27 ideas for Christmas tree decorations to inspire you this year
It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas tree decorations. After all, the traditional tree is nearly always the centrepiece of the house's decoration, not to mention the perfect place to put all of those beautiful Christmas presents – each one perfectly wrapped, of course. Even the very act of putting the Christmas tree decorations on the Christmas tree has become a ritual in many households, with the whole family joining in with the festive fun. We suggest putting on some classic Christmas music, warming some mince pies in the oven, and perhaps even pouring yourself a glass of something merry to turn your Christmas tree decorating session into a real occasion.
As with any form of interior decorating, there is no single right way to decorate the tree, and the most important thing is to choose Christmas tree decorations you love and arrange them in a way that will bring your joy. ‘You produce this box once a year and it’s full of memories — everything in it has a story attached,’ says doyenne of interior design Nina Campbell in her guide to Christmas decorating. ‘Maybe you bought a decoration after you had your first child, or got your first dog, and the decoration celebrates that moment. When I got my first house and had my own tree, I had just a few special decorations and lots of “filler” ones – plain shiny red ones that would go closer to the trunk of the tree, and then my precious ones would be closer to the ends of the branches so you could see them. Now, I’ve collected masses of lovely decorations so I don’t need the red ones anymore.’
If you’re looking to add to your collection of Christmas tree decorations, there is no end of places to look, with many shops offering a range of bright and beautiful designs. There are traditional ones, charming ones and plenty of fun (and funny!) ones. Here are a few favourites that we have seen so far this year.
And what about the lights? Nina Campbell has sage advice on this, too. ‘I always put lights on the tree – lots of them! They should be white lights with green cables, and crucially, they should be static,’ she says. ‘I don’t like it when they take on a life of their own and start flashing.’
If you’re still looking for a little extra inspiration this year, we have rounded up some wonderful examples of Christmas tree decorations from the pages of House & Garden. From extravagant displays in large country houses to charming cottages packed with character, there is something to delight everyone here.
MAY WE SUGGEST: How to decorate a Christmas tree like a House & Garden editor
Ideas for Christmas tree decorations from the House & Garden archive
Christopher Horwood1/26Actor Richard E Grant keeps his 12-foot Christmas tree up from early December until late January (‘it's churlish not to’, he says) at home in Richmond. It is a glorious celebration of colour, personality and unique finds, like his house as a whole.
Michael Sinclair2/26Martin Brudnizki’s Christmas tree ties in perfectly with his lavish, country-house decorating style at his 17th-century home in West Sussex. It is full of pink and red ribbons, baubles and garlands and topped with a golden star. The position in the window will provide a festive treat for any passersby.
Tom Griffiths3/26Garden designer Sean Pritchard’s Christmas decorations at home in his Somerset cottage are all about magical maximalism. The Christmas tree is a cornucopia of playful decorations – hand-painted hanging baubles, ribbons, antique 1970s hand painted glass baubles and cones made from Cambridge Imprint papers.
Owen Gale4/26For a charmingly traditional look, take inspiration from Skye McAlpine’s tree in her palazzo apartment in Venice, which is draped with paper chains and decorated with candy canes and pieces collected over the years. Children will love joining in with this, too.
Helen Cathcart5/26Christmas at designer Flora Soames’ family home in Norfolk, where she spent her childhood Christmases and now returns with her own family, is all about comfortable informality and making new memories from old traditions. In the sitting room, the Christmas tree provides an opportunity for the ‘more is more’ approach that Flora enjoys. ‘I do think with a Christmas tree, you can really go to town,’ she says. Although she has become wary of ‘vastly expensive vintage baubles that your child promptly tramples on’, the tree is still a feast for the eyes, draped in metallic ribbons from a vintage fabric dealer and twinkling with lights. The baubles are a combination of nostalgic wooden illustrated cutouts, sparklier, kitsch ornaments, and other elements that remind Flora of various aspects of her life.
Dean Hearne6/26At home in his flat on the Barbican estate, designer Tom Morris has decorated his tree with dried limes and oranges hung from bold red and blue ribbons interspersed with silver baubles. This is a lovely fresh take on tradition for a modernist home – and it is relatively cheap to copy at home, too.
Mark Anthony Fox7/26Bows, mushrooms and an ice-cream are just some of the ornaments hanging from the tree inside the cottage of Duncan Campbell and Luke Edward Hall. ‘Whenever we go travelling in winter we always try to pick something up wherever we are so all the baubles around the house are an amalgamation of all that hoarding from lots of different trips,’ Duncan says. Some of their best finds came from a Christmas market in Venice, while others were picked up from Choosing Keeping and the now sadly closed shop Cutter Brooks. ‘Anything that is a fruit, vegetable or animal gets a look in,’ he adds. Ribbons are then tied on the end of branches in a jaunty array of colours. See the decorations throughout the rest of their house here.
Simon Upton8/26With Highlandcore now all the rage, why not embrace a tartan-themed tree? The Christmas tree decorations in this 18th-century country house, owned by Chelsea Textiles founder Mona Perlhagen and her daughter Jenny, are a pleasing mix of shapes, sizes and colours, all unified by their tartan aesthetic. A truly timeless way to decorate your tree for years to come.
Michael Sinclair9/26Studio Indigo founder Mike Fisher, who owns the magnificent Ven House in Somerset, certainly knows a thing or two about decorating for Christmas. For the tree in the grand entrance hall, seasonal foliage has been used to decorate the tree itself, with russet-coloured strands of leaves instead of garish tinsel. Bringing nature into the house is always a lovely touch at this time of year, and we love this unusual take on traditional foliage and plants.
Michael Sinclair10/26In one of the formal ground-floor rooms at Ven House, there is another large Christmas tree decorated with candles and white and gold decorations, with a striking star at the top of the tree.
Nathalie Krag11/26Inside this Florentine villa, the collection of baubles on the Christmas tree are very much ‘mix and match’. Plus, the tall, slender shape of the tree is a perfect fit for this elegant space.
Lisa Flood12/26Red bows, and red and gold baubles lend a traditional, nostalgic feel to the tree inside this tranquil Wyoming log cabin,. The unusual shape and sparseness of the tree also adds a rustic touch that feels very at home in this cabin setting – and could be compared to the current trend for skinny trees.
Martin Morrell13/26Paper Christmas decorations are back. Here, paper snowflakes snugly sit among the branches of the Christmas tree in Jeremy Langmead and Simon Rayner’s 17th-century farmhouse in the Lake District.
Owen Gale14/26Tiny red baubles create a cohesive and uncomplicated scheme for the Christmas tree in Amanda Brooks’ cosy Cotswold farmhouse. This approach will never go out of style and works particularly well in a traditional setting like this, combined with plenty of traditional foliage and candles.
Owen Gale15/26In the garden if her Cotswold house, Amanda Brooks has another tree. This one is festooned with colourful lights and charming little toadstool decorations. You can find more inspiration for outdoor Christmas decorations here.
Owen Gale16/26In Amanda Brooks’ guest cottage, she has decorated the tree in a wonderfully whimsical style, with strings of handmade gold paper leaves, glittering acorns and a menagerie of glass owls, foxes and pheasants. ‘I think I might be post bows on Christmas trees,’ she laughs. ‘Instead, I’m going for more of a woodland theme. I don't think Christmas should ever be too tasteful. Where’s the fun in that?’
Dean Hearne17/26In her family’s Suffolk house, former fashion designer Pascale Smets has two Christmas trees. The tree here in the living room is decorated in a more informal style than the one in the hall, featuring lots of colourful baubles collected over the years.
18/26The more formal tree in the hall of Pascale Smets’ house is decorated with foliage and candles.
Paul Massey19/26‘If there is a time of the year when a profusion of candles is justified, it is Christmas,’ says interior designer Carlos Garcia of his own decorations at home in Norfolk. ‘I place real candles on the Christmas tree. Contrary to popular habit, I always place the star at the top first and build down, placing smaller decoration items on the upper branches and gradually increasing the size of the decorations on my way down, this gives the tree structure. Every year I buy a couple of good quality decorations to add to the tree, gradually building a small collection. Fortnum & Mason is my destination of choice, if you are in London.’
Paul Massey20/26Wooden heart and red candles illuminate the tree in the hallway in this 19th-century Regency house in the West Country. It looks very lovely with the red rug and red upholstery on the seats of the two wooden chairs – take this as inspiration for how you can ensure your Christmas tree decorations complement the rest of your scheme.
Michael Sinclair21/26On this tree from a shoppable Christmas scheme by our decoration editors, there is a classic mix of beeswax candles in candle holders and classic red baubles with tin heart decorations adding a charming touch – and catching the light beautifully.
Paul Massey22/26In designer Francis Sultana’s own London home, he decorates his tree in the main sitting room with dazzling gold decorations, which pick up on the golden and warm metallic touches throughout the room for a timeless luxurious feel.
‘Your tree should be proportional to the size of your room, yet also significant and impactful,’ says Francis. ‘I opted for tonal bronze and gold. I really love the festive contrast of the metallics. On the tree I use real candles, which give an unparalleled ambience but aren’t always practical. Try a combination of electric lights placed discreetly on the inner parts of the branches and real flames on the outer – that way you have the best of both worlds.’
James Merrell23/26‘Growing up, we bought one decoration for the tree every year, and now my children are allowed to do the same,’ says designer Suzy Hoodless of her Christmas tree. ‘So the collection grows – they all have a memory and it is eclectic. The ribbons go back to when my eldest daughter was born. She arrived nine days before Christmas and to celebrate I added pink and yellow ribbons that I had bought in India. I added the other colours the years my two other children were born. It is a very personal tree, full of memories.’
Michael Sinclair24/26The Christmas tree of this former Victorian rectory is decorated with glass baubles bought as seconds from Bristol Blue Glass 20 years ago.
Yuki Sugiura25/26Another example of the benefits of using foliage on foliage can be seen in this shoppable Christmas scheme. Eucalyptus and oak leaves make lovely alternatives to Christmas baubles on the tree in this hallway.
Andrew Montgomery26/26Sometimes, less is more. When you use multiple trees in one space, as our decoration team have done in this folk-inspired scheme, a simple string of warm white lights is all you need to create a wonderfully inviting display. We also love the idea of putting a tree (or trees) in your dining room if you have the space. You will spending a large proportion of Christmas day sat round the table, after all.
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