Today we are here to talk about the most underrated category of Christmas decor — Christmas Tree Sprays — and their many different uses! When you unlock the magic of how to use them in your designs, we promise you will never want to go back! 

Nine times out of 10, when someone asks what their tree is lacking, our answer is sprays. Christmas sprays create dimension and texture, fill in holes throughout the body of your tree, and provide a very polished Christmas tree topper. Let's dive in and learn all that we need to know to start incorporating them into your designs. First off...

What are Christmas Sprays?

If you are new to the world of Christmas decor, you are likely wondering what we are talking about when we mention Christmas sprays and picks. Christmas sprays and picks are decorative stems that add height, texture, color, and act as filler in your designs. These might be comprised of glitter stems, berries, foliage, greenery etc. When coordinated with your decor's style and color scheme, they help create a cohesively-themed tree look with a real designer flair. 

What are Christmas Picks used for?

1.) Tree Topper

If you have shopped with us before, you likely know that we LOVE big and full spray toppers! These are comprised of a variety of Christmas sprays inserted around the pole at the top of your tree. These are some inspiration shots from our retail store this year. 

In order to recreate these looks, you will want to consider the following: 

• Choose between 4-5 styles of sprays for the top. All of these styles should have height to them. 
• Shorter sprays are great as fillers in garlands and wreaths, but will not work well in the top of your tree where the goal is to extend the height above the actual greenery of your Christmas tree. 
• When choosing styles, look for sprays that provide differing textures and colors. 
• You will insert your sprays, one style at a time, making sure to run the stems straight along the pole. 
• The individual branches of the sprays are wired, so once they are inserted in the top, you can bend the branches to create the look you want. 

Once you have nailed down the styles you would like to use, we recommend choosing 4-7 pieces of each style, depending how full you would like for your topper to be. 

Designer Tip: Most 7.5'-9' trees in our retail store use 5-7 pieces per style for a total of 30-35 sprays. A 12' tree can accommodate up to 12 pieces per style in the top. 

For my friends that are visual learners, we've got you! Watch this easy-to-follow tutorial video to learn how to create this look. 

For a simple solution, the following pieces make up our Mrs. Claus' Kitchen Gingerbread Tree Topper Kit — which can be purchased on our online store! It includes 5 pieces each of all 5 styles shown below. 

2.) Filler Sprays

You have likely noticed that most designer trees are not comprised of all ornaments, but rather utilize a variety of Christmas sprays throughout the body of the tree. They can be combined in groupings of florals and sprays to make what we call clusters or inserted as single stems wherever you have holes in your tree. When grouped together, they take up larger areas of your tree, filling in more space and creating lots of texture and dimension. 

This is an example of a floral cluster consisting of 2 florals and 2 sprays — the bright red berry and the wispy white cedar pick.  

Designer Tip: A good rule of thumb with clusters is to aim for one cluster per foot of tree, in addition to a variety of single stem sprays. For example, a 7.5' tree might include 7 clusters and maybe 3-6 styles of single stem sprays, with 7 pieces each of those as well, scattered throughout the body of the tree.

We love the use of sprays for the texture they provide! Here are some examples of what your tree can look like with the use of Christmas sprays. Of course, we always recommend adapting these designs to your own personal styles and preferences. 

(via Cuter Tudor)

(Via Just Destiny Mag)

3.) Insert in Wreaths and Garlands

Another way to utilize sprays are to insert them into your wreaths, garlands, and teardrops. Again, these create the texture and dimension that give your designs the WOW factor! Pick a couple styles and use 5-7 pieces of each style- along with your flowers, ornaments and ribbon. 

Designer Tip: The Dewberry is one of our favorite pieces to use in wreaths and garlands due to its airy texture and short stem. These come in a variety of colors. 

Utilizing the Christmas Spray and Picks in Your Home Decor

We just love how Christmas sprays bring life to your Christmas trees, garlands, wreaths, and Christmas tree toppers! When you start finding the right sprays and Christmas flowers for your look, you will never go back. We can't wait to see all your Christmas decor designs — be sure to use hashtag #DWChristmas on social to share your newest looks for the season. 

Use our handy "Secret Recipe to Tree Decorating" to guide you as your shop for your Christmas tree decor.