15 Christmas Tree Trends for 2026 to Try at Home

Unpacking the Christmas decorations can be a reminder of how much our tastes change. You still love some of those baubles, others have seen better days, and there’s usually something handmade that deserves its place whatever colour scheme you choose.

The Christmas tree trends for 2026 leave plenty of room for all of them. Nostalgic decorations, rich colours and playful ornaments feature in this year’s collections, alongside softer schemes built around glass, silver and natural textures.

I’m always in favour of taking the ideas that suit your home and leaving the rest. You don’t need a completely new set of decorations to make your tree feel different. A change of ribbon, a few carefully chosen ornaments or a new topper can be enough.

Here are 15 Christmas tree decorating ideas inspired by this year’s collections and festive trend forecasts, with simple ways to try them at home.

1. Bring Back the Nostalgic Christmas Tree

If Christmas makes you think of colourful baubles, tinsel and a tree that never quite matched, this is a look to enjoy again. The Range identifies decorating inspired by the 1980s and 1990s as a key direction for 2026, with bold ornaments and a more personal, layered approach.

Start with the decorations you already have. Mix colours, bring out the older baubles and give the children’s favourites their usual place. Repeating a few colours around the tree will help the whole thing feel balanced without making it too coordinated.

Try a little tinsel before committing to a tree covered in it. Stand back as you decorate so you can see where the branches need more colour and where they have enough already.

2. Give Sentimental Decorations Their Own Space

There’s something lovely about a Christmas tree that tells you a little about the family who decorated it. John Lewis’s 2026 collection includes heirloom inspired pieces, giving familiar, treasured ornaments a place alongside newer designs.

A decoration bought on holiday, something made at school or a bauble given by a friend can all be part of the same tree. They don’t need to match to belong together.

If the mix feels a little scattered, use the same ribbon to hang several ornaments or repeat a simple bauble colour between them. It provides a thread through the scheme while keeping the individual pieces visible.

Put the decorations you most want to see at eye level, rather than letting them disappear into the lower branches.

3. Finish with an Oversized Bow Topper

Bows are still part of Christmas decorating in 2026, with larger tree toppers appearing in this year’s collections. Anthropologie’s oversized plaid design is one example of how a familiar detail can change the whole shape of a tree.

A generous bow works especially well when the rest of the decorations are fairly simple. Choose a ribbon colour that already appears among your baubles, then allow the tails to fall loosely through the upper branches.

Wired ribbon is useful if you’re making your own, as you can shape the loops and adjust them once the bow is in position. Check the proportions from across the room: a topper needs to suit both the width of the tree and the space above it.

4. Add Tartan or Gingham Ribbon

Checked ribbon is an easy way to introduce a more traditional feel. Plaid appears in current bow toppers, while tartan and gingham also feature in this year’s wider festive styling.

Use small bows dotted through the branches, or replace the hanging threads on a few plain baubles with narrow checked ribbon. It’s a manageable update if your existing decorations are mostly one colour.

Tartan works well with deep green, burgundy and gold. Red or green gingham gives a lighter effect, particularly alongside wooden ornaments and simple white decorations.

You don’t need to use the pattern everywhere. A handful of matching bows can be enough to connect the tree to a ribbon on a nearby wreath or a wrapped present underneath.

5. Choose Burgundy, Emerald and Warm Gold

Rich colours offer another route for 2026. The Range highlights jewel shades and darker traditional tones paired with warm metallics, giving readers who prefer a classic tree plenty to work with.

Burgundy, emerald and gold make a useful starting palette. If you already own gold decorations, introduce either burgundy or green first rather than buying all three colours at once.

Vary the finishes as well as the shades. A matt bauble next to a shiny or ribbed one gives the tree more depth, even when the colours are similar.

Place some decorations further inside the branches so the colour runs through the tree. Warm white fairy lights are my suggestion for this scheme, helping the darker shades feel cosy in the evening.

6. Try a Little Art Deco Glamour

John Lewis’s Connoisseur collection draws on Art Deco glamour, with metallic details and pearl finished shell decorations. It’s an option for anyone who enjoys a more decorative tree with a few unusual shapes.

Think beaded ornaments, fans, shells and geometric details alongside the baubles you already own. Gold and bronze provide warmth, while cream or pearly finishes can break up the metallics.

Choose a few standout decorations and give them room. They’ll have more impact if they aren’t hidden between lots of similarly elaborate pieces.

To try the idea without buying a full collection, add three or four decorative ornaments to a tree of plain baubles. The contrast will make the new shapes easier to appreciate.

7. Bring Botanical Details into the Branches

Nature inspired Christmas decorations go beyond pine cones. John Lewis’s current Curator range includes dragonflies, beetles and butterflies, offering a more detailed, decorative take on the natural world.

Birds, leaves and insect ornaments can add variety to a tree without introducing a completely different palette. Choose colours that connect with your existing decorations, whether that’s green and gold or softer brown and cream.

Clip a few pieces towards the outer branches where their shapes are visible. Plain baubles placed nearby will help the more intricate designs stand out.

This is also a useful way to refresh a woodland scheme you’ve enjoyed for several years. Keep the wooden decorations and pine cones, then introduce a few new botanical details.

8. Add Warmth with Felt and Fabric

Felt animals feature prominently in John Lewis’s 2026 Christmas collection. Fabric decorations bring a softer texture to the branches, particularly when mixed with smooth baubles and metallic finishes.

You might choose felt stars, stitched hearts or a few character ornaments. Keep their colours connected to the rest of the tree if you prefer a coordinated look, or let everyone in the family choose their own favourite.

For an easy homemade version, cut two matching shapes from felt, stitch or glue the edges together and add a ribbon loop. A little stuffing gives the decoration more shape.

Fabric ornaments are useful on lower branches where you’d rather avoid delicate glass, although small parts and hanging loops still need to stay out of reach of young children and pets.

9. Make Room for Playful Novelty Baubles

Christmas trees don’t have to take themselves too seriously. Pop culture inspired characters and whimsical decorations are part of John Lewis’s 2026 offering, providing an easy way to add personality.

Choose ornaments that reflect the people in your home: their hobbies, favourite foods or particular interests. A few well chosen pieces will feel more personal than a collection bought simply because it’s fashionable.

Keep them scattered through the tree if you want a subtle effect, or group a small selection where they’re easy to spot. They can sit quite happily among traditional stars and round baubles.

Giving each family member one decoration to choose could become a simple annual tradition. You’ll gradually build a collection that belongs to your household.

10. Let Glass Decorations Catch the Light

Glass is a strong part of Messe Frankfurt’s festive trend reporting for 2026, with clear, coloured and textured finishes all featuring. It offers a lighter effect than covering every branch in solid colour.

Try transparent baubles, ribbed glass or a few softly tinted ornaments. Place them where fairy lights can shine through or reflect off the surface, then add opaque decorations for contrast.

You can use this idea with several colour schemes. Clear glass works alongside silver and white, but it can also give a darker green and gold tree a little breathing space.

If your tree is already full of decorations, swap a few rather than simply adding more. Keep delicate ornaments on secure branches away from busy walkways and curious hands.

11. Pair Soft Pastels with Matt Silver

Christmasworld’s 2026 “light” forecast combines misty pastel shades, matt silver and transparent materials. It’s a gentler option if you prefer a tree that sits quietly within your room.

Choose one main pastel, such as pale pink, soft blue or lilac, then combine it with silver and a few clear decorations. You don’t need to include every shade to achieve the look.

A snowy tree provides a pale backdrop, although the colours can also work against natural green branches. Vary the size and finish of your ornaments so the scheme has some definition.

If you already have white or silver baubles, a small set of pastel decorations is enough to try this direction. For more styling suggestions, see my guide to decorating a snowy Christmas tree.

12. Keep Things Natural with Wood and Soft Green

Soft greens and natural wood feature in The Range’s 2026 rustic direction. The appeal is straightforward: plenty of texture, familiar materials and a calmer alternative to a brightly coloured tree.

Combine wooden stars, paper decorations and pine cones with a few soft green baubles. Leave some space between ornaments so you can still appreciate the branches.

Different wood tones can work together, particularly if you repeat a simple shape or colour elsewhere. A small amount of brass or muted gold adds a little shine without taking over.

This scheme lends itself to homemade decorations and pieces you can use again. If you enjoy a Nordic feel, keep the shapes simple and let the materials provide the detail.

13. Use Black and Metallic Details for a Modern Tree

The Range identifies monochrome decorating as another direction for 2026, including black, charcoal and brushed gold. It gives you an alternative to traditional festive colours while still offering plenty of contrast.

Dark baubles can disappear against green branches, so combine them with lighter ornaments and place some towards the tips. Matt black ribbon is another way to introduce the colour without relying entirely on baubles.

Try charcoal, cream and gold for a softer version, or black and silver if you prefer a sharper finish. Repeating the same few colours will help the tree feel deliberate.

This is a useful scheme to consider if your living room already includes black furniture, lighting or picture frames. The tree can pick up those details rather than feeling disconnected from the room.

14. Refresh a White Tree with Delicate Gold Accents

Messe Frankfurt’s August 2026 report features Inge Glas’s White Christmas collection, pairing white tree ornaments with delicate gold details. It’s a continuing winter look with a little warmth added.

Build the scheme around white decorations in different finishes, then introduce gold through a few stars, fine hanging ornaments or ribbon. The variation will stop a single colour looking flat.

You don’t need a white artificial tree for this idea. White baubles stand out clearly against green branches, while a snowy tree gives a softer overall effect.

Keep the gold accents fairly light if you want white to remain the main colour. My winter wonderland Christmas tree article has more inspiration for developing this type of scheme.

15. Add a Small Second Christmas Tree

John Lewis identifies multiple trees as a growing direction in 2026, with compact, slimline and twig designs among its options. A second tree gives you room to try another look without changing the main family tree.

It doesn’t have to be another full size tree. A small tabletop version in the kitchen, a twig tree on a sideboard or a narrow tree in the hallway can bring a festive touch to a different part of the house.

Use spare decorations, give children their own tree to decorate or keep it simple with lights and a few favourite ornaments. Choose its position around everyday life so it doesn’t take over a worktop or block a route through the room.

For a lighter alternative, take a look at my Christmas twig tree decorating guide and modern Christmas tree ideas.

How to Update Your Christmas Tree Without Buying Everything New

Before you shop, unpack your decorations and see what you actually want to use. You may already have the beginnings of several of these looks.

Choose one change: a ribbon, a colour or a different topper. Decorate with your existing pieces first, then decide whether there are any gaps worth filling.

The best Christmas tree for your home is one you enjoy living with throughout December. These trends can give you a starting point, but there’s always room for the slightly wonky decoration that makes everyone smile.

Further Christmas Decor Inspiration

23 Clever Small Christmas Trees for Small Spaces