25 Best Artificial Christmas Trees of 2021

Shop Now: 2″ Wide French Velvet Ribbon, $8, Etsy

A tree skirt is a must 

A dead giveaway—no pun intended—that your tree’s a fake is the base: that plastic, mechanical-esque tree stand. Cover that up with a festive tree skirt (or basket!) as you would a live tree.

Shop Now: Scroll Quilted Velvet Tree Skirt, $129, West Elm

Wrap the trunk of the tree in lights

If your tree doesn’t have pre-strung lights, head to the holiday aisle for some white or multicolored lights. They’ll draw the eye to the center of the tree and takes the attention off the branches. Besides, you can never have too many lights during the holiday season. 

Shop Now: LED String Lights, $22, West Elm

Add in the live tree cuttings 

This tip is genius: Bolster the PVC branches with small sprigs of real evergreen before you decorate. Green floral wire is your friend here. Starting closer to the trunk of your artificial tree, adjoin a small, real sprig to a fake branch with a few twists of wire. Repeat as often as you’d like, scattering the pieces consistently around your tree. You’ll get that amazing smell of the season with a fraction of the needles. Visit your local nursery for scrap evergreen, or find options on Etsy like these. (They’re also great additions to wreaths!)

Shop Now: Fresh Evergreen Cuttings, $44, Etsy

Consider adding in flowers 

Choose big, sturdy blooms and tuck them into the gaps in your artificial Christmas tree once it’s fully decorated. You can go faux, or use real flowers (which you can keep fresher longer by housing stems in water tubes, as florists do).

Shop Now: Mini Magnolias (Set of 12), $129, Balsam Hill