It's almost time to decorate the tree, ready for festivities to ensue. Look no further for inspiration than our curation of the must-have Christmas tree themes for 2025.
Decorating your Christmas tree is a fun and joyful experience to get you feeling festive, and whether you choose a real Christmas tree for your home or opt for an artificial tree in bright and bold hues, the possibilities are endless.
Christmas tree themes: 9 on-trend looks for 2025
The biggest Christmas tree themes for this year take into consideration the latest coordinated colour schemes, stylish baubles, and luxe lighting to decorate the tree like a professional.
1. Elegant bows
Cox & Cox have mastered the effortlessly elegant appeal of bows, with a range of satin decorations
Bows are bigger than ever for Christmas 2025. From trees to mantels, elegantly laced ribbons are the most coveted finishing touch for any colour scheme. Bows are so big in fact that they are a decorating Christmas tree theme in their own right, with nothing else but lights required.
"Pre-tied bows ensure a perfect finish to embellish your tree," says the creative expert Danielle Le Vaillant, head of photography & film at Cox & Cox. "Choose colours to complement your existing scheme.
"Or make the bow the star of the show with giant satin bows in a single colour, as your tree’s sole ornament. Invest in jewel-toned velvet or silk ribbons to create bows around crisp linen napkins on the Christmas table for low-key luxury."
Luckily, we've perfected the art of tying the perfect bow with ribbon for making DIY decorating even easier.
RRP: £20 for a set of 4 | This set of four elegant white satin bows offers a beautifully understated way to introduce bows to your tree; however, the oversized elements help to make them feel more impactful.
RRP: £13.99 | When fashioning DIY bows, it always helps to use wired ribbon because it creates a more rigid frame that holds a better bow silhouette. This gold-edged ribbon is 6.3cm wide to make hearty bows to dress your tree from top to bottom.
RRP: £20 for a set of 4 | Disco bows are the perfect way to add some seasonal sparkle. To capitalise on the bow trend, retailers are embracing bows in more jazzy materials to ensure there's a style to suit all tastes.
2. Merry & Bright
Both Next and Dunelm are excelling this year in the realm of beautifully bold decorations
Some would say that Christmas is the ideal time to be bold with colour choices because it's not permanent, so for those people, there are merry and bright Christmas tree themes to embrace bold hues for the holidays.
Create a gradient effect with different hues of your favourite shades, or go all out with bold and bright. Finish the look with fairy lights and an oversized tree topper.
Amongst the celebration of rainbow colours are the novelty characters too. With glass decorations in the shape of everything from air fryers to singing Santa, this look is all about making us smile.
Whether decorating an alpine spruce or a snowy white tree, add bright and colourful ornaments and accessories to bring a playful pop of colour to your festive space. A bohemian mix of jewel-toned brights to welcome a kaleidoscope of festive colour, all of which will emit a warm glow when illuminated by the tree lights.
RRP: £4 | Interior design expert Sophie Robinson has curated a collection of decorations for Dunelm that are a riot of rainbow-bright colours in assorted finishes and patterns. This statement-swirled bauble is sure to make a statement.
RRP: £12.50 | Add a bright mix of satin ribbons to the ends of your tree branches to make the rainbow colours really stand out.
RRP: £10 | Tinsel is back! Draping a length of rainbow-coloured tinsel adorned with bright baubles is an easy way to add bold colours to your festive decorating scheme.
3. Understated minimalism
At the other end of the spectrum, the understated trend continues to dominate. With the busy world outside, many of us have come to embrace the “less is more” mindset when it comes to our homes.
Incorporate this into your holiday decorating and opt for a minimalist Christmas tree theme that makes just the right style statement without overwhelming your living space.
A deep green fir tree is best, decorated with simple ornaments, warm twinkling lights, and a wicker Christmas tree skirt to add a stylish yet simple finishing touch.
RRP: £18.99 | Covering the base with one of the best tree skirts helps to simplify things by hiding the bucket of a real tree and the feet of an artificial tree. This white-washed woven design is the ideal solution for a thoughtfully decorated minimalist tree.
RRP: £16.99 | When you're keeping the decorations minimal, you can afford to go extra on the lights. Adding an abundance of lights, such as this set of 19.3m of gold lights, is enough decoration in itself to add sparkle and warmth.
RRP: £15 | This jute star is the epitome of understated chic. Even if you choose not to have any statement decorations on your minimalist tree, a simple rustic star is still a welcome way to top things off.
4. Heritage charm
Modern country and rustic home decor will always remain hugely popular as a simple, laid-back style that lends itself to a traditional Christmas decorating scheme.
Incorporate this trend with homespun accessories like handmade garlands, rattan Christmas tree topper ideas, and plenty of earth-toned, muted hues. Warm lights are a must for this look, to emulate the soft glow of ambient candlelight and roaring fires which are synonymous with country style.
RRP: £10 | This understated velvet tree topper offers a simple yet stylish finishing touch for any traditional Christmas tree theme.
RRP: £25 | Hide any unattractive tree base perfectly with a little help from this attractive rustic tree skirt. The scallop edge of this woven design adds an extra touch of heritage charm.
RRP: £18.99 | Warm lights are an essential ingredient when dressing a rustic Christmas tree theme because they need to exude warmth to get the look right.
5. Vintage gold
For a classic festive decorating scheme that exudes sophistication, opt for a vintage gold Christmas tree theme. If you're wondering how to decorate a Christmas tree with this metallic scheme, consider glass ornaments, metallic ribbons, stars, and hints of sparkle.
For most, a gold look is unapologetically glam, but you can also make it feel more muted if you choose matte gold finishes, rather than shiny, attention-grabbing gold Christmas decorations.
RRP: £2.50 | Add understated glam to your tree with the addition of this embossed metal decoration. Sold individually means you can add as little or as many as you desire.
RRP: £14.50 | Welcome gold and glitter in abundance with this pack of 21 decorations. The assorted selection of gold finishes is ideal for adding an understated glam touch to a gold Christmas tree.
RRP: £2 | Cover all gold bases with this corsage-like display of festive leaves and foliage. Dotting a few of these statement decorations throughout the tree is enough to add intrigue without overwhelming the look.
6. Scaled-back Scandi style
When the minimalist style is too little but the other schemes feel too much, there are always Scandi influences to set the scene with ease.
The casual Scandi trend is perfect for those who favour a reduced colour palette and natural textures. Imperfect linens and rustic ceramics lend a calming aesthetic that appeals to the senses.
This laidback trend works well in a neutrally decorated room and is a great way to create a cosy feel despite the pared-back styling. It's subtle but stylish.
RRP: £15 | This set of 4 delicate porcelain bird decorations adds a subtle nod to Christmas traditions. The jute hanging ribbon adds a lovely rustic touch.
RRP: £9.99 for a pack of 8 | Simple, understated yet effortlessly stylish, these paper honeycomb tree decorations are the epitome of Scandinavian style.
RRP: £5 | This delightful baby penguin would make an adorable addition to a paired-back Scandi-inspired tree.
7. Nordic woodland
Inspired by nature, this year’s emerging festive trend celebrates the natural beauty of winter woodland, keeping decoration colours neutral or derived from nature.
This Christmas tree theme captures the essence of woodland charm but is simplistic and accessible in nature. Mixing earthy neutrals and touches of frosty snowy whites creates a soothing and enchanting look.
The tree, whether real or artificial, welcomes classic festive greenery, but the complementary tones of oatmeal, verdant greens, and pale wood elevate the look and make it feel more contemporary.
RRP: £4.50 | Amazing value, this pack of 20 assorted baubles has everything you need to achieve this Christmas tree theme - with green, gold and champagne-coloured decorations.
RRP: £10 for a pack of 3 | This beautifully crafted set of wooden mushroom tree decorations baubles is designed to add a touch of nature-inspired charm to a natural Christmas tree theme. The glitter tops add a touch of understated glam.
RRP: £16.50 | Go glam and green with this elegant set of 21 glass baubles including matte, gloss and transparent finishes in rich spruce green shades – all in a selection of three sizes and feature gold caps.
8. Dark drama
This stylish tree trend embraces the love of brooding dark tones but takes it beyond the stark contrast of purely black and white.
While pairing the traditional monochrome colours together this year, the trend welcomes light-up decorations to pop against the dark background. Elevate the monochrome look further by adding touches of gold and sparkle.
RRP: £12 | Light up the darkness with this rather elegant LED bow tree topper.
RRP: £16 for a set of 50 | This generous set of baubles feels like a delicious display of Liquorice Allsorts.
RRP: £12 for a set of 3 | These paper decorations are simple yet striking thanks to the light and shade of white and black being seamlessly interwoven.
9. Frosted silver
On the opposite side of the metallic colour scale is silver for an icier approach to using gilded tones. From frosted silver trees to glitzy decorations and cold-hued lights, a silver Christmas tree theme gives a more polished look ideal for contemporary glam decor.
From matt pewter tones to high-shine silver baubles and glitter-covered ornaments a mix of silver touches adds depth to this effortlessly cool theme. Silver can be effortlessly supported by white decorations that add to the snowy, iced aspect of the colour palette.
FAQs
What are the most popular Christmas tree themes?
One of the most popular and traditional Christmas tree themes is red and gold. This classic choice provides a timeless style that will look great in any space. Some of the best Christmas decorations come in these colourways too, so you won't be short on choices.
This colour scheme is best suited to a natural-looking fir tree to welcome a touch of green foliage, which acts as an accent colour. And because the look is more traditional, you can add woodland touches via the decorations to create a cosy cabin feel that adds to the ambience.
Snow-tipped Christmas trees have been the other most popular Christmas tree theme in recent years. This look ensures a white Christmas is a reality, whatever the weather.
With a snowy Christmas tree, it’s best to keep things simple – just add warm string lights and white or pastel ornaments to bring everything together. You can also work this Christmas tree theme into your Christmas centrepiece ideas, too, for a pulled-together holiday decor scheme.
How to choose a Christmas tree theme for your home
When choosing a Christmas tree theme, you should consider your overall design aesthetic and opt for pieces that you can use year after year, minimising overall cost and waste. Rachel Epstein, design specialist and creative director of CARME Home says that it's important to think about existing themes when choosing a tree.
"Christmas trees are a standout feature of the home and so you'll want to choose a theme that complements your interiors without clashing with your décor. The main things to consider when choosing a theme are the colour and lighting," she tells Woman & Home. "The colour of the decorations should complement your tree as well as the rest of the room.
"For lighting, stick with your current lighting tones, so if you have warm lighting, go for warm lights. Contrasting lighting is a big no!"
Rachel says that a fashionable and cosy Christmas tree is "essentially a balancing act". Each time you place a decoration, try to coordinate where the next one will go and think about the size, colour, and texture of the items.
"Start with your standout decorations and place them in the prime locations, making sure that each section of the tree has a good standout bauble. A great tip to make your tree look taller is to hang any large decorations at the bottom and keep going smaller towards the top," she notes.
"A classic mistake people always make is forgetting about the tinsel or lights! Place these on first and then your decorations, there's nothing worse than weaving lights in and out of your filled-up Christmas tree."
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