I love Christmas. I love it so much that I decided not to follow the traditional, "no decorating until Thanksgiving rule" this year. I put my tree up over a month ago and have loved every second of it! I feel like Christmas should be celebrated as long as a possible, because we can always use a little extra sparkle and cheer :)

Last year was the first time we used an artificial tree instead of a real one. I loved using a real tree and definitely think it’s worth trying at least once! Going to pick out the perfect tree, trying to figure out how to get it home, and then having your house fill up with that glorious fresh pine scent is a fun Christmas memory to make. But I also love saving money and being able to reuse my tree each year. Last year, I searched high and low for a “fake snow” - aka flocked - tree. Each place I went to that had affordable flocked trees was sold out. I checked Target, Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. I finally found one at a Big Lots in a small town about 30 min away. It was the LAST one available so I snatched it. It was exactly what I was looking for and only cost $75! I'm sure there are many more available this year. I will link a few that I found at the end of this post.

In this post I am going to break down my entire tree and decorations, how to make your tree look full and big and what to put under the tree. Enjoy!

Tree is linked in the picture above - $75 at Big Lots!

My Tree

As you know, I am all for making things budget friendly. Here are a few ways I did that with my 2018 Christmas tree:

The Tree - I found my tree at Big Lots for $75. I believe the original price was around $119, but it ended up being on sale when I bought it! I purchased it about halfway into the month of December, which may have been why it was on sale. It also came pre-lit, which was a big plus!
$2 Christmas Topper - tree toppers can be expensive, and a hassle. I had a hard time finding one that I liked so I decided to try something different. I bought one white sparkle clip-on flower ornament and one clear sparkle clip-on flower ornament. I clipped them both onto the top of the tree to make it look like a star. Each one cost 99 cents and worked perfectly as a tree topper.
Ornaments - I purchased most of my ornaments in bulk from TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby. I got two bigger “cases,” one with a silver color scheme and one with white. I also splurged on two of the cutest white owl ornaments from Target.
Tree Skirt - Another TJ Maxx find for $39.
Decorative Sticks - I found a bundle of these at Ross for $4.

Making it look full & big:

Tree Limbs - Spread each limb out separately and spread them out upwards and downwards.
Ornaments! - The more ornaments the better. You don't want to overcrowd the tree, but putting ornaments all around (not just focused in the center) can make it look much fuller.
Decorative sticks - I'm pretty sure this isn’t the formal name for them, but they are thin-like sticks, with curls or limbs and either painted or covered in glitter. Stick these all over the tree to add dimension.
Snowflakes - adding a different type of ornament helps add dimension as well. It can also cover up bare spots on the tree. Don't feel tied down to only using round ornaments.
Clear glass ornaments - these are subtle, but give your tree an extra glow/sparkle.
Ribbon - I used faux fur to wrap around my tree and I loveee it. It gives you dimension, color, flow and just looks pretty.

Under the Tree:

Tree Skirt - In the beginning when I don't have presents, I always struggle with what to put under the tree. Last year I bought a faux fur tree skirt and really liked it, but didn't love it. I didn't want to buy another tree skirt so I played around with a few things and figured out how to go from like to love. Blankets! I added about 3 blankets, randomly spaced underneath my tree skirt. It gives the illusion of snow and helps cover that annoying gap between the floor and the start of the tree.
Ornaments overflowing - I took a used burlap bag and filled it with leftover ornaments, then arranged some of the ornaments to appear to be spilling out of the bag. This was such an easy look and helps fill the space without cluttering it.
Extras - I threw a few pinecones on the "snow" and added a christmas deer as well

Christmas is a special time and decorating can be a lot of fun, but don’t let it consume you. Fill your home/apartment/bedroom with things that make you happy, memories that fill your heart and enjoy the moment, stress-free.

SHop Flocked Christmas Trees Here:

Comment below what your favorite Christmas tree decorations are!