. Repeat steps to make more ornaments.

Step 2: Add Christmas tree decorations

Close-up shot of a Christmas tree decorated with assorted white and blue ornaments
  1. Wrap the ribbons on your tree. Starting from the top, let the ribbons cascade downward. Tuck them in between branches to create texture.
  2. Hang a mix of blue and copper ornaments around the tree, spreading them evenly for a warm and elegant look.
  3. Place crystal-covered picks in between branches. They’ll reflect the glow of Christmas tree lights for added shimmer.

Tip: Fold or cut your ribbon in half to complement the narrow space at the top of your pencil Christmas tree. Use regular-sized ribbons at the bottom.


Classic Red and White Tree

A collage of photos showing a decorated Christmas tree and assorted red and white ornaments

What You’ll Need                                                              

Christmas Tree and Decorations:

Materials for DIY Forest Creatures Christmas Ornaments

  • 1 small bottlebrush animal
  • 4-6″ diameter gold embroidery hoop
  • Jute string or wire
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun

How to Decorate a Classic Red and White Slim Christmas Tree

Step 1: Make DIY animal ornaments

A collage of photos showing steps for making animal ornaments
  1. With a glue gun, attach an animal ornament to the hoop. Let it dry.
  2. Wrap string or wire around the top of the hoop for hanging.
  3. Glue embellishments such as dried leaves for a woodland-inspired look. Hold until the glue is dry.
  4. Clip off any excess branches or string.
  5. Repeat steps to make as many ornaments as you want.

Step 2: Put up Christmas tree decorations

Close-up shot of a Christmas tree decorated with assorted red and white ornaments
  1. Start by inserting red berry picks in between branches of your tree.
  2. Place red, white, and Nordic-inspired ornaments.
  3. Wrap the garlands around your tree.
  4. Lay the tree skirt on the base.
  5. Add the star tree topper as a finishing touch.

Tip: Tuck larger ornaments into the inner branches to create depth. Then, place longer ornaments on the branch tips to create a layered look.


Vintage Rosy Mauve and Gold Tree

A collage of photos showing a Christmas tree and assorted ornaments

What You’ll Need                                                               

Christmas Tree and Decorations:

Materials for DIY Bottlebrush Tree Christmas Ornaments

  • 1.5-3″ bottlebrush trees
  • 20mm wood beads or small ball ornaments
  • Jute string
  • Hot glue gun

How to Decorate a Vintage Rosy Mauve and Gold Slim Christmas Tree

Step 1: Create DIY bottlebrush tree ornaments

A collage of photos showing steps for making bottlebrush tree ornaments
  1. Glue a wood bead or mini ornament to the base of the mini tree. Let it dry.
  2. Loop the string through the top of your tree and tie securely.
  3. Tie the ends of the string to create a loop for hanging.
  4. Cut off any excess string.
  5. Repeat steps to create more ornaments.

Step 2: Hang Christmas tree decorations

Close-up shot of a Christmas tree with blush, white, and, metallic ornaments
  1. Place the gold berry picks, spreading them evenly throughout the tree.
  2. Weave the ribbon in between branches in a downward direction.
  3. Hang blush, pink, white, gold, and vintage ornaments for a full effect.
  4. Add the tree topper to finish off the look.

Tip: To fit your tree’s compact branches, break a whole pick into several smaller pieces.

Turn a slim Christmas tree into a stunning centerpiece with these stylish decorating ideas. For more Christmas tree inspirations, visit our gallery.

Read our guide for expert decorating tips and browse Balsam Hill’s wide selection of slim artificial Christmas trees today.

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