Modern Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas 2011

candy cane christmas tree and presents

Credit: Adam Albright

Whether coastal, snow-covered, or Charlie Brown-approved, these Christmas tree theme ideas are sure to make your home all the more merry. We'll help you find your true Christmas tree style and show you ways to flaunt your family's personality from skirt to star. Bonus: We've included lighting tips to make your Christmas decorations really shine.

Out of the Woods Tree

christmas tree with pinecones

Credit: David A. Land

Fresh off the tree farm, this glowing pine dazzles with metallic baubles and homemade pinecone ornaments. The real star of the show, though? A folded kraft paper star coated in gold leaf. Who knew! Use chunky outdoor lights to give this woodsy Christmas tree theme an authentic look.

Retro Christmas Tree

white christmas tree and presents

Credit: Adam Albright

Take a cue from holiday's past for this year's Christmas tree theme. A simple flocked-white Christmas tree is the perfect canvas for vintage Christmas decorations—you can even make your own flocked tree if you don't want to buy one. Look for fun ornaments like mercury glass, globes, and faux candles in shades of baby blue, pink, and silver.

Traditional Rustic Christmas Tree

cabin themed christmas tree

Credit: Michael Partenio

Bring a cozy cabin vibe to your home by decking out your Christmas tree in traditional favorites. Red ribbon garland, pinecone stars, and woodland creature ornaments make for a rustic scheme. Add plaid details, like wrapping paper and Christmas tree ribbons, to complete the look in a way that's both classic and on-trend.

Gold Christmas Tree

gold christmas tree with stars

Credit: Adam Albright

Want to make a statement this year? Go for a glitzy gold Christmas tree. To get this look, use a simple flocked or white Christmas tree ($88, Wayfair) and top it with oversize gold stars and metallic ball ornaments. Add a geometric star tree topper for the finishing touch.

Collected Memories Christmas Tree

christmas tree with ornaments

Credit: David Land

Spend time reflecting with a collected memories Christmas tree theme. Prepare well ahead of time by pulling your oldest ornaments out of storage or asking family members to send you some of theirs. Add ornaments from your parents or your grandparents and make an entire day out of decorating the tree, telling stories about the ornaments as you go.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Worried you missed a spot? Step back from the Christmas tree and look at it with your eyes crossed. Where you see dark holes, rearrange Christmas lights, and fill in voids.

Birds of a Feather Christmas Tree

christmas tree with doves

Credit: Werner Straube

When you love a Christmas tree theme, don't shy away from making a big statement. Glowing jewel tones are used throughout the ornaments but are the most impressive in the giant bow tree topper. Mixing in soft white bird Christmas decorations is a fun touch that highlights what this homeowner loves.

Candy Cane Christmas Tree

candy cane christmas tree and presents

Credit: Adam Albright

Get inspired by the season's signature candy! Red and white striped ribbon is the perfect Christmas decoration for this classic tree. Round out the look with colorful glass ball ornaments in a variety of coordinating hues.

Glowing Gold and Green Christmas Tree

gold christmas tree

Credit: David Tsay

When you love a specific color scheme, your decorating philosophy should be "the more the merrier." Pretty twinkling lights, shiny gold and green ornaments, and kid-friendly DIY garland are finished off with a sprinkling of artificial snow. A unique and eye-catching tree topper is the perfect final touch.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Thin out branches before decorating to make each light and ornament have more presence.

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Christmas tree next to white sofa with gifts

Credit: Jay Wilde

You don't have to wait for your favorite Christmas special to see a bare tree become beautiful. Fill in this sparse fir tree with green and blue Christmas tree decorations, such as globe ornaments and a braided garland ($21, Wayfair). Just be careful not to take it over the top. Minimalism is where it's at—especially when holiday decorating for a small space.

Floral Christmas Tree

gray armchair next to christmas tree decorated with flowers

Credit: Adam Albright

Start with faux flowers for a sweet-as-can-be Christmas look. We love the floral Christmas tree trend. Ornaments include basic bulbs in pastel colors. Use a flocked tree so the colors of the flowers stand out.

Family Christmas Tree

Christmas tree with handmade ornaments

Credit: Tria Giovan

Celebrate the ones you love most with a sentimental Christmas tree. Create handmade ornaments with your children's silhouettes and hang them on a fresh evergreen tree. You can even add DIY handprint ornaments for an extra special touch. Keep the rest of the Christmas decorations simple in shades of white and gray.

Mix-and-Match Tree

Christmas tree through doorway

Credit: David A. Land

The best part about Christmas tree theme ideas? There are no rules! This tall stunner is dressed to the nines in mix-and-matched ornaments and keeps its aesthetic by sticking to a saturated color palette. Avoid a busy look with a simple Christmas tree ribbon, topper, and Christmas tree skirt.

Fun for the Kids Christmas Tree

small christmas tree with handmade ornaments

Credit: Helen Norman

For a Christmas tree that's special to your family and one-of-a-kind, decorate with handmade treasures and homemade monogram ornaments representing each relative. Art projects, sentimental ornaments, and lots of fun color make this tree unique. Want an unexpected touch? Try placing the tree in a rustic basket instead of opting for the usual Christmas tree skirt.

Bold and Graphic Christmas Tree

white and red Christmas tree

Credit: Jay Wilde

A white Christmas tree becomes a bold statement when done up in bright red, silver, and clear decorations. Wrap presents in graphic black-and-white patterns (if you dont' have any, make your own stamped wrapping paper!) for continuity in theme that adds to the overall look.

Candy-Coated White Christmas Tree

small white christmas tree with candy ornaments

Need a fun kid's Christmas tree? This fun unicorn-theme mini tree is the perfect fit! Decorate a mini white Christmas tree with candy-theme ornaments and a handmade unicorn ornament. Give it a little sparkle with shimmery tinsel or garland.

Scandinavian Christmas Tree

living room decorated for christmas

Credit: Frances Janisch

Red and white, the classic Scandinavian Christmas colors, star on this cozy tree. Use a variety of Christmas decorations to achieve the look, but keep it consistent by choosing only items in red and white.

Glitter Christmas Tree

Credit: Helen Norman

Instead of the expected green tree, go for a fun tinsel tree ($28, West Elm). This tabletop Christmas tree sparkles in a bare living room. Decorate yours with mini glass globe ornaments in a variety of shades.

Coastal Christmas Tree

Credit: David Tsay

Embrace a warm-weather vibe—even if temps are more "brrrr" than beachy. Starfish, seashells, and other coastal-theme ornaments adorn this coastal Christmas tree for a cheery and fun look. Add some personalization by hanging monograms.

Colorful Christmas Tree

christmas tree with snowflake ornaments

Credit: Michael Partenio

Choose a fun pop of color to be the guide for your Christmas tree decorations. If you have an accent color in your home, try mirroring it in your ornament choices. Here, pink contrasts with snowy white Christmas tree decorations for a chill look that nicely complements existing decor.

Sparkly Jewel Tone Christmas Tree

Credit: Jay Wilde

Create a tree that's luminous but serene. Christmas tree ribbon in a variety of jewel tones provides rich-looking color, while silver glitter ornaments add sparkle. The end result is a sophisticated Christmas tree that quietly shines.

Photo Tag Christmas Tree

The holidays are all about family, and this Christmas tree from Cottage in the Oaks celebrates your most cherished memories with DIY photo ornaments. Print black-and-white or sepia-tone photos and glue them atop plain paper shipping tags. The rest of the decorated Christmas tree is simple, keeping the focus on the photos.

White-on-White Christmas Tree Theme

The retro white Christmas tree has returned! Go for an all-white artificial tree and stick to only silver and white Christmas tree decorations, like this tree from Craftberry Bush. If you aren't quite ready to go all the way with this trend, purchase a mini white Christmas tree instead and style it with white decorations to make a smaller statement on an entryway table or buffet.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Use three 100-light sets per foot for a fresh Christmas tree, and 50-light strands for an artificial one.

Gilded Gold Christmas Tree

Get the metallic look by adding nothing but gold to your Christmas tree, like this one from Style Your Senses. Start by creating a foundation with gold ball ornaments, then fill in with gold starbursts, gilded "Joy to the World" garland, and figurines. For added effect, first lay all the ornaments on a drop cloth and spray with a layer of glitter paint. Let dry before hanging and you're golden.

Fits Right In Tree

small living room with christmas tree

Credit: Brie Williams

An easy way to bring the room together while still feeling festive? Carry the room's color scheme and textures into the tree. Adorned with golden Christmas tree lights, a white pom-pom garland, and white Christmas tree decorations, this tree is just the right amount of cool and cozy.

Green Plaid Christmas Tree

green silver and gold christmas tree decor

Credit: Adam Albright

To achieve a similar look, blend traditional Christmas favorites, such as gold, green, and silver ornament balls, with whimsical embellishments like a green ribbon garland and buffalo check-wrapped gifts.

Family Photos Christmas Tree

Credit: John Bessler

Photocopy pictures, glue them to silver paper, and frame them with rickrack and other trims to turn your Christmas tree into a family scrapbook. Fill the boughs with small apples, kumquats, and vintage-style ornaments.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Pick lights in a color that matches your key ornaments (in this case, orange). That way they enhance the color scheme rather than draw away from it.

Neutral Christmas Tree

Who says neutral Christmas decorations can't stand out? Drenched in golden, copper, bronze, and cream-color hues, this twinkly tree boasts traditional Christmas beauty. Deck the tree with white Christmas lights, a gold-bead garland, copper and gold ornament balls, golden starfish, delicate off-white paper flowers, and wooden ornaments. For final touches, add a majestic crown-shape tree topper and decorate the Christmas tree skirt with brown paper-wrapped packages.

Editor's Lighting Tip: If your artificial tree is not prelit, wrap miniature Christmas lights securely around the branches so you can permanently attach them to the tree. Light each section separately. Don't cross-sections or points of assembly with light strands—sections will no longer come apart easily.

Colorful Christmas Tree

Dare to be different! Make yours a unique Christmas tree by incorporating colorful Christmas ornaments instead of the expected traditional red and green ones. With white lights, a wispy gossamer garland, bright felt ornaments hung from polka-dot Christmas tree ribbon, and handwritten Christmas greetings, this Christmas tree feels youthful and fun.

Red-and-White Christmas Tree

Living room decorated for Christmas with tree and wood

Credit: Jay Wilde

A burlap garland and homemade accents give this traditional red-and-gold Christmas tree gusto. Soft white lights, natural twine ornaments, and sprigs of plastic holly look fancy and festive, while the farmhouse accents add a distinctly modern feel.

Editor's Lighting Tip: If your Christmas tree can only be seen from one direction, string all the Christmas lights on that side of the tree.

Bold Christmas Tree

christmas tree with presents

Credit: Ann VanderWiel Wilde

Three colors star on this creative Christmas tree. Start with a natural wood bead garland. Add Christmas decorations in shades of red and black for maximum impact. We love the look of handmade chalkboard ornaments.

Related: How to Decorate a Christmas Tree in 3 Easy Steps

Paper Stars Christmas Tree

This Christmas tree is an all-star! Simple blue, red, yellow, and purple homemade paper ornaments, decorated and strung from colorful ribbons on a Christmas tree, look friendly and festive. Multicolor Christmas lights and a printed-ribbon tree topper add more color to this easily crafted Christmas tree theme.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Small twinkly lights and colored lights make more of an impact when you layer several strands and pair them with reflective ornaments.

Red, Silver, and Gold Christmas Tree

This radiant Christmas tree shimmers so sweetly it looks sugarcoated. Rather than scattering glittery red, silver, and gold ornament balls evenly throughout the Christmas tree, place them in clusters on the same branch. Delicate butterfly ornaments with sparkly gold outlines, plastic gold candles, and simple snowflake ornaments fill in the gaps. Top the tree with an oversize, elaborate red-and-gold bow with fluttering tails.

Editor's Lighting Tip: To illuminate your unique Christmas tree from the inside out, string lights around the base of the trunk and work your way up the tree, wrapping individual branches from the trunk to the tip of the branch and back.

Blue-and-White Christmas Tree

Christmas tree in corner of room with gold, blue, and white theme

Credit: Jay Wilde

This little snowman must have worked hard on this blue-and-white Christmas tree theme idea. Bedecked with blue and white Christmas tree decorations such as ornament balls, and overlapping white garlands, this Christmas tree theme is beautifully busy.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Use Christmas lights all of the same wattage. This will prevent power surges and prolong the life of the bulbs.

American Pride Christmas Tree

Credit: Perry L. Struse

Let your true colors show by decorating your Christmas tree in patriotic red, white, and blue holiday decor. The all-American look adapts well to December or July!

Editor's Lighting Tip: Watch ads closely for the best sales on Christmas lights as it gets closer to tree decorating time, and be open to where you shop for Christmas lights—the hardware store, grocery store, and crafts store are all good places to get your lights.

Black-and-White Silhouette Christmas Tree

Tree with framed silhouettes

Credit: John Granen

Use old-fashioned framed silhouettes in a fresh, updated way—like Christmas tree decorations. Hang them on the tree with green Christmas tree ribbon, then embellish with silver mementos and sprigs of faux white berries to complete the classic look.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Match the color of your Christmas lights with the color of your ornaments to create a classy, monochromatic look for your Christmas tree theme.

Mitten and Ice Skates Christmas Tree

tree with mittens and ice skates

Credit: Greg Scheidemann

Celebrate the signs of winter by filling the boughs of your Christmas tree with mittens and ice skates in coordinating colors. Wire the skates sturdily to the trunk and space them evenly to balance the tree.

Editor's Lighting Tip: The best way to untangle Christmas tree lights is by winding the strands on your arm, making sure that you don't pull on any of the bulbs while unwinding. Before you start untangling, plug in the strand of lights to see which bulbs need to be replaced—don't wait until the lights are on the tree to find out which lights don't work!

Sparkling Starfish Christmas Tree

green flowers and starfish christmas tree

Credit: Alise O'Brien

What better time to recall balmy summer days on the beach than in the chilling depths of winter? Outfit a standard Christmas tree with glittering starfish and simple green flowers to remind you of the warmer days to come.

Editor's Lighting Tip: The best way to store Christmas tree lights is to wrap them on your arm when taking them down and secure the finished circle with a tie in the middle. If you saved the original box, slip them around the cardboard that came with your lights and store them in the box. Manual and motorized coils that are specifically made to store Christmas tree lights are another option for light storage.

Little Presents Christmas Tree

Christmas tree with red and white packages

Credit: Marty Baldwin

Who says presents have to go under the tree? With these simple gift-box ornaments, there are plenty of presents to go around. For an extra surprise on Christmas morning, use one of the ornaments for a small Christmas gift.

Editor's Lighting Tip: For a fun Christmas tree theme idea, pick up some lights that put on a show, such as LED lights that blink to the tune of popular Christmas carols or just on their own.

Miniature Village Christmas Tree

christmas tree with ornaments

Credit: Adam Albright

Hang tiny cardboard houses, churches, and other buildings on the tree to give the appearance of a little village set on a mountainside. These miniature houses are reproductions of ornaments made in the 1920s and 1930s. Some of these ornaments include an opening in the back for tree lights, allowing the village to be illuminated.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Green Christmas tree lights add subtlety to a holiday evergreen. Decorate with green and silver ornament balls to complete the look.

Family Heritage Christmas Tree

Scandinavian Christmas Tree

Credit: John Reed Forsman

Decorate your tree to reflect your family heritage. Here, Swedish and Danish flag garlands mix with straw, felt, wood, and glass ornaments to dress the unique Christmas tree in a Scandinavian theme.

Editor's Lighting Tip: For a bold look on your Christmas tree, try decorating with bigger lights. Bigger lights cover more area, so lessen the number of ornaments you use so your tree isn't too crowded.

Blanket of Snow Tree

Credit: Timothy C. Fields

To create a convincing effect of thick snow, lay lengths of rolled cotton along the branches of your tree. Then sprinkle crystal snow over the cotton. Take it one step further by layering it it atop your Christmas tree skirt.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Create the same snowy effect for your Christmas lights by sprinkling faux snow on top of the strands once they're hung on the tree.

Silver Sparkle Christmas Tree

white christmas tree with green and metallic ornaments next to desk

Credit: Adam Albright

If your holidays are all sparkle and shine, you can't go wrong decking a tree in giant silver Christmas ornaments, green globes, and a galvanized tree collar for a dramatic effect.

Editor's Lighting Tip: Plug your Christmas tree lights into a special dimmer outlet so you can raise or lower the lights depending on the holiday mood you want to create.

Artsy Christmas Tree

Credit: Kate Sears

Here's a Christmas tree theme idea: Swap your usual ornaments and instead display homemade artwork. Hole-punch sweet drawings and crafts created over the years, then let the little ones string and hang upon the tree. Fill in the gaps with kid-approved candy canes for a sweet finish!

Sparse Christmas Tree

Credit: David Tsay

Next time you're buying a Christmas tree, don't overlook those with sparse branches. They make a striking minimalist statement and allow your Christmas decorations to shine. Decorate it with a mix of handmade ornaments and purchased baubles.

Frozen Tree

Credit: Kim Cornelison

Decorate a Christmas tree even Elsa would approve of. Start with a silver artificial tree, then watch it come to life with gold Christmas lights, a heaping of glittering tinsel, and ornaments in various blue hues. A white fur Christmas tree skirt is the perfect snowy finish.

Up Next