20 Stunning Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

For many people, decorating is a favorite part of the holiday season that they look forward to every year.

There is no “right” and “wrong” way of decorating when it comes to a Christmas tree because everybody has their own style, preferences, and tastes. If you are looking for inspiration on how to deck the centerpiece of the festive celebrations, however, here are some fabulous ideas that will help create a spectacularly decorated tree.

Faux flowers are a lovely way to create a soft, yet dramatic, effect on your tree without spending a fortune. Silk flowers in soft pastel and cream shades, like magnolias, orchids, and roses will look great with a snowy color scheme. To attach faux flowers, just wrap their floral wire around the branches or use floral string lights.

Purple has always been known as the color of royalty, so bring a royal touch to your by decorating your tree in rich purple and violet shades. Purple is a bold color that pairs well with other Christmas colors such as gold and sparkling silver.

Purple gives you plenty of variety when it comes to decorating for Christmas. You can add it to almost any tree—traditional, white and even to a black tree. Black trees look very sleek and dramatic with deep purple baubles and contemporary ornaments.

While you can't always have snow on Christmas, you can create a winter wonderland indoors. Outfit a standard tree with a thick snow blanket to remind you of the winters of your childhood or the winter trips to the mountains. To create a convincing effect, lay lengths of rolled cotton along the branches of your tree and then sprinkle crystal snow over the cotton.

Another way to bring the winter wonderland indoors and make a flocked tree special is to add charming snowy owl ornaments to the branches.

Although red, blue or orange Christmas trees are practically unheard of, they can be a stunning addition to your Christmas décor. Give a colored tree an interesting, designer look, with simple, white or clear ornaments like snowflakes, stars, and baubles.

A white faux tree is a perfect canvas for a glam holiday centerpiece. Keep it simple with just a string of sparkling lights or go overboard with shiny baubles and trinkets that truly show your style.

This is a very homey, warm, and cozy theme that makes you think of log cabins, wood fires, and snow. To achieve the rustic, country look, get inspired by the outdoors and consider decorating with pine cones, branches, straw, raffia, and burlap. You can also use handmade Christmas decorations, vintage ornaments, and antique toys.

For a tree that's both rustic and festive, liven it up with garlands made entirely of pine cones. For a more natural look, leave the pine cones unadorned and combine them with red cardinal birds or winter berries. The best thing is that the natural, country-home-style decorations are easy and cheap to make.

These beautiful handmade ornaments will pop against the dark green branches of the tree and make it look unique. Delicate paper or crochet snowflakes will create a magical snowfall effect. Complete the snowy effect by adding other simple ornaments, such as bells and small glittery balls.

Combinations of contrasting colors such as orange and green will make your tree stand out. Keep the ornaments and garlands in the same color tone and texture to create a tailored look. And if you want to be a little non-traditional, consider combining the orange-colored ornaments with dried orange or lemon slices. Nothing smells better than fresh oranges mixed with evergreens around Christmas.

White brings a dreamy, white, winter feel to the home and is perfect for displaying special ornaments or just enhancing a favorite color. Besides being beautiful, they are also very easy to decorate. These trees go well with almost any color.

A simple white tree adorned with bright blue ornaments makes a big statement. Blue is a natural winter color complement for white, but you can also pick the color you love the most, or that best suits your current décor.

White trees, decked in black and white or monochromatic color schemes deviate a bit from tradition but give a home a fancier look that can't be achieved with a traditional green tree. They complement very well lofts and bright, modern spaces.

Pink trees can also look glamorous and chic. You have to be very careful in choosing the colors of the ornaments because a very busy color palette can make the tree look kitschy. Some of the most appropriate colors for a pink tree are white, silver, gold and blue. These colors highlight its beauty and do not take the visual interest away from the tree itself. A pink tree is fun and perfect for a little girl's room.

Personalize your tree with homemade craft ornaments and garlands. Recycling small felt or paper pieces is a great way to save money on decorations.

The crafty tree theme is very easy to do and is pretty inexpensive. Cut simple ornaments, such as stars, from gold, silver and red cardstock in two different sizes. Hang the ornaments on the tree with loops of red thread or ribbon, and finish off the decoration with small, traditional candles.

A simple handmade garland can add an instant pop of color and rich texture to a tree. A tree adorned with nothing more than red and white garland will add the perfect homemade touch to your holiday décor. Sometimes less is more, particularly when you are working with bold colors.

One might think that black trees are a little too sad or depressing, but if decorated in a simple way, they can be really chic and fun. They go best with rich metallic decorations and colors such as gold, silver, white, and purple.

Black trees are certainly not for everyone but are ideal for people who want to decorate their houses uniquely for the Christmas day.

Traditional trees always work well, no matter what style of home you have. Combine the classic Christmas colors—red, white, and green—with unusual, modern elements, such as small frames or zebra-patterned ribbons, for a beautiful and professional-looking tree.

Tree wall decals or stickers are especially great when space is limited. They can add a dash of festive fun to the holiday décor of any small apartment. Tree decals take up no space and are easy to assemble. Depending on their design, they can even be decorated with pretty ornaments, hung on tiny wall hooks.

“Flatback” or “half” trees are another elegant solution to small spaces. They look full from the front, with plenty of branches to decorate, but have a flat back that can be pushed up against the wall.

Unconventional, modern decorations are more of contemporary art pieces than festive. They are unique, rare and perfect for city dwellers or suburbanites who favor modern décor.

This amazing tree below is made from a conical arrangement of concentric hoops and features chandelier crystals, illusion film ornaments, glass bulbs, battery-powered rotating disco ball, and floor lamp which casts beautiful shadows on walls and ceilings.

Oversized ornaments are ideal for large living rooms and make a huge impact. To make them work, you need a coordinated color scheme, large topper, and some small ornaments. Oversized ornaments and decorations usually cost a bit more, but there are also cheaper, homemade alternatives, such as 3D paper stars, that will look equally elegant and stunning.

Clear glass icicle ornaments have the ability to transform ordinary centerpieces into a sparkling, glittering icy tree, and add a cozy, wintry element to the holiday décor. A tree, covered with sparkling icicles and monochromatic ornaments in shiny and matte finishes, will work its magic with shape and texture.

Show your love for the beach and ocean with a nautical-themed tree. Ornaments that reflect the nautical theme are seashells, dried sea stars, rope, ship wheels, and anchors.

A centerpiece adorned with nautical ornaments in navy blue, light blue and white colors will look gorgeous in a coastal home or a casual sunroom.

Vintage aluminum trees are a nostalgic alternative to the usual live tree. They are, however, something that people either really like or hate. When decorated with taste, aluminum trees can be very sophisticated-looking and stylish. Ornaments that create a monochromatic palette will look best on them. The nice thing about aluminum trees is that they sparkle on their own and there is no need to put lights on them.

Decorate with edible ornaments that are both delicious and inexpensive. Dough ornaments are fun to make, not to mention a great project to do with the kids. Adorn your tree with decorated cookies in the shapes of snowflakes, animals or gingerbread men. Add ribbon candy, gumdrops, and other old-fashioned candies that people can eat right off the tree. An edible theme is something that can become a tradition in a family.