How to make my christmas tree look fuller
How to make a Christmas tree look fuller: 10 simple ways to increase its impact
(Image credit: Future)
Knowing how to make a Christmas tree look fuller will ensure it’s a worthy focal point. Once inside a room, both real and artificial trees can look less substantial than you’d like.
Real trees, meanwhile, can be uneven by nature plus, even if you haven’t taken a real tree straight from the backyard, transporting it can squash branches leaving it looking skinnier than it really is. Eleven months of storage won’t do the branches of an artificial tree any favors.
And whether it is a pine, fir, spruce, or faux a full tree will make your Christmas tree ideas look their best and the tree the showstopping feature it should be for a living space, dining room, or the entrance to your home.
But don’t despair if your Christmas decor ideas do not have the presence they ought to. There are a whole variety of ways to make it more impactful. Here, we’ve shared the super simple and effective answers to how to make a Christmas tree look fuller.
How to make a Christmas tree look fuller
There are a number of tactics to call on when you’re wondering how to make a Christmas tree look fuller. But before you start, make sure you can work safely and have a step ladder to hand if the tree is a tall one. You might also want to don gloves if yours is a real tree to avoid skin irritation.
1. Fluff the branches
(Image credit: Alun Callender)
The number one strategy when it comes to making a Christmas tree look fuller is to fluff the branches. This is important whether the tree is real or artificial as the branches can become squashed during transport or, for artificial trees, during storage.
The goal of fluffing is to make the tree as wide as possible and therefore fuller. Put the tree into position first, but make sure to fluff and shape before adding any decorations.
It’s important to work around the whole tree separating each branch so it fans out to occupy the largest possible area.
If necessary, gently bend individual branches of a real tree to make the best overall shape, too. A fresh tree will have pliable rather than brittle branches.
2. Use ribbon
(Image credit: Brent Darby)
Don’t underestimate the value of Christmas tree ribbon ideas for making a Christmas tree look fuller. ‘Apart from separating branches and fluffing your tree, you can make a tree feel fuller with ribbon,’ says Katie Davis of Katie Davis Design . ‘Whether you wrap it around, or tuck it in occasionally, ribbon makes a tree feel full.’
If you want to shape ribbons garland-style on the tree, opt for those with wired edges that will hold the outline you give them.
Alternatively, simply add ribbon bows to the ends of branches to create a more generous tree.
3. Consider a flocked tree
(Image credit: Folding Chair Design Co)
Think about going for a flocked tree to create an impression of fullness. ‘We always opt for flocked trees,’ says Jennifer Walter, owner and principal designer for Folding Chair Design Co .
‘They cover any mistakes in decorating and allow you to do less on the tree itself. The white snow makes even a skinny tree look full and finished.’
4. Add reflective ornaments
(Image credit: Michael Sinclair)
Ornaments can be employed as part of the solution.
Choose plain versions in hues such as silver, gold, and white, and add them on the inside of the tree. These aren’t meant to be the main attraction but they will do the job of filling in any gaps, creating depth and reflecting the light with the result that the tree will look more substantial. They can be complemented with more ornate designs and you can even decorate Christmas baubles yourself.
5. Count up lights
(Image credit: Future)
Lights are an essential part of the decorations but they can also help out when the issue of how to make a Christmas tree look fuller arises.
What’s crucial is to use them in sufficient numbers – a minimum of 100 lights per vertical foot (30cm) of the tree is a good ready reckoner.
Rather than working solely around the edges of the branches, position the lights so they shine from the inside of the tree as well to give the impression of depth and therefore the look of a fuller tree.
Put the lights in place before adding ornaments, or other decorations, as these will get in the way. Once the string lights are around the tree, switch them on to check they’re shining from the tree’s interior as well as around it, and adjust their position as necessary for a balanced look.
6. Boost foliage
(Image credit: Future / Tom Leighton)
Whether the tree is real or artificial, if it doesn’t appear generous enough, adding extra Christmas foliage ideas is a sound solution. Use dried or realistic artificial foliage, tuck it into any gaps.
It doesn’t matter that the foliage is different to that of the tree; different textures add interest to a real tree and a natural element to a faux one. Need to cluster elements? Use floral wire to hold the sprigs together.
Once the holidays are imminent even fresh foliage and blooms can be added to the tree to round out the shape and dress it appealingly.
Don‘t neglect the potential of Christmas tree picks either. Designs with white or red berries, colored leaves, or clusters of balls will fill out the tree and catch the eye.
(Image credit: Future / Jan Baldwin)
Choosing a theme will make a Christmas tree look fuller as well as giving it a professional designer’s touch. Working within a color palette, and choosing a more rustic, traditional, or classic twist for all that dresses the tree gives it an appearance that’s complete.
Don’t stint on combining different elements of tree decor to achieve a full look: ornaments, garlands, the tree topper, ribbons, and bows can all be part of the mix.
As you hang ornaments on the tree work from the top to the bottom stepping back to survey the results and adjusting as necessary. Thinking of a diamond shape can be helpful when hanging ornaments to fill the tree evenly, and put larger ornaments towards the center of the tree with smaller versions on the end of branches.
8. Go for garlands
(Image credit: Simon Bevan)
When the question is how to make a Christmas tree look fuller, garlands are a brilliant answer. Draped around the edges of the branches, they’ll add to its width so it’s a more substantial presence.
Foliage-style garlands are a subtle way to make the tree fuller, but consider, too, brightly colored versions to make an impact.
9. Play with scale
(Image credit: David Brittain/Emily Brittain Delgardo)
It can feel like the right solution is to scale down ornaments and hanging decorations so the tree itself looks bigger, but incorporating larger versions fills the space and gives the tree a greater presence.
Size up on individual pieces, but consider, too, clustering together ornaments of different sizes. If you’re adopting this approach, go for odd numbers – a group of three is impactful.
‘I love adding larger ornaments and ribbon to create a grand look,’ says April Gandy, principal designer of Alluring Designs Chicago .
‘It also helps fill areas of the tree.’
10. Finish the tree high and low
(Image credit: Tim Young)
For a tree of maximum fullness, pay attention to both the top of the tree, and the base.
Pick a tree topper with good scale for the tree; a version that’s too small will detract from a full appearance. If the tree is of maximum height for the room, consider a bow-style tree topper that will still make a statement but doesn’t require space above the top of the tree.
And once you’ve employed all the strategies that make the tree look fuller, finish it with Christmas tree skirt ideas or a collar. It will conceal a spindly trunk or the legs of a stand that will make the effect unbalanced.
Are you supposed to water your Christmas tree?
Watering is essential if you want to keep a Christmas tree alive and ensure it looks its generous best for the holidays. If it’s short of water it can drop its needles, undoing the efforts to make it look fuller.
The National Christmas Tree Association recommends a reservoir-style stand providing 1 quart (0.95l) of water per inch (2.5cm) of stem diameter. Check daily and fill as necessary so the level of water does not fall below the base of the tree, the experts advise.
To keep the tree in best condition, make sure it is positioned away from heat sources like fires and vents, as well as out of direct sunlight, in addition to keeping the water in the stand topped up.
How do you fill an empty spot on a Christmas tree?
If you’re left with a few empty spots on the Christmas tree, blooms, berries, and foliage sprays can be great fillers. Fresh versions are an option, but silk flowers, artificial leaves, and berries in gold, silver, or red for a more natural look, can add what the tree is missing.
‘You might consider using these fillers to introduce a contrasting color to set against the palette you selected for the tree and make these extras really pop,’ says Lucy Searle, global editor in chief of Homes & Gardens.
‘If that’s the case, you’ll want to use them throughout the tree so the color contrast appears considered – the tactic won’t work if the new hue just appears in one or two spots.’
Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor. Previously executive editor of Ideal Home, she’s specialized in interiors, property and gardens for over 20 years, and covers interior design, house design, gardens, and cleaning and organizing a home for H&G. She’s written for websites, including Houzz, Channel 4’s flagship website, 4Homes, and Future’s T3; national newspapers, including The Guardian; and magazines including Future’s Country Homes & Interiors, Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living, and Style at Home, as well as House Beautiful, Good Homes, Grand Designs, Homes & Antiques, LandLove and The English Home among others. It’s no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house renovator.
Ridiculously Easy Ways to Make Your Artificial Christmas Tree Look Fuller
ByArena Updated on
Have you ever brought out the holiday decorations and wished your Christmas tree was fuller? We’ve got the best tips how to make a tree look fuller that are SO easy you won’t believe it.
Here’s a few simple tips on how to make your fake Christmas tree look fuller!
How To Make Your Christmas Tree Look Fuller
One of the main reasons why an artificial tree doesn’t look like a real tree is because you can see the fake tree trunk of the artificial tree through skimpy branches or uneven fullness. Our goal here no matter the size of your artificial Christmas tree is to fill out your holiday tree branches to give it a natural look and visual appeal.
Related: How to Make Your Fake Christmas Tree Smell Like a Real Tree
Don’t let your faux tree detract from the Christmas spirit. With a few simple tips, you can fix artificial tree branches!
This article contains affiliate links.
This one Christmas tree hack can change everything!1. Vary Your Christmas Light Size
The first trick is really simple to fill in gaps in Christmas tree — all you have to do is string two sizes of lights on your tree.
The Christmas tree lights can both be the same color scheme like white lights , but one string should be the mini lights while the other a more traditional size. I like the incandescent bulbs as one of the light strings just because it gives a traditional tree look.
Look at the difference a strand of white lights can make…We have a pre-lit skinny Christmas tree, so I just added a couple of strands of these large bulbs around the tree and the difference is astounding! It gives an artificial tree that looked sparse to begin with a lot more body and branch fullness.
Before and After our two-size light makeover!The second set of lights adds dimension to the tree, making it beautiful and bright. You could even do this with colored lights if wanted. The secret is in the bigger set of lights.
Cheat a little by adding some additional greenery!2. Wrap Sparse Areas with Garland
Another way to make your fake Christmas tree look fuller is to wrap your tree’s particularly sparse areas with evergreen garland to fill the gaps in Christmas tree.
If you just have a hole or two in the branches of your uneven Christmas tree, adding a little fullness to the greenery can increase the natural elements look of the area and make a huge difference.
If you are filling in throughout the entire tree, consider using a slightly different shade of garland as a contrasting color to give depth. <–Just a little Christmas tree hack to make artificial tree look real.
3. Decorate Christmas Tree with Wide Ribbon
Decorate a Christmas tree to look full by adding a big ribbon throughout your entire tree. This simple Christmas tree decorating how-to tip makes your fake Christmas tree with lights look fuller because the ribbon fills gaps and open areas of your Christmas tree branches. I love the look of wide ribbon because it just screams festive season!
4. Decorate Christmas Tree with Larger Ornaments
Take inspiration from window displays for your faux Christmas tree decorations. Often you will find that retail and commercial shop windows and interior designer Christmas trees will have oversized ornaments.
In my living room, my holiday tree has a layer of very large Christmas balls that I hang on the tree first back inside the depths of the pine needles covering the thin tree trunk giving the branch tips even more contrast.
5. Add Floral Picks to Christmas Tree Branches
If your tree is sparse or uneven, try adding pine picks in the more bare spots. It makes your tree look fuller and gives it a unique look. I also have a set of floral picks that have pine cones so they are part Christmas tree decorations and part branch filler-outer (totally a word).
6. When in Doubt, Let it Snow!
Adding snow to your artificial Christmas tree can also make it look much fuller as well. It doesn’t have to be a full flocking on the Christmas tree, but strategic placement of the white wintery look.
Add a little sparkle to your tree!7. Reflective Ornaments to the Rescue of Fake Tree Decor
Your ornaments play a big part in how fall your tree looks too. Shiny and reflective ornaments will make it look fuller while reflecting the lights of your lit Christmas tree.
8. Big Bows Make a Big Impact on Christmas Tree Decor
You can also make your tree look fuller by placing bows in the sparse spots depending on the look of your Christmas decorations. I also like using several different sizes and colors of bows adding to the visual depth.
9. Cover the Artificial Christmas Tree Trunk
Use a tree skirt or liberal amount of fabric to fully cover the tree stand and the fake tree trunk at the bottom of your Christmas tree. Even expensive faux trees have thin tree trunks and it is very obvious at the base of the Christmas tree.
Even before Santa delivers the Christmas presents, you want this area fully covered!
Transforming a Cheap Christmas Tree to Look Real
Sometimes we have to make due with what we have, but there is no reason we can’t make what we have look its best!
We can make our sparse slim trees, real or fake, look full and amazing with very little expense or effort!
Let’s Decorate Your Tree with Homemade Oranments!
- Now it’s ready to add all of your homemade ornaments!
- We added no-mess glitter ornaments to ours — they sparkle and shine in the lights! So beautiful!
- Check out these printable Christmas ornaments kids can color and decorate.
- Let’s make pipecleaner ornaments!
- Let’s make a handprint ornament for our Christmas tree.
- Want some more Christmas inspired decorating ideas? Then be sure to check out…30 Ways to Fill Ornaments
Do you have any other tips and tricks to making your fake Christmas tree look fuller? Please let us know in the comments below!
Arena
Arena Blake used to spend her days in the White House writing about the president. Now she spends her days at the kitchen table writing about kids activities and Star Wars crafts.
She is the blogger behind The Nerd's Wife, a Dallas mom blog, and author of Awesome Edible Kids Crafts: 75 Super-Fun All-Natural Projects for Kids to Make and Eat. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband and son.
Follow Arena on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
How to make a fluffy Christmas tree (spruce pruning)
There is an opinion that coniferous trees cannot be cut.
In fact, this is a myth and often without regular pruning a beautiful and fluffy tree is simply impossible to get. Pruning not only does not depress spruce, but also allows you to maintain their health for many years.
If left uncut, spruces will produce many strong side shoots and grow vigorously upwards. A little pruning can hold back the growth of the plant and give it the shape of a perfect cone. Without pruning, a tree can turn into an ugly giant. But first of all, spruce is sheared to achieve a lush fluffy crown. If overdone, then excess density can also be removed by trimming. Such pruning allows light to penetrate inside the crown and ventilates the tree, which means that less needles are lost due to lack of light and fungi.
There is also a decorative haircut that allows you to get an interesting and original crown: a spiral or a ball, in the form of flames or another shape. Interestingly, nursery owners prefer to pinch rather than cut branches.
But with spruce, this work will be too laborious when the tree grows a little. On young ones, this is a reasonable alternative to pruning.
GOOD TIME
Ordinary spruces, having reached 2.5 meters in height, can add another half a meter in one year. A four-meter tree will give meter increments. Meanwhile, varietal spruces imported from Europe often do not even reach 2 m.
If our beauty has moved in with you, then it is imperative to restrain her growth. The optimal time for pruning fir trees is the end of summer (August). In such a way that the plants have time to heal the wounds caused by pruning. It is better not to cut young trees up to 3-5 years old, but to pinch them during the entire period of active growth (until the beginning of June).
HOW TO CUT A WOOD?
There are many haircut patterns. The first pruning is carried out when the tree reaches 3 years, restraining growth upwards. Also at the same time, you can give the trees a new shape.
No more than 1/3 of the shoots are cut at a time.
To give the tree the desired shape, try to follow the following recommendations:
- choose the right time, it is better to cut in cloudy weather: under the scorching rays, the needles may turn brown;
- to carry out sprinkling before pruning: wet needles are not so intensively dehydrated;
- in the first year, pinch the shoots to give the tree the desired shape;
- by removing 1/3 of the growth, you can get a dense lush crown in a short time;
- do not leave bare branches, without needles they will simply dry out and spoil the look of the tree;
- be careful when pruning: flying branches and needles can damage the eyes, scratch the skin, and the resin is very difficult to wash off clothes;
- use only clean and sharp tools, well lubricated;
- do not cut trees during threshing. If resin began to stand out from the wounds of the tree, it means that the active phase of growth has begun and pruning should be postponed.
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How to make a Christmas tree with your own hands
You can make a large, lush and beautiful artificial Christmas tree yourself. Its shape may be different, which will depend on the technique for making a frame for a tree. We will show you four master classes, showing you step by step how to make a Christmas tree with your own hands.
Workshop No. 1: a Christmas tree made of artificial branches
You can make a Christmas tree from artificial spruce branches, the height and splendor of which you can adjust yourself. The manufacturing process itself, if you have a ready-made wire frame, is quite simple.
Materials
To make a Christmas tree from artificial branches you will need:
- wire frame;
- spruce branches;
- garland;
- wire cutters;
- cable ties;
- puffy bow or ribbon.
Step 1 . First, take care of the wire frame. An excellent basis for a Christmas tree will be tomato grills, which are sold in the form of a wire cone. If you need a tree that is taller or smaller than the original trellis, you can modify it a bit. For a smaller tree, you will need to remove some of the rings and wires, and to make the tree larger, align several trellises by inserting one into the other.
Step 2 . Fasten a cable tie on top of the pyramid formed from the lattices so that the rods form an acute angle.
Step 3 . To decorate the Christmas tree, wrap the wire mesh with artificial branches, if they, as in this master class, are made on a wire frame. If your branches are softer, secure them with cable ties by biting off the ends.
Step 4 . Completely shape the tree by laying faux spruce branches from bottom to top in tiers, leaving no gaps.
Step 5 . Decorate the Christmas tree with a garland, and hoist a magnificent bow of ribbons or fabric in a contrasting color at the very top of the tree.
Your Christmas tree is ready. Leaving the sharp ends of the wires at the bottom of the wire frame, you can install a Christmas tree in the yard. Without them, the tree will stand steadily on the floor in the house.
Master class No. 2: do-it-yourself Christmas tree made of white tinsel
On the basis of the same wire frame for vegetables, you can make an original snow-white Christmas tree, which will resemble snow-covered trees in its appearance.
Materials
To make your own white tinsel Christmas tree, prepare:
- vegetable wire frame;
- thick rubber bands;
- fluffy white tinsel;
- tape or white cable ties;
- original decorations for the Christmas tree or garland.
Step 1 . Give the wire frame for vegetables the desired shape. To do this, connect the rods at the top with a tight clerical gum. It is advisable to take a light-colored gum so that it eventually merges with the Christmas tree.
Step 2 . Start wrapping the formed wire frame with lush tinsel. To do this, secure the end of the tinsel with a small piece of tape or cable tie at the top of the wire frame.
Step 3 . Make the coils as tight as possible. In places where tinsel and wire come into contact, you can additionally fasten the decor with pieces of adhesive tape or light-colored cable ties.
Carefully trim the last ones so that they do not stick out of your product. Don't forget to secure the tinsel at the bottom of the wire base.
Your tree is ready! Now you can decorate it, it will be interesting to look at such an unusual Christmas tree with a garland or original decorations in the same cold colors as the tree itself.
Master class No. 3: DIY Christmas tree made of pasta and tinsel
If you like unusual Christmas crafts, you can safely try to create a similar one. The process of making a Christmas tree can capture not only you, but also your children.
Materials
To make your own Christmas tree from pasta and tinsel, you will need to prepare:
- feather pasta;
- large sheet of paper or drawing paper;
- stapler;
- scissors;
- hot glue sticks;
- hot air gun;
- thick cardboard;
- green tinsel;
- Christmas balls;
- star for decoration.
Step 1 . From paper, make a blank for creating a Christmas tree. To do this, roll a thick sheet of paper into a cone, and fix its edges with a stapler or glue. Trim the bottom of the cone so that it stands firmly on the table.
Step 2 . Place a thick sheet of cardboard on your work table. It will be needed to protect the surface from paint.
Step 3 . Using hot glue, attach the feather pasta to the cone base. Arrange them from top to bottom in the form of a snake, place the pasta tightly enough.
Step 4 . Cover the entire workpiece with a thin layer of golden paint from a spray can.
Apply a second layer if necessary.
Step 5 . Once the paint is dry, secure the end of the tinsel to the top of the tree with hot glue. Start wrapping the base of the Christmas tree in a spiral with rain. At the bottom of the cone, also fix the tip of the tinsel with hot glue.
Step 6 . Decorate the Christmas tree with toys and garlands. You can leave it in this form, it is already ready.
If you want to turn it into a kind of topiary, glue a round blank into the base of the cardboard cone. Attach a wooden stick to it with hot glue. Install the stick itself in a flowerpot filled with plaster, gravel or plasticine. Be sure to decorate the top of the filler for the flowerpot. Your original pasta tree is ready.
Master class No. 4: DIY Christmas tree made of wire and tinsel
Making a tinsel Christmas tree on a wire frame, demonstrated in this master class, is slightly different from what was shown earlier. In this case, the Christmas tree will resemble a natural one as much as possible, imitating her paws.
