Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas that Spark Joy: A Holiday Home Tour

Christmas tree decorating is one of my favorite ways to bring a little extra joy into the home during the holidays! Today, I’m joining a wonderful group of very talented bloggers to share our homes for the season, an event that runs all week long and features over 35 beautifully decorated spaces. 

There’s something truly magical about creating a tree that sparks joy. Not just for yourself, but for everyone who steps into your home.

In this holiday home tour, I’ll show you how simple touches, personal details, and a little creativity can transform your Christmas tree into a centerpiece that radiates warmth, beauty, and festive cheer!

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Welcome to my Christmas Tree Home Tour

Christmas tree decorating is one of the best ways to bring holiday cheer into your home! 

I have quite a few…

Some may call it excessive…

After many years of collecting ornaments, picks, garlands…and trees,

I now have a decorated Christmas tree in almost every room in our house.

Who are we kidding? This is excessive!

But this excess brings me, my family, and friends such JOY!

Being part of a holiday home tour is such a joyful way to celebrate the season. So sharing a holiday season home tour with you and 35 other bloggers makes Christmas feel even more special!

Every room on our main floor has its own Christmas tree, each with its own personality and style. From the moment you step inside, the holiday spirit is everywhere. 

The twinkle of Christmas lights…

 The sparkle of glass and metallic ornaments…

Flocked trees and green trees to carefully chosen color palettes…

 It’s amazing how a few thoughtful touches can transform a holiday tree into a festive centerpiece that truly sparks joy!

In this post, I’ll give you a peek at each room’s tree and share what makes it special. I’ll also include decorating tips for each, so you can get inspired for your own tree this holiday season. 

From the first step of choosing your tree to mixing different textures, ornaments, and colors, I’ll cover it all. 

Let’s dive in and spark some Christmas joy together!

Living Room: Ralph Lauren-Inspired Christmas Tree

The Ralph Lauren-inspired Christmas tree in our living room is classic, chic, and full of traditional holiday charm. 

The tree is layered with moody, deep colors and elegant ornaments in velvet, plaid, and glass that are nestled deep into the branches. 

Garland in shades of green, pine cones, red berry garlands, and picks fill out the tree, giving it a thick, luxurious feel. 

It sits in a classic garden urn to lift it off the floor and add height, making it a festive centerpiece for the room.

When it comes to Christmas tree lights, I am usually in the “more is more” camp! But for this traditional tree, I kept the tree lights simple and warm. Perfect lighting beside the fireplace.

I think the plaid ornaments might be my favorite!

To complement the tree, the mantel beside it is draped with thick, twisted greenery garland featuring more of the berries and pine cones. (You can’t go wrong with natural elements!)

I built the Ralph Lauren-inspired room by swapping bright, colorful abstract artwork for bold, oversized floral wall art (this was an old, damaged canvas that I wallpapered with a sized wall mural. You can see the project HERE). 

The color palette throughout the space is a rich mix of burgundy red, emerald green, and cobalt blue, with red plaid pillows on the blue chairs.

Brass accents like a leather-trimmed watch and a charming brass mouse add a touch of classic Ralph Lauren style to the room.

Decorating tips for your Ralph Lauren-Inspired Christmas Tree:

• Incorporate unique small touches at the top. Instead of a traditional tree topper, brass jingle bells bring a charming, unexpected finish to this tree.
• Stick to a limited color palette. Using deep, saturated colors like burgundy, emerald, and cobalt creates a cohesive, chic look.
• Mix different textures. Combine velvet, glass, plaid, and metallic ornaments to add visual interest and a luxurious feel.
• Nestle ornaments, greenery, and ribbon into the tree. Layer them deep into the branches instead of letting them dangle for a fuller, more polished tree.
• Use garlands and natural elements. Pine cones, berry garlands, and layered greenery make the tree feel lush and festive.
• Add height with the tree base. A garden urn or pedestal lifts the tree and gives it a stately presence in the room.
• Coordinate the surrounding decor. Tie pillows, mantel garlands, and wall art into the tree’s colors and textures for a cohesive holiday space.

Family Room: Merry and Bright Christmas Tree

​The family room, or the TV room as we so often call it, is where we hang out…a lot.

It is a small room, but it is full of personality. And when filled with family…it positively glows.

We call this tree the Merry and Bright Christmas tree. It is airy, open, and is a great backdrop for playing games or watching TV.

This flocked tree is the perfect canvas for a vibrant pink and blue color palette, complementing the room’s main accent color. 

LED Christmas lights amplify the cheerful hues, making the tree glow from every angle. 

Ornaments are a mix of solid colors and whimsical patterns like stripes and polka dots. Don’t you think they add personality?

To soften the look, I clipped blue velvet bows to the branches, giving the tree a cozy, festive feel. 

Blue and white curtains…a pink chinoiserie ottoman…I love how the tree’s color palette picks up on the other decor in the room. 

And, I love my blue and white chinoiserie pieces…so adding red Christmas berries around decor pieces ties in beautifully with the tree.

Decorating tips for your Merry and Bright Christmas Tree:

1. Choose a playful color palette. Stick to 2–3 main shades (like pink and blue) for a cohesive, merry look.
2. Mix patterns and solids. Stripes, polka dots, and solid ornaments add visual interest and a sense of whimsy.
3. Clip in soft textures. Velvet bows or ribbon add softness and depth to an airy tree.
4. Use LED lights to enhance colors. Bright lights make vibrant ornaments pop and bring the whole tree to life.
5. Hang clear ornaments deep inside the tree. They reflect light from the inside out, adding sparkle and dimension.
6. Balance ornament placement. Spread patterns and solids evenly so one side doesn’t feel heavier than the other.
7. Skip a topper if the tree is busy. Sometimes a tree with lots of color, pattern, and texture doesn’t need a traditional topper to feel complete!

Dining Room: The Upside-Down Tree

The Upside-Down Tree is our family’s favorite Christmas tree, and it’s easy to see why! 

This year, the tree plays beautifully with our new lighter wallpaper, and I added empty wrapped packages to the “top of the tree” to create extra holiday fun without worrying about it toppling over.

Quirky, unique, and full of personality, this artificial tree is always a conversation starter!

I like to stick with the same colorful glass ornaments that dangle from the upside-down branches, letting the ornaments themselves be the star.

Our dining room doubles as a space for casual and formal meals, so I like to have a fun Christmas centerpiece. This year, I layered a red plaid tablecloth (a nod to the Ralph Lauren-inspired living room nearby) and added a large gold lantern filled with a floral arrangement. 

The table is flexible. You can easily set it formally or just stack plates for a quick dinner!

Decorating tips for your Upside Down Tree:

• Set the tree on a tall table. Bring the wide top of the tree up to the ceiling for a dramatic upside-down effect.
• Add packages between the ceiling and the tree. Empty wrapped boxes create a playful, festive look without risk of tipping.
• Tuck the tree by a window. It doubles as a conversation starter for neighbors and guests alike.
• Hang vertical ornaments. Dangling ornaments create a “drippy” look that emphasizes the upside-down style.
• Keep a consistent ornament style. Colorful glass ornaments work best for this type of tree and let the design shine.
• Use the same sightline as a regular tree. Position it near an upright tree to trick the eye and delight your guests.
• Incorporate a festive dining centerpiece. A plaid tablecloth, lantern, or floral arrangement complements the tree and ties the room together.

Kitchen: The Family Favorites Christmas Tree

There’s a perfect little corner in our kitchen that usually holds a giant basket of wooden cutting boards…and, honestly, a floor vac.

But during the holiday season, that corner earns a promotion. It becomes home to our Family Favorites Christmas Tree…a slim little tree we’ve been decorating for over 15 years!

See how I make this slim artificial tree look fuller and realistic every year HERE!

The original lights stopped working long ago, but no worries. Slim trees are the easiest to re-light, and once they’re glowing, this tree becomes the heart of the kitchen.

Since the kitchen is where everyone always gathers, this tree holds all our hodgepodge, well-loved ornaments collected over the years.

So many homemade ornaments, gifted ornaments, and ornaments with stories!

To give a hodge-podge tree a little extra design flair, I like to anchor everything with a signature colored ribbon or bow that ties the look together.

Not sure what your signature colors are? Squint your eyes and look at all of your ornaments from a distance…the main colors will pop right out!

Just like a few of our other trees, I set this one on a small coffee table to bring it closer to the ceiling. That raised surface also let me display a cute red ceramic village right on top of the tree skirt.

And yes…the top of the tree is crowned with my beloved red pom-pom bow. I tied it over 15 years ago, and it is still holding strong thanks to high-quality ribbon and a trusty twist tie!

Since the kitchen island is buffet central during the holidays, the food usually becomes the star.

But I still love adding a white pitcher filled with flowers and flipping on the lights of my countertop Christmas houses to keep the space feeling warm and festive.

Primary Bedroom: Snow & Sapphire Christmas Tree

After decorating my daughter’s upstairs bedroom for Christmas last year (which she loved when she came home!), I decided our primary bedroom deserved a little holiday sparkle, too. 

I call it “Snow and Sapphire!”

The snow? The flocked tree, of course! 

The sapphire? Color, my friend. Color!

Since the statement wall mural in this room is already a bold statement, I wanted a tree that would complement it rather than compete. Shades of blue felt just right…calming, elegant, and perfect for creating a dreamy winter sanctuary.

This tree is all about blue-on-blue beauty: sky blue, baby blue, cobalt, and everything in between. 

Most of the ornaments are round balls or finial shapes, and I hung many of them from the very ends of the branches to create a pretty teardrop effect. 

Because I always love adding a little pattern to any Christmas tree decorating design, I crafted oversized decoupage ornaments using abstract patterned napkins. They add just the right amount of whimsy and interest. You can see this project HERE.

The lights are warm and soft, giving the tree a gentle nighttime glow. Just a touch of sparkle from the glass ornaments helps the whole room shimmer when the sun goes down. 

Instead of a traditional tree skirt, I used a fluffy faux fur rug to cozy up the base of the tree. Then I surrounded it with large glowing ball ornaments and blue-and-white chinoiserie jars for an elegant, snowy look.

There’s truly nothing better than falling asleep with visions of snow and sapphire dancing in your head!

Tips for Decorating a Calm Bedroom Tree

• Add decorative pieces around the base. Glowing ball ornaments or chinoiserie jars make the tree feel finished and sophisticated.
• Stick to a soothing color palette. Shades of blue (light, bright, or bold) create a calming holiday feel.
• Use finial and round ornaments. Their classic shapes work beautifully for creating balance and height.
• Hang ornaments at branch tips. This creates a pretty teardrop silhouette and adds graceful movement.
• Mix in patterned pieces. DIY decoupage ornaments are an easy way to bring personality and texture to a monochromatic tree.
• Choose warm, classic lights. Soft white glows make glass ornaments shimmer instead of sparkle too loudly.
• Swap the tree skirt for something cozy. A faux fur rug instantly softens the base and adds winter charm.

Christmas Holiday Home Tour

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