How to decorate a Christmas tree for less!

Quick version: How to decorate a Christmas tree, and how to get all your decorations for less!

We all want the perfect Christmas tree that coordinates with our homes, themes, or style – and to be honest, sometimes it's hard to know where to start. On top of that, trees and decor can get so pricey in addition to all the gifts you're buying for the holiday season!

No need to fear because Walmart is your one-stop-shop this season for decor, and I've created a list of tips and easy steps that'll help you decorate the most beautiful Christmas tree that fits YOUR vision and style. Major bonus: everything's super affordable and cute! Now, let's bring the Christmas magic and get started.

Christmas Tree
Tree Collar
Beaded Garland
Pre-lit Garland, Eucalyptus Garland
Candlesticks
Ribbon
Star
Silver Ornament, Pinecone Ornament, Wooden Snowflake, Barn Ornament, Antler Ornament

In a hurry? Shop my picks below:

How to decorate a Christmas tree, tip #1: Buy a “pre-lit” tree

We've done allll kinds of trees – artificial Christmas trees, a real Christmas tree. The number one perk of going the artificial route is not having to string the Christmas lights! We used to get fresh trees from a local tree farm and love the nostalgia and magic it brings, but we're big fans of artificial now, too, because they're just so easy to store, they don't make a mess, and you can use them year after year. If you're not going to go the fresh tree route, then my #1 tip is for sure to get a pre-lit artificial tree!

We picked a pre-lit tree this year that's very realistic looking, and is also a little more expensive from Walmart. I love it because it was suuuper easy to install and it's so beautiful, and truly looks real! But if you're looking for a much less expensive Christmas tree with super high ratings, I found Walmart's most popular 6.5 foot pre-lit tree at $39! YES! THIRTY NINE DOLLARS!

Tip #2: Put your Christmas tree skirt/collar on before assembling the tree

My second tip on how to decorate a Christmas tree will also make decorating A LOT easier: before assembling your tree, put the tree skirt or tree collar on! Put your tree base down, then put the tree skirt or collar on it, and then start building the rest of the tree after that.

Tip #3: Wrap tree in garland

We used this wood beaded garland and I was so excited to find this from Walmart for a very inexpensive price because it's SO pretty and looks very nice and high-end on our Christmas tree. It was so popular that it sold out, but we found this beaded garland and this one, too, that you can use instead!

Tip #4: Put ornaments on big to small

We got these white and silver balls that are very big and super pretty and are only 4 for $20, so a super good deal for larger ornaments!

I also LOVE how these giant wood snowflakes looked on our tree, and for how huge they were they were also so affordable!

I recommend putting a few of these big ornaments on your tree and then stepping back to see where there are sparse areas and where it needs to be filled in to balance it out. Then start placing your medium-sized ornaments around your tree and step back to see how balanced it looks throughout.

The medium-sized ones we got are these really cute angels with feather wings, but they unfortunately sold out!! Here are some other pretty angel ornaments, though. And just continue doing this same method with your ornaments as they get smaller and smaller. Your small ornaments will just be little accents!

All of the ornaments I found at Walmart are so cute and high-end looking!! One of the things I look for when purchasing ornaments and really appreciate is when the hangers on the ornaments look nice and all of these ornaments have really nice looking ribbons or string! I really love the twine string hangers on a lot of ornaments and they make them look way higher quality.

TIP: If you have ornaments you love but don't like the hangers on them, you can replace the ornament hooks by stringing them with green floral wire! Sometimes ornaments with the plastic hangers make a tree look cheesy and cheap, so this tip will beautify and help elevate the quality of your tree.

Tip #5: Pick a Christmas tree theme

Since this tree was going in our primary bedroom (where Neil sleeps, too!) I thought it might be nice to give him a break from all the pink and girly themes I've picked over the years and and pick a themed tree that was more neutral and woodsy with accents of gold.

If you're ever having a hard time picking a color scheme, you can always go to Pinterest for inspo! A fun tip is to search wedding colors and search the one color you know you for sure want to use like red, and if you search something like “wedding colors that go with red,” a whole bunch of color combos will show up that you may not have thought about before. Or even search “Christmas trees” and you'll get some great inspiration there, too!

Tip #6: Tie ribbons at the tips of your branches

Tying ribbons either in square knots or bows throughout the tips of your branches is very popular right now and has been for a few years! It creates such an elevated and classy look with different layers and textures.

Tip #7: Use smart plug or power strip

My last tip is to use either a smart plug or a power strip so you can hook it up to your smart devices in your home like an Echo or Google Home. Having it hooked up to one of these makes it so much easier to turn on and off instead of having to climb over things or crouch behind the tree. It just makes things so much simpler with it being at the tip of your fingers!

BONUS tips for decorating your mantle:

We also decorated our mantle for the holiday season and layered one set of pre-lit garland. We also layered it with some pretty eucalyptus-looking garland and those two just look so nice layered together! Since the garland is pre-lit, it adds to the warm sparkle in our room.

I added a few battery-operated candle sticks to go on each end of the mantle and added some bells throughout, too! I even threw in this super cute and inexpensive little bottle brush tree set and put that up on one of our open shelves next to our whole setup and it looks like a cute mini tree farm! I love it so much!

All of the extras we used to do some Christmas decorating just makes everything so cheery and happy in this room. And it's been sooo nice because I spend almost all of my time in this room on bed rest right now!

How to decorate a Christmas tree: complete it with a star on top!

I have a really hard time finding super cute Christmas tree toppers, but this wood tree star is SO cute and I'm so impressed. The wood fit our theme perfectly, and instead of “the cherry on top,” it's literally and figuratively “the star on top!”