The Outdated Christmas Tree Decor Trend That Just Looks Tacky Now

Most of us can agree that decorating for Christmas is subjective and comes down to your personal style. If you love gold and silver, you might stick to ornaments in those colors. Or maybe you want to deck out your tree with antique ornaments. Choosing an ornament theme like sweet treats or going monochromatic are a few other popular ways people decorate for the holidays. But there is one Christmas tree trend designers say you should skip because it's starting to look a little tacky. We're talking about colored Christmas trees — you know, the bright pink ones or those metallic blues?

Apparently, colored Christmas trees just aren't hitting like they used to. Interior designer and founder of Bilal Rehman Studio, Bilal Rehman, tells Martha Stewart that while he's "all for personalization," the "neon pink and electric blue trees hitting shelves in mid-September" get a big "Absolutely not." He explains, "A Christmas tree should feel warm and intentional." So as much as you may love that baby-pink tree you saw online, it looks like the colored tree trend isn't exactly in anymore. TikTok tells the same story. If the posts aren't from 2023 or earlier, with a few 2024 videos sprinkled in, the blue tree videos are getting minimal views and likes, and the pink trees aren't doing much better. Sure, there are still a handful of people drooling over their colored Christmas trees, but the overall consensus? Colored Christmas trees: out. Traditional green trees: still in.

If you want your Christmas tree to exude a particular color, you can still make it happen without buying a colored tree. All you need is a classic green tree and the right lights and fun ornaments, maybe even some vintage Christmas baubles. Rehman even suggests this to Martha Stewart, saying, "A classic green tree is the perfect foundation for any direction you want to take," and that you shouldn't "mistake a brightly colored tree for a shortcut — the magic is always in the styling."

So how exactly do you style your tree if you want it brightly colored, without drifting into tacky? You can go with monochromatic decor so the tree still gives off that single-colored look. Or, if you want a truly colorful tree, as in tons of colors mixed together, you can simply switch up the color palette of the decor you use. You can even add string lights in one color if you're going monochromatic, mixed colors if you're going bold and colorful, or stick with white lights if you want your ornaments to be the (colorful) focal point. There's also tinsel and garland tinsel you can wrap around the tree to add even more color and texture. Achieving a classy but colorful Christmas tree is easy: choose one color as your theme or go all in with a mix of shades. Either way, a traditional green tree styled intentionally will look vibrant and festive.