How to Decorate a Christmas Tree in Red and White
Red and white home decor has to be one of the most popular Christmas colour schemes.
These two festive tones are found on candy canes, Santa’s clothes and the classic Christmas coca-cola.
It’s no surprise that white and red are so well-used and known in the holiday season. This combination of colours is versatile and works in well with many Christmas decor themes, such as modern, farmhouse or winter wonderland.
So when it comes to creating a perfect red and white Christmas tree, there really are endless options.
It’s safe to say that we are big lovers of red and white Christmas decor.
To help you put together a red and white Christmas tree and add your personal flair, we’ve created this step-by-step guide.
In this post, you’ll find how-to’s and our top picks for all the elements of a magical white and red tree.
Check out this quick video for some red and white decorating ideas, and to get yourself in that festive mood!
Step-by-Step to Decorate a White and Red Christmas Tree
1. Choose the Right Tree
Red and white decorations work well on most colour trees.
Getting the right one for your home requires finding the right size, colour and price point. If you change up your festive colour scheme each year then you may want to look for a more affordable option.
However, if you’re planning on using the same tree every year then a staple colour like green or green flocked will get much more use than an all-white one.
Here Is Our Open for Christmas Top Picks for Red and White Christmas Trees:
Goplus White Artificial Christmas Tree
A white tree with red and white ornaments is perfect for that modern, winter wonderland style but not so versatile if you like mixing up your decor each year.
Best Choice Products Spruce Christmas Tree
This tree comes in a range of different sizes and looks great with most Christmas decor styles.
Best Choice Products Premium Snow Flocked Christmas Tree
This flocked tree has a snowy detail on its branches which lends itself to the white and red theme but is more versatile than an all-white tree.
2. Choose a Tree Skirt
A tree skirt goes around the centre of a Christmas tree as a circular base and comes in numerous fabrics, colours and designs.
It’s essentially a place mat for presents and adds an extra level of detail and completeness to a decorated Christmas tree.
For a white and red tree, we love faux fur tree skirts as they complement the style perfectly.
To choose a tree skirt, pick one that matches the fabrics and style of your Christmas tree and that ties in with the other fabrics in the room.
Here Is Our Open for Christmas Top Choices for Red and White Tree Skirts:
Large White Luxury Faux Fur Tree Skirt
We love the subtle detail on this faux fur tree skirt. It’s not as fluffy as the option below but still gives a cosy and soft appearance.
This fluffy luxurious faux fur tree skirt adds a cosy and wintery detail to a tree. This one looks particularly good in lounges with fireplaces and stockings hung up on the mantelpiece.
Ivenf Burgundy Christmas Tree Skirt
A simplistic red tree skirt compliments the reds and white of the ornaments without being too overbearing and stealing the limelight. We love this tree skirt as its versatile and can be used for loads of other festive decor styles, such as traditional and farmhouse or country.
LimBridge Burgundy Christmas Tree Skirt
This knitted tree skirt just screams country, cosy Christmas. It’s versatile and simplistic to complement every festive theme.
3. Choose the Right Lights
Lights can make or break a Christmas tree, and picking the right ones for a red and white Christmas tree can be difficult.
Most wires are black or dark green so If you’ve got a white tree this can ruin the whole effect.
Also, it’s hard to know what colour LED and bulbs to get so that it complements but doesn’t overshadow your design.
Have a read of our post on the best LED Christmas lights to find out more.
We think the best choices are red bulbs, warm bulbs, or clear bulbs with white wires.
Here Is Our Open for Christmas Top Picks for White and Red Lights:
If you’re looking to make an impression with your tree then red lights are sure to be a winner. Red lights give more of a modern appearance so we wouldn’t recommend them for a cottagey decor theme.
Green Wire Christmas Light Set
Green wired lights are perfect for a green or flocked Christmas tree and will be well-used for years to come. These aren’t so good for a white or silver tree as the wires will stand out and look messy.
These clear bulbed LED lights have a white wire so are easy to conceal against a white wall or a white Christmas tree. However, if you’re not using a white tree they’ll stand out and be easy to see against green or dark coloured branches.
4. Select the Best Red and White Christmas Tree Ornaments
Now for the most important part… the ornaments!
Here at Open For Christmas, we always suggest starting with a base of affordable ornaments in your chosen colours and filling in with decorative and intricate pieces.
For a white and red tree, we’d, of course, recommend buying around 20-50 (depending on the size of your tree) basic white and red ornaments that will act as a foundation.
You can then invest in more detailed decor pieces, such as ribbons and statement trinkets to form the top layer.
Luckily, there are tons of options for red and white Christmas decorations available online and in stores.
Here Are Our Open for Christmas Top Picks for White and Red Ornaments:
Kurt Adler Red and White Decorated Glass Ball Ornament – Set of 15
These versatile ornaments will be a great addition to any collection of decorations as we’ll always need red decorations for Christmas time. Each of the pieces has a festive red and white candy-cane-inspired design in varying styles like polka dots, jagged lines, and swirls.
GameXcel Red & White Christmas Balls Ornaments – Set of 24
These simple, affordable ornaments are a perfect base to layer on more detailed and interesting pieces. They work well at filling in gaps in a tree but don’t look very dramatic on their own.
Plastic Candy Canes – Set of 12
These plastic candy canes are so much fun and hang beautifully on the end of a branch. We love hanging real candy canes on a tree, but find that they don’t make it to Christmas because we snack on one every time we pass them!
Christmas Lollipop Ornament – Set of 6
These lollipop tree ornaments are so cool and add a Willy-Wonka, winter wonderland touch to a red and white tree. They’re so magical and fun!
Christmas Ornament Ball Set Red and White – Set of 24
These red and white tree ornaments are another great set to start your foundation of decorations. They come in a range of designs so you get a variety of patterns and shapes to add detail to your tree.
These red and white candy ornaments are so cute and fun and look amazing with the lollipop ornaments above. You can get creative and add a personal touch with these decorations.
3 Inch Snowflake Ornaments – Set of 24
Snowflakes are the perfect white addition to a red-and-white Christmas tree, and they often bring a bit of sparkle too. Layer these up on your tree alongside some more detailed pieces and they’ll really give a good impression.
Geek-M Gold and White Painted Ornaments – Set of 30
Although they aren’t completely white, we love how these look on a red and white themed tree. Bring in some subtle touches of gold or silver on to your white and red Christmas tree won’t completely change the colour scheme, but just adds a special sparkle.
Vintage Distressed White Bird Decorations
These white birds are the perfect touch if you’re going for a white and red farmhouse, country Christmas decor style. These are also gorgeous in any white Christmas decorations theme.
Best Red and White Christmas Tree Decorations – Final Thoughts
It’s obvious why red and white Christmas tree themes are so popular. The combination of the two colours has such a fun and festive impression.
White and red also work well with other accent colours such as silver, gold, green and blue. You could have a red and white theme and switch up your accent colour every few years to avoid buying a whole new set, but still keeping things fun and different.
We hope our guide to creating a red and white tree has been useful, and you’ve found what you were looking for with our product suggestions.
The best thing about decorating for Christmas is that nobody will ever have the exact same result, and there’s so much room for adding your personality into it.
So, as always, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season and wish you a very Merry Christmas from all of us here at Open For Christmas.
Related Christmas Decor Articles:
- The Best Farmhouse Christmas Ornaments And Easy DIY Ideas
- How To Decorate A Christmas Tree With Ribbon
- Christmas Tree Baubles: The Best Ultimate Guide
- The Best LED Christmas Lights in the US
- The Best Artificial Christmas Trees 2020
- What Is A Flocked Christmas Tree?