At a Glance: How to Make Your Christmas Tree Look Expensive
- Build it in layers. Lights, soft foliage, berry stems, a dressed base, then glass baubles and velvet bows.
- Keep the palette tight. Burgundy and deep green with clear glass does the heavy lifting.
- You don’t need a new tree. Most of the designer look comes from what you tuck inside the branches.
Want to make your Christmas tree look expensive this year? It’s all in the layers. Start with warm lights and soft greenery, then add berry stems, a velvet base, and glass ornaments with velvet bows. Jump to the steps and you can have it done in one cozy evening.
Those designer trees in shop windows aren’t magic. They’re built the same way every time, one layer at a time. Once you know the order, you can make your Christmas tree look expensive with the tree you already own.
What Do You Need for a Designer-Look Tree?
Eight supplies, one evening
Here’s what to grab before you start. If you can, pick your stems and ribbon in person so you can feel the velvet and check the color. Everything else is easy to order ahead.
- A full tree. Artificial or real, pre-lit or unlit, as long as the branches are full.
- Warm white string lights. Skip these if your tree is pre-lit.
- Soft foliage stems. Eucalyptus and fine greenery sprays for texture.
- Accent stems and picks. Burgundy sprays, pine sprays, crystal sprays and red berry picks.
- A tree base. A velvet tree skirt, or a woven or fabric tree collar.
- Glass and velvet baubles. Clear and teardrop glass, plus burgundy or deep green velvet.
- Velvet ribbon bows. Burgundy, pre-tied or cut from wired velvet ribbon.
- Floral wire or dark pipe cleaners. To hold stems and bows in place.
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The bows do a lot of the work in this look, so the ribbon is the one supply worth choosing with care. Wired edges let you shape each loop and help it hold. This roll is burgundy velvet with a gold satin back, so decide which side you want showing before you fold. Ten yards goes fast once you start tying bows, so plan for a spare roll. (paid link)
- Size and Color----Package includes 1 roll 2.5" wide burgundy wired Christmas ribbon, 10 yards in...
- Wired Edge Velvet Ribbon----It is velvet on one side and gold satin backing on the other side, soft...
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Quick tip (ours): If you use pipe cleaners, pick dark green or black, not bright green. They disappear into the branches.
How Do You Make Your Christmas Tree Look Expensive, Step by Step?
The layers follow a styling idea we spotted online. The order and the how-to details are our own suggestions, so adjust them to your tree.
Step 1: Start with a full, lush tree and warm lights
A full tree is your base. Fluff every branch before you add a single thing, and angle the tips up and out so the trunk hides.
If your tree isn’t pre-lit, add warm white lights now. Weave them in and out along each branch, not just around the outside. Warm white gives you that soft glow you see in designer trees.
Warm white is the color that makes the glow, so don’t swap it for cool white. This strand has 200 LEDs on 66 feet of green wire, and the listing says it’s made for indoor use and connects end to end. It has 8 light modes, so set it to steady for a classic look. A full 7 ft tree can take more than one strand, so check the box for how many you can link. (paid link)
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Step 2: Add soft foliage for texture
This is the step most people skip, and it changes everything. Tuck eucalyptus and delicate greenery stems into the tree. They add texture and make the branches look fuller right away.
Push each stem deep, so it looks like it’s growing out of the tree. Spread them around evenly as you go.
Step 3: Tuck in berry stems and sprays
Now add your accent stems. Burgundy sprays, pine sprays, crystal sprays and red berry picks all bring color and a little sparkle.
Work one type at a time so they spread out evenly. Point some up and some out. Fill the gaps you can still see through.
Stems with bendable wire are the easiest to hook onto the inner branches. This pack has 12 frosted burgundy stems, each about 17 inches long. The frosting gives a snowy look, so choose a plain berry pack if you want a flat color. (paid link)
- Berry Picks Value Set: this set includes 12 artificial frosted berry stems; Each Christmas burgundy...
- Frosted Sugared Berry Stem Decor: our artificial Christmas berry stems bring warm winter charm and...
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Step 4: Dress the base
The bottom of the tree is where a lot of trees fall flat. Give it a little drama. You have a few good options:
- Velvet tree skirt. Soft and rich, and it pools nicely on the floor.
- Woven tree collar. Warm and natural, and it hides the stand completely.
- Fabric tree collar. Clean lines with a cozy feel.
If you pick the woven collar, measure your tree stand first. This 33 inch collar is listed for stands up to 32 inches wide, and it has a cord cut-out so the plug has a way out. It sits on a metal frame, so it holds its shape instead of pooling like a soft skirt. (paid link)
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Finish with a few beautifully wrapped gifts. Wrap them in paper and ribbon that match the tree, so the whole corner looks planned.
Step 5: Finish with baubles and bows
This is the fun part. Hang your glass ornaments and velvet baubles, then add burgundy velvet bows all over.
Deep burgundy velvet baubles are what fill the gaps between the glass. This set has 36 shatterproof plastic balls in three sizes, with a mix of velvet and shiny finishes. That means no glass on the bottom branches if little hands or pets can reach them. The clear glass ornaments are a separate buy, so use the ones you already own. (paid link)
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Turn the lights on while you hang. You’ll see the dark spots right away, and you’ll see how the glass catches the glow. Hang some ornaments deep inside the tree and some in the middle. Save just a few for the tips.
Tie or wire the bows evenly around the tree. Let the tails hang long, and snip the ends in a neat V so they don’t fray.
Got a family ornament collection you love? Keep it simple. Use bows instead of long runs of ribbon, so your keepsakes still shine.
Using a topper? Put it on before the ornaments. It’s much easier to reach the top without bumping everything below it.
What Makes a Christmas Tree Look Cheap?
Everything sits on the tips. When every ornament hangs on the outside, the tree looks flat and you can see right through the middle. Fill from the inside out. Stems go deep, and a few ornaments go deep too.
Ribbon wrapped round and round. A long ribbon spiraled around the tree flattens the shape. Use bows or short pieces tucked into the branches instead.
How Much Does It Cost to Make a Tree Look Expensive?
These are planning estimates for a 7 ft tree you already own, based on current store prices. Your total depends on what’s already in your bin.
- Budget refresh, about $40: Two or three rolls of wired velvet ribbon and a couple of packs of berry picks. This gets you the bows and the color.
- Mid refresh, about $120: Everything above, plus foliage stems and a tree collar. Add a set of glass and velvet baubles too.
- Full makeover, about $300 or more: A new full, pre-lit tree with the full layer stack and a velvet skirt.
Is It Safe to Pack a Tree This Full?
Yes, with a quick light check. Use lights marked for indoor use and don’t link more strands than the box says. LED lights stay cooler near ribbon and dried stems.
When to call a pro: If a plug feels warm or the breaker trips when the tree is on, stop and call a licensed electrician. If you have little ones or pets, hang the glass up high and keep velvet baubles on the bottom branches.
How do you know it worked? Turn off the room lights and step back about 10 feet. If you can’t spot a dark hole bigger than your hand, and the stand is fully hidden, you nailed it. Snap a photo. That’s your shareable tree.
More Holiday Projects You’ll Love
Try a woven felt heart ornament for a quiet one-evening project. Hosting friends? Plan a Christmas craft night. To match your gifts to your tree, see these Christmas gift wrapping ideas, or browse Dollar Tree Christmas crafts under $8.
Ready to Make It Yours?
You don’t need a fancy tree to get a designer look. You just need the right layers in the right order. Start with warm light and soft greenery. Then finish with glass and velvet. That’s how you make your Christmas tree look expensive, one easy layer at a time.
Did your tree get the glow-up?
Snap a photo with the lights on and tag us on Instagram. Want more cozy holiday ideas all season? Follow us on Facebook, and save this guide to your Christmas board on Pinterest so it’s ready next year.
Quick answers
Make your Christmas tree look expensive FAQs
Layers, colors, bows, and budget trees.
Fluff every branch, then tuck in foliage and berry stems before any ornaments go on. Those inside layers make the tree look full and rich. Finish with a tight color palette of two or three colors.
Yes. Most of the designer look comes from what you add inside the branches, not the tree itself. Fluff it well, fill gaps with greenery and berry picks, and hide the stand with a skirt or collar.
Burgundy and deep green with clear glass and warm white lights look rich and classic. Keep it to two main colors plus glass or gold. Fewer colors read more planned.
Add stems first, then bows, then ornaments. That way your ornaments fill the gaps that are left instead of getting buried. Keep the lights on while you hang so you can see the holes.
Use wired velvet ribbon so the loops hold their shape. Wrap the center of each bow to a sturdy inner branch with dark floral wire. Avoid the thin tips, which bend under the weight.
On a 7 ft tree, do velvet bows look expensive or hide the tree?
Some folks say more bows always looks more designer. Others want to see the branches and the family ornaments. Where do you land?
Tell us in the comments what’s on your tree this year and why you picked that side.
