Make a huge difference on your sparse tree with these easy ideas for Christmas tree fillers.
Don't leave your tree bare this holiday season with unsightly gaps and skimpy branches. It's time to start thinking about Christmas tree decorations! If your tree suffers from bare spots, let me help you achieve a full tree this year with simple and affordable solutions.
With a few simple fillers, you can create an eye-catching holiday display that will be the envy of all your guests. From festive plants to homemade ornaments, there are endless possibilities when it comes to choosing decorations to fill your Christmas tree branches. To help you bring your tree to life this season, let's take a look at the best 9 Christmas tree filler ideas for a beautiful finishing touch.
9 Simple Ideas for Christmas Tree Fillers
Whether you choose to put up an artificial Christmas tree or a real tree, it's common to run into the same problem each year. How am I going to create a fuller appearance with visual appeal? It's hard to know what type of decorations to add to your tree to create the most full and natural look. Luckily, these 9 decor ideas can help with the solution!
Use Oversize Ornaments
One of the best hacks for filling in empty space on your tree is simply purchasing larger ornaments. Considering basics for size, large ornaments will always take up more space on a branch and so they are a good option for eliminating additional fill-ins that are smaller. Plus, more budget friendly because you will need less of them for Christmas tree fillers.
Another great way to cut down on cost is to find some cheap oversized ornaments that are hideous. Yep, you read that right. Ugly ornaments will usually cost significantly less or be on sale. You can easily grab a can of spray paint and spray the ornaments to match with your coordinating color scheme.
These large decorative balls take up a lot of space while adding fun elements of different textures. I opted to use a big size instead of adding in smaller ornaments on this tree and I love the unique look created.
Incorporate Ribbon
If you really need a thrifty tree filler, use ribbon. There are so many fun styles and patterns and you can reuse ribbon year after year. Ribbon has many options when decorating a tree. You can use thinner ribbon for tying on ornaments instead of traditional hooks. This gives your tree a more elegant look.
Wide ribbon is nice for weaving throughout the tree. There are a few different ways to do this, depending on the look you like. If you love the waterfall cascading effect, here is a video tutorial on how to create that design with Christmas tree ribbon.
Another option is to take your ribbon and go vertical all the way around the tree, like you would do with a garland. This will make the tree seem wider, which can be a nice illusion if you have an especially slim Christmas tree.
You can also cut individual pieces of ribbon into sections of a few feet each. Weave these in and out into various parts of the tree. Overlap them for a fun effect and use different patterns, like I did with this buffalo check themed tree.
Another tree look I love is to layer ribbon. Create this style by overlapping a thin ribbon on top of a wider one. It's an easy way to bring in additional color or pattern with a textured effect. You can also use ribbon to tie bows or knots onto individual branches.
And don't forget to use a few strands of ribbon to decorate your Christmas gifts! This can easily become another part of your decor under your tree.
Christmas Tree Filler Stems
One of my absolute favorite filler options is using winter stems. Stems and branches are perfect for creating a balanced look and incorporating more of a natural element into your tree decor. Stems are simple to add and reusable each year.
These are some of the most universal stems for holiday tree decorating:
- Poinsettias - perfect floral picks for throwing in a pop of color. These usually can be found in red, silver, white and gold and sometimes other colors, depending on your color palette. They spread out wide, taking up lots of space.
- Pine branches and evergreens - if your tree is pretty bare and you love the au natural look, don't be afraid to throw in a few of these to make your tree seem more full.
- Flocked branches or stems - these are awesome if you want to add some of the snow-covered look to your Christmas tree theme but don't have a flocked tree.
- Berry branches - these are a great choice if you want to elongate any part of your tree. Also, I love the bright red color that can be added to almost anything and look fantastic. You can even find these frosted.
- Eucalyptus - If you want to stick with greenery but don't want to add any more pine needles, this is a good choice. It's a softer look and lighter green, adding beautiful dimension to the entire tree.
Hang Up a Variety of Ornaments
Ornaments are not a necessity, but most people love to add in at least a few traditional ones to help with adding color. They can also create reflective light that bounces off your Christmas tree lights. Hence all the sparkle and shimmer!
I like to include traditional round shape ball ornaments in fun styles. But I am not opposed to including fun shapes or characters, like in my son's Avenger themed tree.
And I love to try making new ornaments every season. These DIY copycat mercury glass ornaments are some of my most popular! They are awesome because you can cut the cost way down making them yourself. Plus, who doesn't love some extra shimmer and shine on their tree? Another option are these DIY velvet lookalike ornaments that are simple and easy to assemble.
Regardless of different sizes, a good rule of thumb is to make sure to hang your ornaments in clusters of three. Bunching them together instead of hanging them individually will make your tree look fuller. And you can cluster any style or shape too.
Add Snowflakes
If you love adding a unique flair, why not try out two dimensional or three dimensional snowflakes? I love using snowflakes because of the general winter theme associated.
You can use giant snowflakes to really create a fun focal point on your tree, or you can find small snowflakes that are more of an ornament size and add some sparkle. Either way, snowflakes will add the perfect touch of winter to your family tree.
Garland Christmas Tree Fillers
Consider using extra garland on your Christmas tree. Like ribbon, Christmas tree garlands can be used for a few different things. Use garland and wind it or loop it around your tree. Hang it on a fireplace mantel. Add to a banister. Or you can even add it as table decor for a coffee table. Whichever way you decide to use it, garland is very helpful in creating a solid base on a tree.
Plus, there are a lot of types!
- Wooden bead garland
- Tinsel garland
- Evergreen garlands
- Ribbon garland
- DIY felt ball garland - I did these ones below! They are super easy to make yourself and customize. But if you don't want to make anything, you can also order some super cute holiday themed garland too.
- Berry garland
- Flocked garland
- Flower garland
Use Signs for Christmas Tree Fillers
Love art? Use small signs or printable art in your tree decor. And no, I'm not just referring to your kids' Christmas projects. Small Christmas pictures can be perfect for tree decor. These are easy to prop up in tree branches as long as they are not too oversized. Or, turn your artwork into a hanging small ornament for a unique look.
Word Cutouts
Many of you know that I used to own a word cutout business. My holiday writing was so fun to add in for Christmas tree fillers or gift packaging. Nowadays, you can find all sorts of holiday word cutouts on Amazon. Leave them in the neutral wood coloring or add a simple layer of paint to match your tree theme. You can turn them into ornaments or leave them as is and style along the tree branches.
I used a "merry & bright" cutout here for the top of the tree. The one on my tree was done in my own handwriting, but unfortunately I don't design cutouts anymore. A word cutout is a good option if the top is looking skimpy. If you don't know what to do with this area, take a look here for more options on creating a tree topper.
Christmas Tree Filler Bells
Of all the great ideas for adding Christmas tree fillers, bells certainly ring high on the list. Christmas bells are a timeless classic that can be added to any decorations in your home. I have used them on my fireplace mantel in my garland, along my front door, along my staircase garland and in my tree.
Bells are great for either blending in or providing an appealing pop of imagery. I used these brass looking bells and bunched them together in my brown and green tree for this year.
And I love these red bells that I used for a tree topper. The vibrant red hue really pops against the flocked tree. I even added a few silver bells into the tree and along the mantel garland.
Christmas tree fillers are the perfect way to make a statement and show your holiday spirit. From out-of-the-ordinary ornaments to creative shapes and sizes, these small elements of Christmas will make your tree look terrific. It is important to find the right balance between aesthetics and practicality to make sure you have the right look. Whether you choose handmade, unique ornaments, or a more traditional variety, don't forget to keep it simple and comfortable for a touch of holiday magic.
Happy Decorating!
Brooke
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