How to Decorate a Black Christmas Tree: 8 Tips to Wow Holiday Guests

Surprise and delight this holiday season with a black Christmas tree

A black Christmas tree in a living room
Photo: Olena Ruban / Moment / Getty Images
A black Christmas tree in a living room
Photo: Olena Ruban / Moment / Getty Images
Amy Pawlukiewicz
Written by Amy Pawlukiewicz
Contributing Writer
Updated October 25, 2022
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When deciding on a Christmas tree for your holiday season, you don’t just have the choice between a real or artificial tree. Artificial Christmas trees come in an assortment of colors, and a black tree is the perfect modern twist on a holiday classic. Follow these tips to learn how to decorate a black Christmas tree and create a chic holiday display.

1. Double Down on Tinsel

Have you ever seen photos of traditional Christmas tree decor where the trees are dripping with tinsel? You can recreate this throwback look with a black Christmas tree. You can stick with the classic silver tinsel or mix it up with red, green, or multicolored tinsel.

However, if you have pets, skip this tree design; tinsel is extremely dangerous for animals if they ingest it and can cause serious health problems.

2. Spruce It Up With Silver and Gold

Close-up of a black Christmas tree with gold ornaments
Photo: Ira_Shpiller / Adobe Stock

A black Christmas tree is a statement maker all on its own, so simple decor can go a long way. Hanging silver ornaments and ribbons with white lights on your tree will achieve a simple, modern look. Try silver and gold if you want to mix up the metals. Both choices will make your tree stand out while giving it a refined, classic feel.

3. Add Red and White Elements

Use your tree’s dark color as a backdrop for red and white ornaments and other elements. Staying with the color scheme of black, white, and red brings pops of brightness into the room while still maintaining a mature feel. You can decorate with traditional red bulbs, white snowflakes, and black icicles, or mix it up with striped or checkered ornaments with red ribbon.

4. Hang Lights Only

With a black Christmas tree, you don’t necessarily need a lot of decorations to make a statement. Opting for only white lights will let your tree shine on its own and save some time and money on holiday decorations. Just wind a few strands of white lights around your tree, plug them in, and move on to the next decorating task.

5. Go Gothic

“Black Christmas tree” doesn’t necessarily need to be your entire holiday decorating theme. A black Christmas tree is the perfect backdrop for a “Nightmare Before Christmas” theme, a masquerade theme, or even a spooky Christmas theme. This tree design is perfect for Halloween lovers who want to repurpose their decorative ghosts, bats, and pumpkins to keep the spooky spirit alive well into the winter.

6. Keep It Traditional

A kid opening a present in front of the Christmas tree
Photo: dmitriisimakov / Adobe Stock

No one says you must do an out-of-the-box theme on your black Christmas tree. If a black tree is your perfect Christmas tree, and you like the decorations you have, use those to adorn your tree. Black is an ideal canvas for almost anything, so if you want to hang family ornaments and an assortment of colors, go for it.

7. Experiment With Bold Colors

One of the perks of a black Christmas tree is the unlimited ways you can add bright colors to its neutral backdrop. Choose a color scheme with just one or two colors on your black Christmas tree to make it pop. Purple decorations work particularly well on black Christmas trees, as do turquoise and hot pink. Edit your decorations carefully to ensure that your tree doesn’t look muddled, and match the theme and color scheme to the rest of your room.

8. Decorate With White Accents

Any white decorations will stand out on a black Christmas tree. Whether sparkly or matte, simple white snowflakes look elegant and refined by themselves. Pair them with white lights for a tree your relatives will talk about for years.

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Learn more about our contributor
Amy Pawlukiewicz
Written by Amy Pawlukiewicz
Contributing Writer
Amy is a writer and editor with more than two decades of experience in the real estate field. Her hobbies include yoga, swimming, and spending time with her dog, husband, and many cats. She has a B.A. in English from Kenyon College and currently resides in Los Angeles.
Amy is a writer and editor with more than two decades of experience in the real estate field. Her hobbies include yoga, swimming, and spending time with her dog, husband, and many cats. She has a B.A. in English from Kenyon College and currently resides in Los Angeles.
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