9 Christmas Tree Trends for 2026, Including Why Grandma’s Glass Ornaments Are Back

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10/30/2026
9 Christmas Tree Trends for 2026, Including Why Grandma’s Glass Ornaments Are Back

My grandmother has decorated her tree the same way my whole life: lights first, then the glass birds, then exactly one strand of tinsel she says is for the cat. Every year I tell her that Christmas trees have trends now, and every year she asks what is wrong with birds. These 9 Christmas tree trends are what designers are putting up for 2026, and a few of them look like hers.

Tinsel Is Back: Thin Strands Hung Like It’s the ’90s Again

Tinsel spent years as the decoration people apologized for, and this season it is back. Interior designer Gregory Blake Sams told Apartment Therapy that “thin ribbons of real silver would be draped on Christmas trees so the candlelight would catch and shimmer.”

“An ‘old fashionEd’ Christmas”

My youngest daughter asked for an ‘old fashioned’ Christmas this year. So today we put up our rainbow tree, complete with tinsel. Added some rainbow foil ceiling hangings (some are my grandads from the 80s/90s) and some other old bits too.

We’re all really chuffed with our old fashioned Christmas look. Now onto our red and gold themed tree in the other room tomorrow!

She broke my heart when she said old fashioned and meant my childhood Christmas. I was thinking along the lines of Victorian times, not the 90s 🤣🤣🤣

Bubble Lights and Colored Bulbs Like a 1960s Living Room

After years of all-white trees, color is coming back, and so are bubble lights, the little glass tubes that start bubbling once they warm up. “They add an element of movement and are so very charming,” vintage holiday expert Bob Richter told Veranda.

“My tree is up!”

I only get incandescent lights! I decorate the fireplace and the surrounding shelves as well.

It’s actually a fake tree. I’d love a real one but I don’t think it’d survive the 2 months I have my decorations up.

From the author:

My grandmother’s lights are older than I am, the big bulbs that get warm enough to notice if you brush one. The glass birds clip on right above them, and as a kid I was sure that was so the birds wouldn’t get cold. Every December she tests each strand on the living room rug before a single bird comes out of its box, and the room smells like dust and pine until she does.

Dried Orange Slices, Pinecones and Garlands You Make Yourself

The warmest-looking trees this year are trimmed with things that once grew. “Think pine cones, dried fruit, branches and botanical stems,” principal designer Samantha Pratt told Homes & Gardens about the natural Christmas of 2026.

“My very first Christmas set-up 🎄😊”

This is my first time having my own place to set up for Christmas.

I foraged the evergreen boughs for the mantel, made the orange garland & pomanders, and made almost all the ornaments out of felt or crocheted them.

I know it’s nothing fancy but I feel so excited to have my own space to decorate this year.

They’ve had all the water evaporated out of them so they don’t smell like anything and will last for a few years

Grandma’s Vintage Glass Ornaments Are Back on the Tree

The look designers keep describing is the one many of us remember from a grandparent’s living room: mismatched glass ornaments in odd shapes and a few clip-on birds. “Still going strong are vintage glass ornaments in a variety of shapes,” seasonal decor expert Shelby Waag told Better Homes & Gardens, which suggests thrift stores and estate sales.

“Pink Christmas tree”

I live for Christmas and have a vast collection of vintage ornaments and decorations. This is one of my many trees. It’s a 7′ pink tinsel tree that I refer to as the “granny tree” because it features many of the ornaments I inherited from my great grandmother.

A Basket or Planter Instead of a Tree Skirt

The bottom of the tree is getting a rethink. “Skip that messy fabric skirt and anchor your tree in a grounded, chic natural wicker basket or wooden planter,” interior designer Carmen Henriquez told Better Homes & Gardens. A galvanized bucket works too.

“This year’s potted tree”

It’s the Arizona Blue Weeping Cypress. I got it from a plant nursery and it will be planted after the holidays. I did an atlas cedar last year and it’s still growing :)

Two or Three Jewel Tones Instead of Every Color at Once

For people who love color but not chaos, designers suggest a short list. “Pick two or three jewel tones as your foundation rather than every colour at once,” Josh Branigan told Homes & Gardens. Emerald usually anchors the palette, with sapphire, ruby or plum on top, and velvet ribbon and glass baubles repeat the same shades.

“Loved this one! The emerald green with red and royal blue and pops of pink! I am so thankful that so many people invite me into their homes to decorate for the Holidays.”

From the author:
The one strand of tinsel always goes on last, on a low branch, on the side that faces the porch. The gray tabby she called the foreman never once set foot in the house, so as far as anyone knows, he never saw it. She says that was never the point. Some decorations are for the room, she told me, and some are for whoever is looking in through the window.

Two Smaller Trees Instead of One Big One

One tree in the living room is starting to look like the minimum. “The biggest trend we’re seeing this holiday season is the concept of having multiple trees throughout the home,” Melissa Mills, a merchandising executive at a national craft retailer, told Better Homes & Gardens.

“Our Christmas trees!”

Every year we get two trees, one for the living room and one for the dining room. This year’s big tree is a bit smaller than usual but still gorgeous.

Merry Christmas 🎄

The trees pretty much stay the same.

The little tree is themed — fruits and birds with only white minis.

The big tree has a wide mix of ornaments and lights. Our favorite decorations tend to wind up in the same general area.

A Story Tree: Travel Souvenirs and Kids’ Handmade Ornaments Together

The opposite of a themed tree is in too: nothing matches because every ornament came from somewhere. “Items like handmade childhood decorations or travel souvenirs would work well,” interiors expert Danielle Castagna told Homes & Gardens.

“Love our cozy garland, but will always be loyal to colored Christmas tree lights”

The Christmas tree is decorated with ornaments collected over the years — our kids have chosen a new one since they were babies.

Mismatched ornaments, but they were all meaningful. And warm cozy lights. It’s the best.

Steady Warm White Lights: the Quiet Tree

“It’s time to retire those icy white strands that make your home feel more airport runway than cozy retreat,” interior designer Mallory Robins told Better Homes & Gardens, which suggests warm bulbs of about 2700K. Designer Cristina Mata told Martha Stewart she loves trees “decorated solely with white lights.”

“POV: you’re at grandma’s for Christmas, except grandma is 25 and it’s only Nov”

Everything in my house is thrifted!!

I’ve tried my best to recreate that nostalgic feeling of going to grandma’s for the holidays. Nothing beats that cozy comfort.

A tree with steady warm lights and a few ornaments that mean something isn’t really a trend. It is what my grandmother has done every December of my life; it just has a name now. She would add that it still needs birds.

Which of these trends would you actually put on your tree this year? Tell us in the comments.

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