How To Decorate A Real Christmas Tree – The Best Tips And Tricks!

If you have never decorated a fake Christmas tree before then you might be wondering if it’s any different from decorating a real Christmas tree.

Now there are a few tips that can apply for both a fake and a real Christmas tree. But I believe there are certain things that a real Christmas tree needs!

So today I am sharing some tips and tricks that I have learned in the past few years in decorating a real Christmas tree!

REAL CHRISTMAS TREE: LIGHT TIPS

If you are used to decorating a prelit Christmas tree then putting up your own lights for the first time can be a little daunting. And I’ll admit, it’s not my favorite part of decorating the tree. But with practice, it becomes easier every year!

Let There Be Light!

My first and most important tip regarding your tree lights is to GET MORE than you think you need. Trust me, this will save you time and money on gas because otherwise, you WILL end up going back to the store to buy more of the same lights! That is if they haven’t run out of them!

So google how many lights your tree needs, usually they say about a string of lights for every foot of your tree. I say, take that number and add 4!

I used about 13 strings of lights on a 9-foot tree a couple of years ago, (and I ended up having to go back to the store twice)!

This year our tree is 7 feet tall and I added 10 strings of lights!

Lights Installation

Check the box of lights you purchase to make sure how many lights you can attach together. Some boxes say up to 5 sets, some say up to 8 sets, etc.

So what do you do if you need to put more lights than the boxes permit?

Simply do half of your tree from top to bottom in one set, and the other half in another set.

I added 5 strings of lights on one half of the Christmas tree and 5 more on the other half (starting from the bottom up on both sets).

I connected both of those ends to an extension cord that was then connected to a “TREEMOTE” so that I could turn the lights on and off with a remote.

This is not necessary but very convenient. Plus you will soon find out how much a real Christmas tree can shed when moved! This way you avoid needles on the floor every time you want to turn on your lights!

REAL CHRISTMAS TREE: TOPPER

The very first thing you should put on your Christmas tree is your topper! Because once all of your ornaments are added it will be difficult to get to the top of the tree without knocking them down.

Cut The Top Branch First

Real Christmas trees are not perfect. They are wild with free. And they normally have an extra-long branch on the top. If you place your topper on it, it will seem to be much higher than the rest of the decorations on your tree.

So make sure to cut down the top branch of your Christmas tree enough for the topper to be near the rest of the decorations.

Add A Little Pizazz To Your Star

If you are using a star as your topper then it might still look a little bare up there. I like to add some simple picks below the star, pointing towards it, making kind of an upside-down triangle to frame it a bit.

I do this step last though in order to see how it would look with all of the decorations on the tree.

REAL CHRISTMAS TREE: PICKS

I’ve learned a valuable lesson when working with real Christmas trees in the past few years and it’s that LESS IS MORE!

Picks are usually meant to fill up the empty spaces in your Christmas tree. But a real Christmas shouldn’t be covered too much! You WANT to see its natural beauty!

I used super simple and minimal picks this year. Just enough to add a little interest and variety, but not to overwhelm or hide my tree.

REAL CHRISTMAS TREE: RIBBON VS GARLAND

Speaking of LESS IS MORE! My number one tip for decorating your real Christmas tree: Don’t use ribbon!

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE ribbon! But ribbon looks a lot better on perfectly shaped, fake Christmas trees.

And not to say it can’t look good on a real Christmas tree!

But a lot of ribbons can sometimes make your real Christmas tree look like you tried too hard.

So use garland instead of ribbon! Garlands have a flowy, imperfect way about them that just go great with real Christmas trees!

I got a variety of bead garlands and it turned out great!

Note: I have included links to my Christmas decor below!

If you must use ribbon, consider tying your ribbon to the tips of your branches! This is a popular trend right now and it’s minimalistic! So it can go great with a real Christmas tree as well!

REAL CHRISTMAS TREE: ORNAMENTS

When decorating any Christmas tree, whether it be real or fake, you need to pick a theme!

It’s sooooo tempting to buy all of the beautiful ornaments you see in stores…but then you get home and you realize that nothing really matches.

So pick a theme BEFORE you go shopping!

And in fact, look through your own stuff before you go shopping as well. We tend to buy similar things each year that we gravitate towards so you might already have a lot of the ornaments you are looking for!

How To Add Your Theme

Pick 2 to 3 main colors from your theme. About 70-80% of your Christmas tree should be in these colors. Then add a complimenting color for the other 20-30%.

For example, my theme is rustic glam with reindeer accents.

BONUS: Check out my DIY Dollar Tree Rustic Glam Christmas Decor!

My main colors are gold and silver, which is the GLAM part.

And my complimenting colors are burlap brown, to tone down the glam with a little rustic touch.

My actual theme is reindeers. So I added a few of those throughout the tree.

Keep in mind that your Christmas tree theme should also match the rest of the decor in your home. Consistency in your home and your decor is very important!

HOW TO CREATE BALANCE ON A REAL CHRISTMAS TREE

Everyone knows the key to a good Christmas tree is creating the perfect balance of ornaments. But I would say even more so for a REAL Christmas tree!

Simply because real Christmas trees are naturally misshapen and unbalanced! You want to bring back some symmetry with your ornaments and decorations.

Size Matters!

As you would do for a fake Christmas tree, add the smaller ornaments on the top half of the tree and the larger ornaments towards the bottom half.

You don’t want to stuff your tree but you should fill in any big gaps with ornaments. Use the larger ornaments in the empty spaces of your real Christmas tree.

Make sure to stick some ornaments further in, even if you can’t really see them. This will add layers and depth to your tree.

Keep Your Shape!

Another way to bring back some balance to a real Christmas tree is to make sure you add the ornaments in an A shape down your tree.

Don’t put ornaments too far out on the tips of your branches because you will lose the natural A shape of the tree. Let the only things sticking out of the tree BE those larger wild branches!

TREE SKIRT VS TREE COLLAR

Once you have your tree all decorated it’s time to dress it up with a skirt or a collar!

Now you can choose either one for a real Christmas tree but there are a few factors to take into consideration.

Tree Skirt

A tree skirt is beautiful and traditional.

But remember that you will need a tree stand that holds water for your real Christmas tree. And these can be big and bulky at times.

Not to mention, the screws that attach to your tree stump will most likely stick out a bit, depending on the width of your tree trunk.

A skirt might highlight all of those bumpy edges, making it look odd.

One way to help hide the odd shape of your tree stand underneath is to use folded tissue paper. This way you can kind of give it your own, softer shape.

Another thing to take into consideration is the size of your tree skirt. You will need a large tree skirt because most of its length will be eaten up by having to cover the tree stand. It will not be flat on the floor!

Also, note that you might need to remove the skirt every time you water your tree. And every once in a while you should shake off any needles that might fall on it to keep it looking nice and clean.

Tree Collar

A tree collar is very easy and convenient. But you still need to take into account the size of your tree stand to make sure it fits around it!

A tree collar can go very well with a real Christmas tree because it has such a simple look to it. And I find simple to be the key factor in real Christmas tree decor!

Tree collars also add a touch of realness to the tree, making it seem like the collar is part of the tree, like the tree trunk!

Conclusion:

Get whatever you want!

I didn’t go for a tree collar because I already had the perfect tree skirt that matched the rest of the Christmas decor in my home.

And therefore it was the perfect choice for me!

Pin It For Later! The Best Tips And Tricks To Decorating A Real Christmas Tree!

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My Christmas Tree Decor:

Rustic Glam Star Topper (similar)

White Berry Picks

Bead Garland 1

Bead Garland 2

Wool Garland 3

Gold And Silver Ornament Set (similar)

Large Ornaments:

Silver Ornaments

Disco Balls

Ornaments

Merry Christmas Wood Ornament (similar)

Deer Heads

Antlers

Furry Reindeer

Wood Glitter Balls

Felt Acorns

Burlap Poinsettia Picks

White Glitter Picks Around Tree Topper

Tree Skirt (similar)

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