Slim Pencil Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

Decorating small spaces for the holiday season can be challenging. Full-sized trees take up a wide part of your floor area, leaving you with less room for celebrations. One stylish solution is to use a pencil Christmas tree. This holiday centerpiece stands out with a slender form from the tip down to its base. Its unique and narrow profile lets you draw up different decorating plans.

Treetopia pencil trees come with 5-year foliage and 2-year light warranties. Each of them comes with a tree stand that matches the foliage. Pre-lit ones feature a female socket affixed to the topmost branch for a lighted tree topper.

Here's a step-by-step decorating guide to help you get started:

How to Decorate a Pencil Christmas Tree: 6 Things to Consider

Keep reading for details on each step and gorgeous year-round decorating ideas from our creative friends.

Step 1: Pick a color palette and decorating theme.

What holiday are you decorating for? First, choose a decorating theme based on the occasion. Then, pick a color palette that suits your scheme.

Treetopia offers pencil Christmas trees in various colors and heights. Depending on the theme you have in mind, choose from traditional green or one in a vibrant and unique hue.

Green Pencil Christmas Trees

Pick a green pencil Christmas tree for a classic display. The timeless color spruces up any decorating theme. If you want some jazz, go for a pre-lit option with a warm, candle-like glow or one with festive jewel tones.

No. 2 Pencil Tree from Treetopia — No. 2 Pencil Christmas Tree

Colorful Pencil Christmas Trees

Choose a colorful tree that best represents the occasion. For example, use a pink or red pencil Christmas tree for Valentine's Day. Meanwhile, black is a foolproof choice for a scary flick-themed tree for Halloween. Choose versatile white to match more year-round occasions, including Easter and patriotic holidays.

Picture of a gold pencil Christmas tree — Struck Gold Pencil Christmas Tree

For a glam New Year or Christmas celebration, take your pick from a gold or silver pencil Christmas tree. If you're out to impress with a holiday display like no other, then dress up your space with pink.

Step up your decorating game with a pink pre-lit centerpiece. Treetopia's Pink Pumps Pencil Tree has just arrived. It features lush pink foliage and Clear LED lights. Light strings are connected within the trunk upon assembly. Thanks to the Quick Set technology, all it takes is a single plug to light it up. It also comes with an on/off foot pedal.

Tip: Stay tuned to the Treetopia blog and social media channels for more new arrivals! Or head straight to the website. Snag a new holiday centerpiece as early as now to avoid shipping delays this season.

Step 2: Use the 60-30-10 design rule as your guide.

Once you've chosen your pencil Christmas tree and theme, pick out your ornaments. When it comes to colors, the 60-30-10 rule of design is a good reference. The numbers represent the percentage of hues used on your tree.

According to this rule, ornaments in your primary color should make up 60% of your décor. Peg the secondary at 30% and allot the remaining 10% to your accent shade. Your main hues should complement each other with a unique one as the accent.

Green pencil Christmas tree with blue ornaments — Décor by All Things with Purpose

For instance, Sarah Lemp curated varying shades of teal as the main color of her ornaments. White served as secondary hue and traces of purple as accent. It all worked for her sparkly woodland-themed décor.

For a colorful tree, you can stick to the rule and select three shades for your palette. Another option is to consider the shade of the foliage as your main hue. Then, add two other colors to the mix.

Remember that the 60-30-10 rule is just a guide. At Treetopia, we're all for creative self-expression. The number one rule is to follow your own.

Step 3: Use three-dimensional decorations.

Here's the secret to decorating pencil Christmas trees: three dimensional ornaments. Mix and match pieces in various sizes and shapes to add volume to the tree's narrow profile.

Pink Christmas tree decorated with Texas-inspired ornaments — Pink Christmas tree by The Connoisseur of Cute

Lizzy of The Connoisseur of Cute decked out a Treetopia pink pencil tree inspired by South Texas. Isn't this a cute decorating idea for Christmas in July? She used 3D ornaments like colorful avocados, margaritas, and piñatas to add an illusion of depth.

Another layering strategy: distribute the ornaments according to size. Hang the smaller ones within the tree, nearest to the trunk, and then place the larger ones on the outer parts. Think of the inner part of the tree as the farther edge of your line of sight. Meanwhile, the outer is the closer plane.

Step 4: Decorate with ribbons and garlands.

Garnish your pencil Christmas tree décor with ribbons and garlands. They define the tree's slim profile by adding horizontal volume.

Picture of white pencil tree — Red, black, and white Christmas motif by Flamingo Toes

Bev of Flamingo Toes wound plaid ribbon around her white pencil Christmas tree. It tied her farmhouse theme together and emphasized the tree's unique shape. She used a red, black, and white color palette, which was a bright idea. The decorations stood out against the foliage.

A pencil tree inspired by Frankenstein — Green tree by Spooky Little Halloween

Moreover, garlands are one way to emphasize your decorating theme. Check out Miranda's green pencil tree inspired by Mary Shelley'sFrankenstein. She used book pages to make a garland of chains, a detail associated with the literary monster. Meanwhile, Sarah wrapped her gold tree in faux cobwebs to accentuate the spooky aspect of her elegant décor.

Step 5: Finish with a unique tree topper.

Bring visual interest to the highest point of your tree with a unique tree topper. Pick a statement-making piece that ties in with the rest of your decorating theme.

Black pencil tree beside a lounge chair — Mystical vibes pencil Halloween tree by Vickie Howell

Vickie Howell used a skeleton tree topper on a black pencil Christmas tree with a twist. Look closely and spot the sweater and meditation pose. It's fun, unique, and perfect for her mystical Halloween theme.

Palm leaves tree topper on a pink tree — South Texas tree topper by Lizzy

Meanwhile, Lizzy's palm tree topper contrasts with the pink foliage of her centerpiece. You already know it's a summer-themed display from afar. On the other hand, Miranda's lightning bolt has clean lines and angles that draw the eye. The top of a tree is a fitting location for Frankie's life force, don't you agree?

Step 6: Play matchy-matchy with your home décor.

Use your pencil Christmas tree to complement your home's aesthetic. Matching your tree's design to your interiors gives it bigger visual impact, especially in smaller spaces.

Green pencil tree beside the fireplace — Pencil Christmas tree theme by Pretty Life Girls

Liz and Sam of Pretty Life Girls kept it simple with white ornaments. These go with the room's interior. For a pop of color, they used a garland with brown accents and mantel décor in neutral shades.

By the Numbers: Helpful Hacks when Decorating a Pencil Christmas Tree

Sometimes, decorating needs a little math. Note these numbers down for when you put up your own pencil Christmas tree.

How many ornaments do you need for a pencil tree?

The number of ornaments needed depends on your tree's height and shape. For a 7-foot pencil Christmas tree, prepare about 105 small ornaments or 48 large ones. This excludes other decorative accents like tree picks and ribbons. For an estimate, use our Ornament Calculator below.

How many lights are needed for a pencil tree?

The number of lights you need also depends on your tree's height and shape. Going with the same example, a 7-foot pencil Christmas tree looks best with about 400 lights. Use our Christmas Tree Lights Calculator for an estimate.

Remember that there's no definite rule when it comes to decorating. This is meant to serve as a guide. Subtract or add more ornaments if you prefer. But keep in mind that your tree needs to be sturdy and large enough to safely support all your ornaments.

Space-saving Stunner: More Pencil Tree Decorating Ideas

There's much more you can do with a pencil Christmas tree. Check out this gallery of images shared by customers. Get inspired by their decorating themes that feature anime and movie classics. Also, get ideas on where to display your tree.

Pokémon tree beside a shelf of collectibles — Pokémon tree by Steven Gianaca

The unique profile of your pencil Christmas tree is an opportunity to be more inventive. Push your creative boundaries and make it all about "hue." As long as you stay true to your self-expression, your pencil tree decorating idea will always be on point.

We hope this guide helped you decorate your pencil Christmas tree. If it did, share it with friends who are looking for ways to jazz up their small spaces. Got any tree decorating ideas you want to share? Leave a comment below.