17 Merry and Bright Christmas Tree Themes to Try Out This Season (2024)

Warm and Classic

An idea for a Christmas tree theme can come from anywhere, including around your home and under your feet. That was the case for Jessica of House Homemade, who was inspired by the warm, rich colors of fall, and, oddly enough, the colors of her rug.

She mixed and matched unexpected ornament colors with florals from her local crafts store, then created a faux leather tree collar. What colors do you love to decorate with? That could direct your Christmas tree theme without going the traditional red and green route.

Mixed Metals and Farmhouse

Becky of Daly Digs wanted her Christmas tree to feel at home with the warm, earthy tones of her modern farmhouse décor. So she mixed metals, like silver and gold, with hints of more traditional white and green decorations.

Oversized ornaments make a statement, while ribbon adds a touch of texture. Take this tree as proof that your Christmas theme can fit within the aesthetic you’ve already set for your home.

Bright and Vintage

Color lovers, this one’s for you. Kelly Elko lucked out with a thrift store score of over 100 vintage Shiny Brite ornaments (to add to her already large collection) to create this bright, retro Christmas tree.

Neutral and Rustic

What do you get when you combine black, copper, white, and wood? This cozy, rustic Christmas tree theme, a simple but stunning design that’s sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

Ashley Rene of Cherished Bliss opted for a flocked tree, which generally needs fewer ornaments, and decorated it with classic Christmas balls ornaments. Then, to bring in some natural elements, she added wood slice ornaments and a few berry stems for a pop of red. The results? A Christmas tree theme that’d fit in perfectly in any neutral lover’s home.

Cozy Cabin in the Woods

Whether you’ll be spending this Christmas cozied up in a cabin, or just wishing you were, this cabin-inspired tree theme will have you feeling the woodsy vibes. Taryn Whiteaker leaned into the cabin chic look with a collection of woodland ornaments and round, textured black ornaments. Add in a fireplace, some tartan blankets, and a few classic holiday tunes, and you have yourself a cozy little Christmas.

Tiny and Tinsel

Lacking space but not style? PMQ for Two has a solution for a standout Christmas tree that doesn’t take up all your square footage: a pretty, petite vintage tinsel tree decorated with a mix of colorful, era-appropriate balls and teardrop-shaped ornaments. It’d be perfect for a small apartment or kid’s room, or simply if you love a retro vibe.

Elegant and Opulent

Didn’t think to add ostrich feathers to your Christmas decorations shopping cart, did you? Well, you might want to after seeing this ultra-romantic Christmas tree by Jewel of Jeweled Interiors.

First, she layered metallic, blue, and white ornaments with Poinsettias, gold garlands, and hand-cut velvet used as ribbon. Then came the standout element: the ostrich features, which make for an elegant, opulent, textured Christmas tree.

Sweet Treats

If you find yourself with a collection of themed ornaments, consider letting them shine on their own (maybe mini) tree. That’s what Chelsea of Two Twenty One did with her sugary sweet ornaments—cupcakes, popsicles, ice cream, candies, and other sweet treats—on this equally-as-sweet pink tree. The topper, not to be left out of the theme, is a giant sugar cookie snowflake.

Monochromatic and Nature Inspired

Green thumbs, show off your love of all things plants with a themed Christmas tree, like Amy of Delineate Your Dwelling did. For the plant aspects of this tree, she foraged grasses from her backyard and purchased a slew of faux greenery, leaves, and palms. (Including weeping willow branches, Sola Wood peach flowers, eucalyptus leaves, gold plastic palm branches, and frosted pine pricks.) Add a few ornaments, and voila!

Scandinavian Farmhouse

The more you look at Krista Aasen of The Happy Housie’s Christmas tree, inspired by Scandinavian farmhouses, the more delightful it becomes. First, you catch a glimpse of the mini ice skates, then the charming little houses, then the reindeer, then the fluffy feather duster garland, mostly in shades of white. It’s light and bright, it’s rustic and natural—and we love it.

Glam and Gold

All that glitters is definitely gold, at least where this dazzling Christmas tree designed by Setting for Four is concerned. Starting with a flocked tree will give you a jumpstart on a winter wonderland look, which you can then layer with jeweled and gold branch sprays.

The finishing touches? A glamorous faux fur tree skirt, reminiscent of falling snow, and, instead of a tree topper, a beautiful arrangement of sparkly sprays.

A Nod to German Heritage

Julia of Cuckoo 4 Design created a natural-themed Christmas tree as a nod to her childhood in Germany. The materials she used included German wooden snowflake cutouts, dried oranges, gold ball ornaments, pinecones (from her backyard!), and eucalyptus branches, amongst other items, which together create a sweet, serene tree design. To top it all off (literally) she used a large German straw star as her tree topper.

Striped and Spanish-Inspired

Inspiration can come from anywhere, which Stephanie of Casa Watkins Living knows. She oftentimes finds it from places, people, and objects from around the globe, hence this festive Christmas tree theme.

To replicate this look for yourself, first organize your ornaments by color and finish, then arrange them on your tree in stripes, using a ribbon in between to mimic the white stripes of the blanket.

Old World and Elegant

Kathy of Up To Date Interiors focused on three concepts for this Christmas tree’s style: eclectic, elegant, and old world. The inspiration came from her open concept living/dining area, which features a big bay window, a baby grand piano, and a portrait of her grandmother.

“This area of our house already feels a bit traditional and glamorous so I kept our Christmas decor fluid with this esthetic,” she says. To accomplish that old-world feel, she layered blue satin ribbon, looped both vertically and horizontally, with candlelight strands, and white, gold, and silver ornaments.

Colorful and Floral

Floral, colorful, and glam—that’s how Monica of Monica Wants It describes the theme of this tree, which uses a variety of flowers to make for a lively, dramatically designed Christmas tree.

To recreate it, don’t feel limited to seasonal flowers, and use an assortment of colorful florals in various finishes. For a simpler floral Christmas tree, opt for one color plus a metallic or neutral, like silver, gold, or white.

“You can’t go wrong with that formula,” Monica says.

Vibrant Rainbow

This rainbow-designed Christmas tree theme by Amber Oliver is not for those who are shy of color. For the bold amongst us, arrange an assortment of ornaments (in various shapes and sizes) by color, in Roy G. Biv order top to bottom. Then, turn on the lights and bask in the bright beauty of your tree.

Classic and Cozy

A little natural, a little glam, a whole lot beautiful. That’s the combination of themes for Carmel of Our Fifth House’s Christmas tree, which includes leopard print ornaments and a wine cork garland. (Which is super easy to make—just wrap and twist floral wire around each cork.)

The end results are cozy, relaxed, and natural, but with a nod to all things glam.