Welcome to our first official Christmas tree decorating post of 2022! We’re thrilled to share this stunning red and white Christmas tree design with you — and a few tips and tricks to make assembling your look even more organized and magical with the right steps and ratios of ornaments, ribbons, sprays, and florals.
Red and White Christmas Tree
When we were putting together the ultimate kitchen tree for our Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen tree theme, we knew the red and white base was a must and pulled in a more gingerbread look with these dynamic ginger-colored accents, bright red and white check ribbons, and some delightful mint green florals to highlight the crisp contrast.
How do you decorate a Christmas tree with red and white?
Red and white Christmas tree decor is such a popular look for so many reasons! From the dynamic color contrast to being able to play with patterns and varying colors, it's a great base for building a unique Christmas look.
We're going to walk you through how we decorated this red and white Gingerbread tree — the images you see today are tailored for a 7.5 tree — but feel free to incorporate as many of these items or pair it back a bit and use some for a coordinating wreath, centerpiece, or garland. Christmas is a personal holiday; we know everyone has different tastes and styles for how full they like their red and white Christmas tree to be! That being said, we love showing you what a full arrangement can look like and the steps you can take to achieve the same look.
To get a designer red and white look, unique to you, you could shop our Cardinal, Classic Christmas, Peppermint & Gingerbread, or Snowberry Collections to find those classic color combos. Or, through Decorator's Warehouse's tree bundle program, you can purchase the entire collection of these exact decorating supplies for your tree (or another design completely).
Christmas Topper
We start where others end — the Christmas tree topper is the first thing we like to get settled in the tree because it gives us the direction for how full the rest of the tree will be. You may opt for a light burst or star topper, but we absolutely adore the feel you get from a floral topper look. There’s nothing like the cohesive look from top to bottom to give you all the holiday feels in your home!
When crafting your topper, go for height, texture, and a wide array of color! We like to pick a few of the florals that will go throughout the body of the tree to incorporate into the base of the topper.
Pro Designer Tip: When inserting your topper, be sure to run the stems along the base and alternate the looks accordingly! When you insert the florals, run the stems down, but pull the face of the flower slightly forward to ensure you get the maximum view of the gorgeous detailing!
Adding Ribbon
When you need that garland look throughout the body of the tree, ribbon is the perfect solution with all the varying textures and application. We choose a minimum of two ribbon styles to layer throughout the body.
Here’s a great ribbon tutorial to see Kristin show how we create loops and weave your selected looks throughout the tree. We chose a bright red and white check pattern with a red and white stripe on the backing to pair with the main gingerbread patterned ribbon. This tree is perfect for your kitchen or as a main theme for anyone who is obsessed with all things baking!
Pro Designer Tip: When wrapping the ribbon throughout the tree, don’t pull it too tight or tuck it into the branches. Create a sweeping loop that comes away from the tree slightly, at varying angles and dimensions.
Florals and Sprays
To add even more texture, color, and cheer to your Christmas tree, consider adding in floral clusters, which essentially are 4-6 coordinating stems and florals that you combine to create a one-of-a-kind focal point.
These clusters go throughout the body of the tree, adding warmth and depth, replacing some of your ornaments. You can even use these as a centerpiece in a vase or in a wreath or swag. The options are endless!
Pro Designer Tip: Use the same number of floral clusters as how many feet your tree stands. So for a 7.5-foot tree, you’d use 7 clusters, zig-zagged throughout the Christmas tree!
After inserting the clusters, we come behind with other poinsettia and spray stems, adding them throughout the body. In this design, we have cute cookie and gingerbread men designs coupled with red and white leaves, mint and red berry branches, and marshmallows!
Add 7 of each spray (for a 7.5-foot tree, 9 for a 9-foot, etc.) in a varying pattern, wherever it feels right! The only “rule” with these sprays is keeping the gingerbread men upright, so they aren’t upside down, but the rest of the sprays can be added however you like!
Ornaments
Finally, you’ve made it to the fourth and final step, which is adding the ornaments! This selection features red and white ornaments with different textures, sizes, and patterns. You can tuck the larger ones into the body of the tree and use the remaining to hang on the outer branches.
Pro Designer Tip: Wrap the ornament hangers as close to the branch as possible to give you ultimate control over where you place them.
Assembling your Red and White Look
We love giving you the option to see everything in action. Watch Kristin pull the full red and white Christmas tree look together for even more inspiration and instruction! Be sure to subscribe to our emails and social channels for even more ideas to use throughout the entire fall and holiday season! Happy decorating!
