Every year the same question comes up as the boxes come down from the attic. What color is the tree this time? Red and white keeps winning because it looks cheerful in daylight and glows at night.
The pairing is also far more flexible than it sounds. It can be playful like a candy shop, calm like a Nordic cabin, or formal like a Victorian parlor. These 14 trees show the full range. Pick one look and commit to it, since red and white works best when nothing else sneaks in.
Short on time? For the fastest results, try ideas 2, 5, and 11, which use things you can buy or find in one trip. Images are AI-generated illustrations.
Candy Cane Stripe Ribbon Spiraled Top to Bottom
One wide red and white striped ribbon winds around a green tree from tip to floor. Five evenly spaced loops make it look like a barber pole. Plain white balls fill the green bands between.
Spirals lead the eye around the whole tree, so even the back corner feels dressed. Stripes do the pattern work, which lets the ornaments stay simple. Pin the ribbon to branch tips with floral wire every foot, pulling it snug so it does not sag.
Copy it: Buy 30 feet of 4 inch ribbon for a 7 foot tree. (about 30 minutes, cost $$)
Real Candy Canes and Peppermint Lollipops
Dozens of real candy canes hook over the branch tips of a green fir. Round peppermint swirl lollipops stand upright among them like tiny signs. Warm white lights make the cellophane wrappers glint.
Edible ornaments cost a few dollars a box and delight every child who visits. Guests can pick one off on the way out. Leave the wrappers on, since bare candy turns sticky in a warm room and draws ants.
Copy it: Pick up four boxes of candy canes on your next store run. (about 20 minutes, cost $)
Nordic Red Hearts and White Paper Snowflakes
Red felt hearts with white stitching hang across a full fir. Between them float white paper snowflakes cut in six point patterns. A string of small red and white flags zigzags down the front.
Scandinavian trees feel homemade and calm, never flashy. Felt and paper weigh almost nothing, so thin branches hold them easily. Cut the snowflakes from coffee filters, which are already round and thin enough for sharp scissors.
Copy it: Cut ten coffee filter snowflakes while you watch a movie tonight. (about 1 hour, cost $)
Red Gingham Rag Garland
A garland of torn red gingham strips wraps the tree in soft, shaggy loops. Each strip is knotted onto a long cord, tails sticking out. White enamel star ornaments dot the branches around it.
Fabric garlands add farmhouse texture that glass alone cannot. Tearing the cotton gives frayed edges with no sewing. Start with two yards of fabric torn into 1 by 6 inch strips, and knot them tight against each other on kitchen twine.
Copy it: Dig out an old gingham shirt or tablecloth to tear up. (about 1 hour, cost $)
White Tree With Clusters of Red Glass Balls
An all white artificial tree holds nothing but red glass balls. They hang in clusters of three, one large and two small, wired together. Glossy red against snowy branches looks sharp and modern.
Limiting the tree to one ornament color and one shape is bold and easy to shop for. Clusters fill space faster than singles, so fewer are needed. Wire each trio together before you start, then hang them deep and shallow for depth.
Copy it: Count your red balls and sort them into large and small. (about 40 minutes, cost $$)
Popcorn and Cranberry Strings on a Fresh Fir
Long strings of white popcorn and red cranberries drape in swags around a fresh cut fir. The pattern repeats: five popcorn, three berries. Tiny white lights glow underneath.
This is the classic that grandparents remember, and it still looks charming. Stringing is slow, happy work for a family night. Use day old popcorn, which threads without crumbling, and keep the tree stand filled with water so the needles stay fresh and safe near the lights.
Copy it: Pop a big bowl of plain popcorn tonight and leave it out to go stale. (about 2 hours, cost $)
Red Poinsettia Blooms With White Berry Sprays
Big red faux poinsettia blooms sit tucked into the branches like flowers on a bush. Sprays of white berries arc out beside each one. Nearly twenty blooms cover the tree from top to bottom.
Poinsettias are large, so they fill a tree faster than any ornament. Flowers also soften the stiff cone shape. Push each stem deep toward the trunk and bend the bloom forward, which hides the wire and any gaps.
Copy it: Count the bare spots on your tree to know how many blooms to buy. (about 25 minutes, cost $$)
Mini Knit Mittens and Sweaters
Tiny knitted mittens, sweaters, and stocking caps in red and white hang from every branch. Snowflake and stripe patterns cover them. Plain white lights are the only other decoration.
Knits bring a cozy cabin feeling that shiny ornaments cannot give. Soft pieces are also safe with toddlers and pets underfoot. Trace small mitten shapes on the sleeves of an old sweater, stitch two together, and add a yarn loop.
Copy it: Set aside one old red or white sweater to cut up. (about 1 hour, cost $)
Red Cardinals Perched in Cotton Snow
A dozen red feathered cardinals clip onto the branches of a green tree. Pulled cotton batting lies along the boughs like fresh snowfall. White lights twinkle under the cotton.
Cardinals in snow are a scene straight from a winter backyard. Bright birds stand out best when everything around them is white or green. Tear the batting thin so it looks like drifted snow, and keep it off any bulbs that feel warm.
Copy it: Pull a bag of cotton batting into thin, wispy strips. (about 30 minutes, cost $$)
Red Toile Fabric Balls
Round ornaments covered in red and white toile fabric hang across the tree. Pastoral scenes of trees and cottages show on each one. Thin red satin loops hold them to the branches.
Toile gives a red and white tree a dressed up, old world mood. Covering plain balls with fabric costs far less than buying patterned ones. Glue small squares of cloth onto each ball in layers, smoothing every piece as you go.
Copy it: Find half a yard of red toile fabric or a set of toile napkins. (about 2 hours, cost $)
Vintage Red and White Quilt as the Tree Skirt
A red and white patchwork quilt is bunched around the base of the tree. Its star blocks fan out across the floor. Presents in white paper with red string rest on the folds.
The base is half of what you see from the sofa. Quilts add pattern and hide the stand better than a thin skirt. Fold the quilt in a loose ring instead of cutting it, and it goes back on the bed in January.
Copy it: Check the linen closet for any red and white quilt or blanket. (about 10 minutes, cost $)
Paper Honeycomb Balls and Red Fans
White paper honeycomb balls in three sizes hang among the branches. Red accordion fans, each folded into a full circle, sit between them. Matte paper gives the whole tree a soft, crafted look.
Paper ornaments are light, cheap, and fold flat after the holidays. Large shapes mean you need only about thirty to fill a tree. Make fans from wrapping paper folded in half inch pleats, then staple the middle and glue the edges together.
Copy it: Fold one fan from leftover wrapping paper to test the size. (about 1 hour, cost $)
White Pom Pom Garland With Red Berry Stems
A garland of white yarn pom poms swoops around the tree like a string of snowballs. Stems of bright red berries stick out from the branches at angles. No other ornaments are needed.
Two elements are enough when one is round and one is spiky. Berry stems add a wild, gathered feeling. Wrap yarn around a fork fifty times, tie the middle, and snip the loops to make each pom pom.
Copy it: Grab a dinner fork and one skein of white yarn. (about 90 minutes, cost $)
White Doves and Red Velvet Roses
White feathered doves perch across the tree, wings spread. Deep red velvet roses bloom between them, tucked close to the trunk. Clear glass drops catch the light.
Victorian trees were romantic, and this version brings that mood back. Roses and doves suit a formal living room or a bedroom tree. Place the doves near the top looking down, as if they just landed, and group the roses in twos.
Copy it: Decide which room this tree is for before you shop. (about 35 minutes, cost $$)
When to Set This Up
Tree decisions happen now, so choose your look before you shop and buy ribbon and ornaments while stores are still stocked. Settle on one red, since cherry and burgundy fight each other on the same branches.
Skip These Mistakes
- Mixing orange reds with blue reds, which makes the tree look mismatched instead of planned.
- Adding gold, silver, and green ornaments until the red and white theme disappears.
- Using cool white lights with warm red ornaments, which turns the red flat and pink.
Quick Answers
What goes with red and white on a Christmas tree? Green from the tree itself is all the third color you need. Natural textures like wood, paper, cotton, and knits fit well. A small amount of clear glass adds sparkle without changing the palette.
Should a red and white tree have more red or more white? Pick one to lead. On a green tree, let white lead so the red pops. For a white or flocked tree, let red lead for contrast.
How do you make a candy cane Christmas tree? Spiral a red and white striped ribbon from top to bottom. Add real candy canes on the branch tips and plain white balls between. Finish with warm white lights.
Red and white has lasted for generations because it simply looks like Christmas. Choose the version that suits your home, sweet, simple, or grand, and enjoy it all month. If bows are more your style, see the velvet bow Christmas tree ideas next.
Read Next
- 12 Tinsel Christmas Tree Ideas That Bring Back the Sparkle
- 14 Flocked Christmas Tree Ideas for a Snowy, Quiet Look
- 12 Velvet Bow Christmas Tree Ideas That Do All the Work
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