12 Velvet Bow Christmas Tree Ideas That Do All the Work

Ruby Red Velvet Bows and Nothing Else

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A full green tree wears only ruby red velvet bows and warm white lights. About thirty bows sit evenly spaced, from the top to the lowest branch. No balls, no garland, just plush red against green.

One repeat element reads as calm and rich instead of busy. Space the bows in a loose zigzag, not straight rows, so the eye moves around the tree. Ready made bows work, but tying your own costs less and looks fuller.

Copy it: Buy two 10 yard spools of red velvet ribbon and tie a test bow before you buy more. (about an hour, cost $$)

Burgundy Bows With Tails Streaming Down the Branches

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Burgundy velvet bows sit near the outer tips, each with tails nearly 2 feet long. The tails fall straight down over the branches below. From a distance, the tree looks wrapped in soft red stripes.

Long tails fill space that would need dozens of ornaments. Cut each end in a sharp V so the velvet hangs heavy and clean. Fewer bows, maybe fifteen, are enough with tails this long.

Copy it: Tie one bow with 2 foot tails and hang it at the top to test the drop. (about 45 minutes, cost $$)

Blush Pink Velvet Bows on a Snowy Flocked Tree

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A snowy flocked tree holds soft blush pink velvet bows. Small rose gold balls tuck in between them. The pink looks warm, not sugary, against the white branches.

Flocking makes pale colors show up, while green would swallow them. Choose a dusty blush with a hint of brown so it looks grown up. This pairing suits a bedroom or a cream living room with brass lamps.

Copy it: Hold a ribbon sample against your tree in daylight and at night before you commit. (about an hour, cost $$)

Emerald Velvet Bows Over Gold Glass Balls

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Deep emerald velvet bows sit on a green tree, tone on tone. Shiny gold glass balls hang right under each bow. The gold pops, and the bows add a soft, shadowy texture.

Green on green sounds odd, but velvet reads darker and richer than needles. Pair every bow with one gold ball so the tree has a clear rhythm. It suits dark rooms where red would feel loud.

Copy it: Pull every gold ball from your bins and count them, then buy ribbon for that many bows. (about 45 minutes, cost $$)

Red Bows Graduated From Big to Small

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Big 8 inch bows ring the bottom of the tree. Midway up, they shrink to 6 inches, and at the top they are only 4. Everything is the same deep red velvet.

Grading sizes tricks the eye into seeing a taller tree. Use two ribbon widths, wide below and narrow above, to make it easy. Keep the spacing a little tighter near the top.

Copy it: Make three cardboard templates in 8, 6, and 4 inch widths and wrap your loops around them. (about an hour, cost $$)

Champagne Velvet Bows Linked by Pearl Strands

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Champagne velvet bows sit on a green tree with strands of faux pearls looping between them. The pearls swag gently from bow to bow. It looks like soft jewelry draped on the branches.

Pearls connect the bows, so the tree feels finished without many ornaments. Hook each pearl strand behind a bow knot to hide the ends. Ivory lights, not cool white, keep the champagne from going gray.

Copy it: Buy three long faux pearl garlands and drape one across the front to see the swag. (about 45 minutes, cost $$)

Midnight Navy Bows With Silver Stars

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Navy velvet bows dot a green tree, almost black in low light. Small silver stars hang between them on thin thread. The tree looks like a winter night sky.

Blue velvet is a fresh twist for anyone tired of red. Silver keeps it crisp, and frosted lights add a cold sparkle. Tuck a few bows deeper inside so the tree has depth, not just a surface layer.

Copy it: Order navy velvet ribbon this week, and cut paper stars wrapped in foil if silver ones are scarce. (about an hour, cost $$)

Giant Velvet Bow Topper With Floor Length Tails

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A huge red velvet bow crowns the tree. Its two tails run all the way down the front to the floor, splitting left and right. Nothing else on the tree needs to be loud.

Tails this long act like garland, framing the tree in two clean lines. Tuck them into the branches every foot or so, letting the velvet dip in and out. You need about 5 yards per tail for a 7 foot tree.

Copy it: Measure from the treetop to the floor, double it, and add a yard for the bow. (about 30 minutes, cost $$)

Layered Bows in Burgundy and Blush

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Each bow is really two bows stacked: a wide burgundy one with a smaller pink one on top. Together they look like a pretty present. Twenty of them cover a medium tree.

Layering two colors adds depth without adding clutter. Wire the small bow to the big one before you hang it, so they never slip apart. Try navy with cream or green with gold for other moods.

Copy it: Tie one wide bow and one narrow bow tonight, then twist them together with floral wire. (about an hour, cost $$)

Tiny Velvet Bows on a Kitchen Counter Tree

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A 2 foot tree on a kitchen counter wears a dozen tiny red velvet bows. Each bow is barely 3 inches across. Burlap wraps the base like a little sack.

Small trees look best with scaled down bows, never full size ones. Narrow 1 inch ribbon ties into neat little bows in seconds. Put one in the kitchen, one by the bed, and let the theme repeat.

Copy it: Cut twelve 14 inch pieces of narrow velvet ribbon and tie them while the coffee brews. (about 15 minutes, cost $)

Clip On Bows on a Real Noble Fir

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A real noble fir with stiff, spaced branches holds red velvet bows on small clips. The gaps between branches let each bow show clearly. Fresh pine scent fills the room.

Clips slide on and off without crushing the velvet, and they suit open branches. Water the tree every day and keep it away from heaters and candles. Bows can be reused next year if you store them flat in a shoebox.

Copy it: Get a pack of ornament clips and attach one to the back of each bow before you decorate. (about 40 minutes, cost $$)

White Wrapped Gifts With Matching Velvet Bows

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Presents under the tree wear the same red velvet bows as the branches. Plain white and cream paper keeps the focus on the velvet. Top to floor, the whole scene looks finished.

Matching gifts make a small tree look bigger and more planned. Save your ribbon scraps from the tree for the smaller boxes. Simple paper also costs less than printed rolls.

Copy it: Set aside one spool of ribbon just for gifts so you never run short mid wrap. (about an hour, cost $)

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