Have Yourself a Stylish Little Christmas with Christmas Tree Décor Essentials

Your Christmas tree is the centerpiece of your holiday décor and traditions and a shining symbol of the holiday season. Since Christmas trees are such an important and grounding item in your holiday home, we believe that it should represent you and your family’s personal style. 

You might love a color-coordinated tree or one featuring an eclectic and fun ornament collection. Regardless of how you decorate it, your Christmas tree should spread joy and reflect your family’s favorite design elements and interests. 

 

 

The Importance of a Christmas Tree

 

 

Your Christmas tree tells the story of your family’s life and makes for a beautiful focal point and gathering place in your home. Our family gifts and receives commemorative ornaments each year that represent our accomplishments, memories, interests, milestones, and more. We like to feature a combination of style and personalization with our ornaments when designing our Christmas tree. That way, when the tree is ready for the holiday season, it showcases the accomplishments of each family member {and looks beautiful}.

We also like to add other holiday décor, like tree skirts and tree toppers, that bring in more special memories to our tree. With all of these components adding to the natural beauty of the Christmas tree, it really becomes a beacon of light and warmth during the holidays.  

 

 

Johnson Family Tree Traditions

 

Our family loves to have festive tree trimming traditions that get us in the mood for the holiday season each year. Since our personalized and commemorative ornaments are so special to us, we make a purposeful effort to turn our tree decorating session into a meaningful activity rather than a box to check on the to-do list. 

While our tree decorating parties can look different every year, with our family now spread all over the South, we still emphasize togetherness and memory. We love to gather those we can attend, nibble on some small bites or eat takeout, sip on hot chocolate out of our favorite mugs, and trim the tree. We crank up the holiday tunes or put on a beloved Christmas movie in the background to enhance the holiday atmosphere. No matter who decorates the tree, our family is always there through their ornaments – or on video call. 

 

When Should You Put Up Your Christmas Tree?

 

 

There is often a lot of debate about when the right time is to set up your Christmas tree. Many wait until the day or week after Thanksgiving, but some do it way before. We like to put our Christmas tree up after Thanksgiving so we can savor each holiday on its own, but it is completely up to you to decide when and how you’re going to put up your tree and get into the Christmas spirit. 

You should also consider what type of Christmas tree {or trees} you are going to use and decide where to put it {or them}. If you are setting up a fake Christmas tree, like our lovely, festive Tinsel tree, then you can put it up whenever it feels right to you. Real trees involve a little bit more planning, as they only last for a certain amount of time, and you don’t want yours to dry out before the big day. 

 

 

Fundamental Parts of Decorating Your Tree from Trunk to Tip

 

Don’t be afraid to try out fun styles that feel true to you when trimming your Christmas tree. Whether that means pom pom or popcorn garlands, bright tree skirts, or neutral décor to let the tree shine, we encourage everyone to decorate their trees with trimmings that put them in the holiday spirit.  

While it is completely up to you to decide what décor you use, we like to decorate our Christmas tree in this order:

• Lights
• Tree skirt
• Ornaments
• Decorative accessories (if you decide to use any)
• Tree topper

Christmas Lights for the Tree

 

 

The lights on your tree can make your home feel warm and bright during Christmas time. Decide whether you want to use warm white lights on your tree for a classic and festive look or colored lights for cozy, vintage charm. Before you start to adorn your tree, plug the lights into an outlet to make sure they work – especially if you dug them out of a storage box. You don’t string all the lights up only to find a short after the fact. 

There are a few different ways to string lights onto your Christmas tree:

• Horizontal wrap: start at the top and wind the strands down and horizontally around the tree – tuck as you wrap to give the lights some depth and variety
• Vertical wrap: start at the top and work the lights down and up in columns – tucking them behind and bringing them forward so there aren’t obvious strips of light
• Wrapped branches: start at the top with a horizontal wrap, but choose some branches to start at the trunk and wrap the lights down to their tips and back – while time-consuming, this is a sure way to make a striking Christmas tree
• Triangle wrap: section your tree into three or more triangles and wrap your tree within the triangles – you can either make an outline and then fill it or just wrap in a triangle motion; just make sure not to overlap any lights

 

Christmas Tree Skirts

The tree skirt is the foundation of your tree and a beautiful backdrop for all the presents. When selecting your Christmas tree skirt, consider the colors, materials, and overall style of your holiday decorations. We always place our tree skirt before we start decorating so that as you add ornaments, the fallen needles are conveniently caught. Choose a more classic style like a red striped tree skirt with festive pom poms or one that steals the show with detailed illustrations like our Flying Santa Tree Skirt.

While traditionally cotton or linen blends, other materials are becoming more popular for Christmas tree skirts. Velvet is a smooth and plush material that lends a luxurious element to your Christmas decorations. Enhance your space with a rich red velvet tree skirt, or add a subtle accent with a classic green tree skirt that blends in a bit with your tree. 

 

Red Stripe Tree Skirt With Pom Poms	Red Velvet Tree Skirt With Trim

 

Gold Star Tree Skirt	Flying Santa Tree Skirt

Pine Velvet Tree Skirt With Trim	Red Stripe Tree Skirt

 

Christmas Tree Garlands

Wrap a garland around your Christmas tree to add color and visual interest. These festive strands also work well for filling in bare spots. 

Some of our favorite garlands are our holiday-colored Pom Pom Garland or a shining Gold Star Garland. If you are looking for a playful touch for your tree, mix and match multiple garlands for more color and texture. Great options for this are an iconic tinsel garland or a homemade popcorn garland. 

 

 

Christmas in the Village Pom Pom Garland	Gold Star Garland	Pom Pom Garland

 

Other Decorative Tree Accessories

If the tree still looks like it needs something more, consider bows, bells, and shining tinsel. Bows and bells are great to add in before the ornaments for even spacing. Tinsel can be added before the ornaments to create a lovely backdrop, after for a subtle shimmer at the tips of your decorated branches, or both for maximum sparkle.

 

Ornaments for Your Christmas Tree

The highlight of Christmas tree decorating is adding the ornaments, which tell the story of your life as you place baubles that represent each member of your family and their accomplishments. Ornaments should be spread out throughout the tree. 

We like working top to bottom and evaluating as we add more. Add them evenly to the tree and place them back far enough on the branches to keep them safe and add depth to the décor.

5 Favorite Ornament Additions to Your Christmas Tree

1. Celebration Ornaments – The perfect way to showcase your family’s fun trips, new adventures, and more.  
2. Commemorative Ornaments – Ensure you remember your family’s moments, both big and small. 
3. Religious Ornaments – Emphasize the reason for the season as you add Bible verses and hymn lyrics to your tree. 
4. Hobby and Professions Ornaments – Highlight your family’s extracurriculars and professions as you add to your family’s story. 
5. Wedding and Anniversary Ornaments  – Celebrate a love story from its very beginning.

The Johnson Family Ornament Tradition

Our family has lots of ornament traditions, but our favorite is choosing and personalizing ornaments to represent important milestones in our lives. Each family member chooses an ornament {or two or three} to personalize and show the exciting and meaningful events that have happened in the last year. 

Ways to Personalize an Ornament

It’s no surprise that we love to personalize our ornaments – there are so many unique and fun ways to add an individualized touch to them so that they’re truly unforgettable:

• First or last name 
• Year
• Birth year
• Season’s greetings
• Engagement and wedding announcements
• Birth announcements 
• Addresses
• Meaningful coordinates
• Personal messages

 

 

Add the Tree Topper

Once your tree looks perfect, it’s time for the final decorative piece of your tree {the cherry on top}. Whether you choose a Christmas angel or a festive beaded star, Christmas tree toppers are typically eye-catching and shiny. Consider the size of your tree and style of décor when choosing the perfect Christmas tree topper.

Coordinating Christmas Décor

Spreading holiday cheer doesn’t need to be limited to your Christmas tree. Coordinating your other Christmas décor to match the themes on your tree is a simple but effective way to spread festivity through your entire home. From stockings to hand towels, there are so many designs you can think about when planning the perfect holiday home. 

Hang Your Christmas Stockings

While not on the tree, Christmas stockings are another essential part of holiday décor. Christmas stockings usually hang on the mantle near the tree, but you can get creative with it and use them as an extra opportunity to carry the colors and style of your tree throughout your home. 

We offer an assortment of generously sized stockings in styles to suit any décor, from cozy knit options to classy velvet Christmas stockings. With our functional designs, you’ll be able to choose the ones you love, and Santa will easily be able to fill them with goodies. 

 

Christmas Ornament Displays

Don’t limit your ornaments to your tree. Ornaments can be scattered throughout the home as festive décor or used as a centerpiece on your holiday table. Whether you have a large collection of ornaments that’s been passed through the generations or you’re just starting out, spread them throughout your home as easy Christmas décor in these unique ways:

Decorative Bowl of Ornaments

Fill a medium or large serving bowl with ornaments and place it on your kitchen counter, coffee table, or side table for a festive display of your favorites. Lean into the Christmas theme and use a holiday bowl, like our Christmas in the Village Town Pasta Bowl for a smaller space or our Balsam and Berry Ruffle Best Bowl to hold a lot. For a more subtle decorative accent, use the Signature White Best Bowl for your ornament display. 

Showcase Your Favorites on an Ornament Stand

Ornament stands are available in a variety of colors to suit your unique style while allowing you to show off ornaments wherever you want. We love adding ornaments to our entryway tables, bathroom counters, and even bedrooms. A Green Ornament Stand can be used for the holidays, and a neutral option like our Gold and White Stand blends beautifully with your everyday décor. 

Bonus: You can keep your ornament stand on display throughout the year and change out the ornaments for the season or to display recent accomplishments. 

Use Plates as Festive Home Accents

Display your Christmas serveware to add holiday cheer to your dining room or kitchen. Plate stands are s wonderful way to show off your holiday plates and platters. Choose a neutral gold plate stand and a white plate stand to coordinate with a variety of designs. 

 

Festive Plates to Display

• Gold Star Dinner Plate – a neutral design with a metallic touch, these plates pair beautifully with our O Holy Night Collection 
• Balsam Stripes Ruffle Dinner Plate – perfect for a traditional red and green Christmas theme, this design coordinates with any classic holiday look 
• Flying Santa Rimmed Dinner Plate – this fun, vintage Christmas design brings a pop of color and charm to your other holiday decorations 

Holiday Hand Towels

Festive hand towels can add a merry touch to your kitchen and powder room. Adding themed towels brings Christmas spirit to all parts of your home so you can have function and cheer. Some of our favorite Christmas hand towels are:

• Christmas in the Village Town Small Hand Towel – a hint of mint green adds a surprising touch to your space and pairs wonderfully with the rest of the Christmas in the Village collection
• Christmas in the Village Santa Small Hand Towel – featuring Santa in his sleigh, the white and gold in this design coordinates with any other Christmas décor you have  

Christmas Table Linens

There are a variety of seasonal table linens for any holiday home. You can match our specific Christmas collections for easy pairing, like putting our Balsam and Berry Napkins with the Balsam and Berry Cocktail Napkins, or try mixing it up with our Gold Star Napkins and Flying Santa Cocktail Napkins for a unique look. With so many ways to style them, you can personalize your table to your tastes with table linens. 

Table Accessories for Christmas

Table accessories are another small detail that can up the holiday cheer in your home. Placing our Holly Ruffle Salt and Pepper Shaker Set at the center of your table is a subtle way to bring Christmas spirit to the table, while our Standing Santa Toothpick Holder is not only functional but looks cute. Mix and match small table accessories to find the perfect balance of festivity and style.

Your holiday home décor has the power to amplify your family’s Christmas spirit and cheer. By focusing on trimming your tree to match your style and creating personalized ornament traditions with your loved ones, your tree can become a gathering place and source of warmth in your home, like it is in ours. Make every holiday season one to remember by creating a merry and bright Christmas atmosphere that starts with your tree.