Do you know how to decorate a Christmas tree?

I love to decorate my tree, and I enjoy reading holiday magazines every October to make a beautiful tree.

I love a sparkly Christmas tree. Over the years, I have learned a few tips that enhance this shimmery quality. I start with an artificial tree from Balsam Hill. I learned about them from all my favorite Hallmark Christmas movies, which feature many products from this company.

My tree is several years old but still in great shape. It came pre-lit and is easy to assemble, as it’s in three graduated pieces that fit one on top of the other. It also has a sturdy green stand, which you can see in some photos.

Another feature I love is that the tree cord has a foot pedal, so I can step on it every night rather than crawl under the tree to turn it off and on. (You don’t need an artificial tree to achieve a sparkly look; use a bunch of white lights, and be sure to apply the lights evenly.) The advantage of my tree is that it’s easy, not messy, and consistently beautiful. Here’s a link to my favorite extension cord with the footswitch.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree: Step One

I went to work after the tree was assembled in the stand with the lights on. The first item I added to the tree was a bunch of gold sparkly ribbon bows (see photo above) that I applied to the tree with green wires. The bows stay on from year to year as I wire them on tightly. The gold color reflects the lights and makes the tree appear more lit.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree: Step Two

The next tip is subtle but remarkable. Most trees (even artificial ones) show some of the trunk. On an artificial one, it makes the tree look fake. So I purchased some gold lame fabric from Amazon and cut it into varying strips. I then knotted the various pieces of fabric, as shown in the photo above.

Then, I shoved the swaths among the branches to mask any trunk showing or sparse areas. Again, the gold color and the reflective quality of the lame add a glamorous look to the tree.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree: Step Three (the First Skirt)

I do two things to cover the tree stand. First, I apply a simple gold tree skirt, which looks okay but is one-dimensional.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree: Step Four (the Top Skirt)

Then, to add more magic, I purchased (again from Amazon) some gold organza fabric. I used the whole roll (27 yards!), which seemed like a lot, but since the fabric is so filmy and light, it wasn’t too much. I gently draped this sheer material over the skirt, fluffing it. I love how this looks because it’s so mounded and festive.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree: Step Four

The last steps involved making a plaid-wired ribbon bow with streamers. Here’s how to make a bow. I added a gold sheer wired star.

I hope you love my sparkly tree as much as I do and learned how to decorate a Christmas tree! Some years, this is as far as I decorate. I added more ornaments and balls in other years when the kids were older. This year, I used these gold balls. They are shatterproof, as my grandkids are under six. The ornaments are of varying sizes, which I found so pretty on the tree.

What’s great about this tree is that everything is sturdy and doesn’t take much care to store. For many years, the gold bows and lame strips stayed on when I put the tree away, making the following holiday season even more straightforward. This year, I redid it all so that I could illustrate my post. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below and any tree-trimming tips you have for me. Happy decorating!

Here are clickable photos of all of the items that I used for my very sparkly Christmas tree:

XO,

Dr. Julie