How Magazine Stylists Trim a Christmas Tree

From setup to cleanup, the HGTV Magazine stylists are here with all their tips and tricks for a tree-mendous Christmas tree.

Keep in mind: Price and stock could change after publish date, and we may make money from these affiliate links.

November 11, 2022

By: Noelle Paredes

From: HGTV Magazine

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Dane Tashima; Styled by Catherine Dash

Photo By: Lisa Romerein; Styled by Jennifer DeCleene

Photo By: Lisa Romerein; Styled by Catherine Dash

Photo By: Adam Albright; Styled by Matthew Gleason

Photo By: Lisa Romerein; Styled by Heather Bullard

Photo By: Robert Peterson; Styled by Elizabeth Demos

Photo By: Christopher Dibble; Styled by Heather Bullard

Photo By: Jonny Valiant; Styled by Matthew Gleason

Photo By: David Tsay; Styled by Catherine Dash

Photo By: Victoria Pearson; Styled by Heather Bullard

Photo By: Annie Schlechter; Styled by Matthew Gleason

Photo By: Zach DeSart; Styled by Elizabeth Demos

Photo By: Kim Cornelison; Styled by Heather Bullard

Decorate Your Tree Like a Pro

We're dreaming of a perfectly trimmed tree this year (and a white Christmas, of course), so we enlisted HGTV Magazine's go-to holiday stylists for all their expert decorating ideas. Real or fake, fir or flocked, we have all the pro tips you need for a merry little Christmas with big style.

see more photos: A Fixer Upper-Inspired Christmas in Florida

From: HGTV Magazine

Bountiful Boughs

What do all of the trees featured in HGTV Magazine have in common? Lots and lots of ornaments. So it's not surprising that the stylists have plenty of tricks to make sure a tree feels full. Editorial and television stylist Liz Demos starts with an easy equation to estimate the number of ornaments you'll need. "Ornament count follows a one-to-forty ratio," she says. "For example, a six-foot tree equals 240 ornaments." If your ornaments are larger than 3 inches wide, you won't need quite as many.

see more photos: This 1800s Home Has Wall-to-Wall Christmas Cheer

From: HGTV Magazine

Make It Even Merrier

It's not just about quantity, though. Ornament placement is key. "It sounds strange," says Demos, "but I like to step back from a tree after the lights are on and squint to see the light and dark contrast. It helps me find and fill the voids in the tree."

Prop stylist Karin Olsen has her own trick for making a tree look extra full. She tucks less-expensive ornaments, like plain shatterproof balls, deep inside the tree. "You’ll only get a glimpse of them, but they will help reflect the lights and will fill up any empty spots inside the tree."

learn more: 13 Christmas Ornament Sets for Every Holiday Style

From: HGTV Magazine

Quality Is Key

If you're team faux when it comes to your Christmas tree, "it's worth investing in a high-quality artificial one," says prop stylist and creative consultant Catherine Dash. "The best I've found are from Balsam Hill."

see more photos: Tour a Calming, Christmas-Ready Home in Minnesota

From: HGTV Magazine

Don't Forget to Fluff

To make a faux tree look as full and realistic as possible, it's imperative to fluff the branches once you've assembled it — even a top-notch fake. It may be tempting to skip this step and spare your hands from the pokes and scratches, but it's the secret to making an artificial tree look its best. "When fluffing a faux tree, get a pair of gardening gloves," says Olsen. "It will save your hands, so you won’t mind putting in the extra work to fluff out your tree to its full potential."

see more photos: 21 Wowza Ways These Homeowners Made Their Coronado, California House Awesome

From: HGTV Magazine

Make It Sparkle

"When it comes to lighting, more is more," Olsen says. A general rule of thumb: Use one strand of lights per foot of tree.

"Plug in your lights before stringing them up, so you have an idea where to fill in your tree. Plus, this way you can make sure all of the lights are working," she says. "It’s much easier to fix any problems before the decorations are on the tree!"

see more photos: Tour a Colorful, Christmas-Ready Home In Atlanta

From: HGTV Magazine

Even Brighter

Not only is the amount of lights important for a glittering Christmas tree, but the way you string them up also contributes to how it twinkles. "Weave strands of lights back and forth, from the trunk to the tips of the branches, instead of going around the tree," says stylist Heather Bullard. "This creates depth in the lighting and illuminates the tree in a magical way."

see more photos: Tour a Crafty Oregon Home Filled With Christmas Magic

From: HGTV Magazine

It's All About Balance

"The thing I always think about when decorating a tree is the spacing of the ornaments," says Dash. "Try to keep things balanced, so everything is evenly distributed." This doesn't just apply to where the ornaments hang. "Also try to make sure there's an even distribution of the different shapes and colors on the tree," says Dash. "But it doesn't have to be perfect, so don't overthink it too much!"

Interior stylist and set designer Matthew Gleason also suggests a mix of different sizes and shapes, with one more trick for a balanced look. "Always include something horizontal, like a garland."

see more photos: A One-of-a-Kind Christmas in Upstate New York

From: HGTV Magazine

Size Matters

A towering tree is the pinnacle of holiday decorating, but no one wants to re-create National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. "Keep it eight to twelve inches shorter than your ceiling," says Gleason, keeping in mind the topper and the stand will affect the final height. "If you buy a tree that’s too tall, you can always saw some trunk off the bottom. And if you bought one that’s too short, you can put the stand on top of a bunch of books, then cover the base with your tree skirt," he says. "I’ve done both of those on photo shoots many times."

see more photos: Take a Tour of HGTV Star Luke Caldwell's Modern Home

From: HGTV Magazine

Switch Up Your Color Palette

Red and green will always be a winning Christmas combo, but don't be afraid to mix things up when it comes to color. "For a few seasons now, I've been drawn to unexpected hues for the holidays," Dash says. "I love mixing pink with traditional green and red, or doing all shades of green, teal and chartreuse." Any color combination can be festive and merry.

Interior decorator and stylist Jennifer DeCleene agrees. "I draw color palette inspiration from the room where the tree goes," she says. "My own living room has lots of pinks and greens, so last year I tied pink satin ribbons onto the tree branches and made a big green bow for the topper."

see more photos: How a DIYer Decorates for Christmas

From: HGTV Magazine

Mixing Old and New

Creating a stylish tree doesn't mean you have to ditch your old ornaments. The holiday season is a time to embrace memories and traditions, and the same applies to your tree. "I like to the put the sentimental and special ones on last, so they are the most prominent," says Gleason.

If you love collected ornaments with nostalgic appeal but want your tree to have a completely coordinated feel, Demos has another idea for making the most of these little treasures. "I suggest a smaller tabletop tree decorated with one-of-a-kind pieces, family ornaments or baubles made by kids."

learn more: 12 Tabletop Christmas Trees to Decorate Your Small Space

From: HGTV Magazine

White Christmas Dreams

"White trees are a blank canvas," says DeCleene. When decorating these types of trees, she recommends keeping the color palette restrained. "Just two colors and a metallic accent," she says. Soft blues and sparkly silver are her favorite hues for white or flocked branches. "It's winter magic!"

Keep in mind, flocked branches tend to be messy. Olsen recommends laying down a drop cloth before you start decorating to keep wayward needles and sparkles contained. "They shed every time you touch them, no matter how expensive they are."

see more photos: A Sweet Spin on Holiday Decorating

From: HGTV Magazine

Easy Cleanup

To minimize the mess on Boxing Day, Olsen has another sure-fire trick. Before you put up your tree, lay a disposable tree bag under the stand. When it’s time to take everything down at the end of the season, remove the tree from the stand, and pull the bag up over the tree. "When you carry it out of your home, there won’t be a trail of pine needles to clean up," she says — a Christmas miracle.

learn more: How to Buy and Recycle an Evergreen Christmas Tree

From: HGTV Magazine

How Magazine Stylists Trim a Christmas Tree

Related To:

Shop This Look

Decorate Your Tree Like a Pro

Bountiful Boughs

Make It Even Merrier

Quality Is Key

Don't Forget to Fluff

Make It Sparkle

Even Brighter

It's All About Balance

Size Matters

Switch Up Your Color Palette

Mixing Old and New

White Christmas Dreams

Easy Cleanup

HGTV Star Designed Christmas Trees 10 Photos

The Ultimate Guide to Christmas Trees

Supercool and Colorful Christmas Tree Looks We Love 7 Photos

What You Should Know About Your Christmas Tree

Quick Holiday Decorating 19 Photos

A Cozy Christmas House 11 Photos

Related Pages