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How to Decorate a Skinny Christmas Tree with Ribbon Like a Pro

Published: November 16, 2021 | Updated Dec 07, 2022

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How to Decorate a Skinny Christmas Tree

Need a skinny tree to save space, but struggling on how to decorate it? In this post, learn how to decorate a skinny tree so it looks like a pro did it in no time flat.

If you’ve ever considered a skinny tree, but were hesitant because you weren’t sure how to decorate it, today’s your lucky day!

I created the most detailed recap of how I decorated our skinny tree in this post and the best part?

It was so easy!!

Way easier than I thought it was going to be.

Before I get started, I just wanted to remind you that I have an entire library of Christmas prep resources ready and waiting for you.

It has over 15 resources and counting to help you make this holiday extra special without all the stress.

You can learn more by clicking the button I’m pointing to below!

Printable WS Available - Christmas Prep Library

Now on to the tutorial!

jump to…

  • Why Choose a Skinny Christmas Tree
    • Types of Skinny Christmas Trees
      • Slim Tree
      • Pencil Tree
      • Half Tree
  • Pre-Decorating Tips
  • What to Buy to Decorate your Skinny Tree
  • How to Decorate a Skinny Christmas Tree
    • Assemble your Skinny Tree
    • Fluff all the Branches
    • Add the Tree Topper
    • Add First Round of ribbon
    • Add a Second Round of Ribbon (optional)
    • Add Stems and/or Florals and/or Unique Elements
    • Add Varying Sizes and Colors of Ornaments
  • The After
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Want to watch the video for this post?

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Why Choose a Skinny Christmas Tree

Skinny trees are awesome because not only do they take up less space, but they are not as expensive as regular-sized trees.

In fact, we only have one regular sized tree in our collection of six Christmas trees.

I prefer the skinny tree because it allows me to get taller trees and more trees to disperse around the house.

Types of Skinny Christmas Trees

There are a bunch of different kinds of skinny trees.

They sell slim trees, pencil trees, half trees, and even corner trees.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Slim Tree

The slim trees still get the height of a normal Christmas tree, but are about half as wide.

Pencil Tree

Pencil trees are even narrower than slim trees and look like a #2 pencil as the name implies.

Half Tree

Half trees are literally only half the tree.

I just bought one of these for the guest bedroom since we are short on space, but I still wanted a tree in there.

They sell these for corners too.

Pre-Decorating Tips

How to Decorate a Skinny Tree Materials

There are a couple of things to consider before you dive into decorating your tree.

First things first, you want to pick a Christmas color scheme.

This will help you create a cohesive look, even if it’s just for one room of your home.

You also may want to consider a specific theme for your tree, too.

This is where your creativity can really come to life.

Remember their are no rules for a Christmas tree theme, so go wild!

And be sure to tag me @myhomierhome on Instagram or at My Homier Home on Facebook, so I can see it!

Christmas Prep Library Learn More V2

What to Buy to Decorate your Skinny Tree

Once you’ve decided on colors and a possible theme, it’s time to gather all your goodies.

Here is the list of items to look for to get your skinny tree decorating game ready to rock.

  • Pre-Lit Skinny Christmas Tree
    • This is similar to the one I bought at Hobby Lobby last year, but mine is 9 feet tall
  • Tree Collar or Skirt
    • I’m eyeing this tree collar because the dog has been scratching his back under the tree lol
  • Large Tree Topper
    • This is the one I used on this tree
  • Garland (optional)
  • Ribbon
    • One at least 2″ wide with wire edges
      • This is a close match to what I used on this tree
    • One any width with wire edges (optional)
  • Stems and/or Florals
    • I used 8 stems throughout the tree.
  • Unique Elements
    • These are similar to the owls I used on this tree
  • At Least Two Different Sized Ball Ornaments
    • I have these, these, and these on the tree in this post
    • I had 30 count of each smaller size and 12 of the big size
  • Other Ornaments
    • I used these snowflakes on this tree
  • Scissors
  • Extra Ornament Hooks
  • Extension cords
    • I used these kind for the tree topper
  • Smart plug
    • These are my absolute favorite because it doesn’t block the other plug

You can shop all my Christmas finds through my Christmas Decorating Facebook group! Enter your info below and click I Want Access to get the deets.

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    How to Decorate a Skinny Christmas Tree

    how to decorate a skinny tree

    Once you have all your items, it’s time to get to decoratin’!

    Here is the step by step tutorial of how I decorated this skinny tree in our living room.

    Assemble your Skinny Tree

    Assemble your skinny tree with a smart plug
    Assemble your skinny tree with a tree skirt or collar

    Start by setting up your smart plug so you can control the tree from your phone or smart home device.

    There are few things better than coming home and the tree is already on awaiting your arrival into the winter wonderland.

    Next you want to get your stand and tree collar setup, if you’re using a tree collar.

    If you’re using a tree skirt, you can do this at any time, but I like to get it setup whenever the tree is in the place it’s going to stay.

    Next assemble your tree.

    I highly recommend pre-lit trees because it is insanely convenient, but if you don’t have a pre-lit tree, now would be the time to add your lights.

    Fluff all the Branches

    Fluff all the branches of your skinny tree

    Next, you want to work on fluffing all the branches.

    I like to fluff as I assemble and then continue to fluff once it is all put together.

    Regardless of when you fluff, you’ve gotta fluff.

    The best way to fluff is to just get in there and start spreading the branches up and down and side to side.

    Once you’ve done one round, step back and assess.

    Chances are you’ll need to re-fluff a few areas.

    Fluffing is not the most fun, but it really makes a huge difference to the overall look of the tree.

    Christmas Prep Library Learn More V2

    Add the Tree Topper

    add the tree topper and hide the wires for your skinny tree

    You might notice the tree is way more decorated here, but that’s because I waited to put the tree topper on until after I decorated most of it.

    Don’t do that.

    Definitely add the tree topper, especially if it lights up, to the tree at this stage of the game so you can hide the cord, if there is one, more easily.

    My way worked sort of, but I had to redo some of the ribbons because the cord knocked them.

    Add First Round of ribbon

    This is the first year I put ribbon on the tree and let me tell you…

    I’m never going back.

    Both my husband and I were so impressed at how ribbon really upgraded this tree.

    I started by cutting pieces of 2-2.5″ wire ribbon into 3 foot pieces.

    I read a few tutorials and the best technique I found went like this…

    cut the ribbon to size to add to your skinny tree
    Step 1: Cut ribbon to 3′ pieces
    add ribbon to your skinny tree by tucking in one end
    Step 2: Tuck the top of the ribbon
    add ribbon to your skinny tree by tucking in one end, creating a loop, and fluffing the ribbon up
    Step 3: Loop the ribbon outside the branches on an angle
    add ribbon to your skinny tree by tucking in one end and creating a loop
    Step 4: Tuck the middle in.
    add ribbon to your skinny tree by tucking in one end, creating a loop, fluffing the ribbon up, and tucking the other end
    Step 5: Loop the second loop at an angle and tuck the end
    add ribbon to your skinny tree to create two loops on a diagonal
    Step 6: Repeat around the tree

    The key is to start in the middle of the tree and add the ribbon on the diagonal.

    Basically, you start by tucking one end of the ribbon into the tree around a branch or the lights cord towards the middle of the tree.

    Then, you loop the ribbon out over the branches.

    Try to make it so the ribbon is puffed out enough to not touch the branches its poofing over.

    Then, tuck the middle into to the tree on an angle and create a second loop the same way you created the first.

    Once that loop is made, tuck the other end into the tree like you did with the first end.

    As you make your loops, pull the ribbon loop up to shape it.

    cut the ribbon to size to add to your skinny tree on a diagonal. Repeat with second ribbon

    Continue to do this all around the tree keeping your loops at the diagonal.

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    Download it by simply opting in below. Let’s make this holiday the most memorable of them all!

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      Add a Second Round of Ribbon (optional)

      After you’ve added one set of a ribbon, consider adding a second round of ribbon.

      I had this larger ribbon from a couple years ago I never used, so I used it this year to add in more blue to the tree.

      My Christmas color scheme this year is navy blue, forest green, and gold with hints of white snow.

      cut the ribbon to size to add to your skinny tree
      cut the ribbon to size to add to your skinny tree on a diagonal. Repeat with second ribbon
      cut the ribbon to size to add to your skinny tree on a diagonal. Repeat with second ribbon
      cut the ribbon to size to add to your skinny tree on a diagonal

      For this round of ribbon, I didn’t do as much.

      You really can make this round of ribbon any width from my research.

      For this round, I cut these down to 2 foot pieces and did mostly one loop instead of two.

      However, I did occasionally do two smaller loops to keep it interesting.

      Add Stems and/or Florals and/or Unique Elements

      add stems to your skinny tree
      add unique elements to your skinny tree
      add unique elements like owls to your skinny tree
      Add stems to your skinny tree

      Once you feel good about the ribbon placement, it’s time for the stems and/or florals.

      Disperse them in any gaps around the ribbon or to hide certain awkward parts of the ribbon.

      I only had 8 stems from a previous tree setup that I used here.

      I would say you could probably add in a few more, but you really don’t need any more than 8-12 stems or florals.

      Once you get your stems/florals in place, add in your unique elements.

      My unique elements for this tree were owl figurines.

      Again, I think I only used a handful of these figurines, but consider your tree’s theme and go with something fun and unique to make the tree stand out.

      Christmas Prep Library Learn More V2

      Add Varying Sizes and Colors of Ornaments

      add different colors and sizes of ball ornaments in clusters of 3
      add different colors and sizes of ball ornaments in clusters of 3
      add different colors and sizes of ball ornaments in clusters of 3

      The last step of the process is to add your ball ornaments, sometimes referred to as baubles.

      Some advice I read in my research is to put the larger balls on first in a Z pattern.

      Then go back with your smaller ones and cluster them in groups of three.

      Once you feel like you have enough clusters, or you run out of larger baubles like I did, fill in the rest of the gaps with other abstract ornaments.

      I added glittery gold snowflakes to bring the sparkle as my additional ornaments.

      The After

      how to decorate a skinny tree
      how to decorate a skinny tree
      how to decorate a skinny tree
      How to Decorate a Skinny Christmas Tree

      And there you go!

      A beautifully decorated skinny tree with ribbon looking like the pros did it!

      Don’t forget to snag our countdown to Christmas checklist below, too!

      Happy Decorating and Merry Christmas!

      Want my FREE Printable Christmas Checklist?

      Download it by simply opting in below. Let’s make this holiday the most memorable of them all!

        We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
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        Frequently Asked Questions

        How can I make my skinny Christmas tree look bigger?

        The best way to make your skinny Christmas tree look bigger is to add ribbon and stems. Ribbon and stems allows the tree to extend past the branches. Once you have your ribbon and stems in place, don’t forget to add some larger ornaments to add even more substance.

        What is up with the skinny Christmas tree?

        The skinny Christmas tree is the best! Not only is it a total space saver without sacrificing looks, but it is cheaper too! Win-win!

        How many ornaments do I need for a skinny Christmas tree?

        I used 12 larger baubles, 30 smaller baubles of one color, and 30 baubles of another color. I did also include about 12 snowflake ornaments as well.

        How do you put ribbon on a skinny Christmas tree?

        Step one is to cut your ribbon into three foot sections. Then, tuck one end into the tree, fluff out the loop on a diagonal, tuck the middle into the center of the tree, fluff out another loop on a diagonal, and tuck the other end back into the tree. Repeat all around the tree!

        Want to watch the video for this post?

        You’re in luck!

        I put together a video tutorial to add to this post, so you can see the full scope in real time!

        Check it out below and while you’re there, be sure to hit the subscribe button and turn on the bell notifications to make sure you never miss a new My Homier Home video!

        Get exclusive access to my Christmas Decorating & Gift Giving Weekly Finds Facebook Group

        Want access to all my best Christmas decor & gift giving finds?!?

        This group is open for all Christmas lovers who want to get ahead on their seasonal shopping! Simply fill in the info below and I’ll send the info right over.

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          How to Decorate a Skinny Christmas Tree

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          11 Comments

          About Christin

          Christin lives in central Indiana with her husband, daughter, son, and fur-baby, Lambeau. Her mission is to help you become a confident DIY decorator, so you can reach dream home status with the home you have. At My Homier Home, you'll find time-saving tips to rescue any room and DIY tutorials to keep the cost down. Christin also offers affordable virtual workshops for the do-it-yourselfer that needs a little extra guidance visualizing and completing their home projects. Be sure to grab your quick start checklist at promos.myhomierhome.com/quick-start today!
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          Reader Interactions

          Comments

          1. Stacey says

            at

            This looks so beautiful, Christin! I haven’t ever considered a skinny tree, but I love how it can save so much space. Smart to put the large ornaments on in a “Z” pattern for sure, they look really nice that way. Love it!

            Reply
            • Christin | My Homier Home says

              at

              Aww thanks Stacey!! I’m in love!

              Reply
              • Marie says

                at

                I’ve never heard of a skinny tree! So clever. The ribbon is a great addition.

                Reply
          2. Marieza says

            at

            It looks amazing! Tree decorating is one of my all-time favorite things to do but I am intimidated by ribbon. It just never feels right. Maybe one day I’ll master it.

            Reply
            • Christin | My Homier Home says

              at

              I’m telling you the ribbon was way easier than I thought doing it this way! You can do it!

              Reply
          3. Kim says

            at

            Your tree is beautiful, and the skinny tree is a great idea for tight spaces. I love your suggestion to use a smart plug for the tree!

            Reply
            • Christin | My Homier Home says

              at

              Thanks Kim!! This tree is definitely one of my favorites!!

              Reply
          4. [email protected] says

            at

            Your skinny Christmas tree looks fabulous! Thank you for your great ribbon tips.

            Reply
          5. Danielle says

            at

            These are great tips! Your tree looks beautiful!

            Reply
          6. Rosemary Palmer says

            at

            Love these ideas – I need to read again. We have a slim tree and I’m putting a pencil tree in the bedroom this year.

            Reply
          7. Rachel says

            at

            I’m saving this for when I decorate in a few weeks! Thanks for the great info.

            Reply

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