Why You Need a Thanksgiving Tree in Your Life (Yes, You Heard That Right)
If you think decorated pine trees are just for Christmas, think again: Increasingly, eager Americans are busting out Thanksgiving trees in advance of the holiday season. If you’re feeling cheery around the fall but still think it’s too early to take out all of the Christmas decorations from your storage room, a Thanksgiving tree is the ideal way to beautify your space and make it seasonal.
But what, exactly, is a Thanksgiving tree? Depending on your preference, a Thanksgiving tree—or “thankful tree” or “gratitude tree,” take your pick—is most often an evergreen tree, just like your usual Christmas one. These conifers, however, are decked out in autumnal decorations, including warm-toned baubles, dried flowers, pumpkin-themed ornaments, or even handwritten tags detailing what you’re thankful for. Basically, it’s fun tradition for those looking for some whimsical Thanksgiving decor and for all the early birds eager to get the holiday vibes started.
How you decorate it is totally up to you. Designer (and aptly named) Holliday “Holly” Johnson will intersperse autumnal ornaments with magnolias and ferns. Blogger and photographer Shayna Aylene, meanwhile, recommends using your DIY skills to make homemade wood ornaments. Whether decked in florals, warm-toned ornaments, or fresh tree branches, here are 10 Thanksgiving tree decoration ideas that will make you a convert.
Frosty Thanksgiving Tree
If you’re feeling in the holiday mood but not quite ready for Christmas decorations, a Thanksgiving tree is the perfect in-between. “It was so easy,” says home decor enthusiast Charity Hawkins. “I just used the fall decor that I already had around my house so it cost me nothing.” To decorate her tree, she added some fall garlands and floral picks, faux pumpkins, and resin pilgrims.
Fall Foliage Thanksgiving Tree
Every year is an opportunity to create a new tradition. Mariel Villaman from the Miramar, Florida–based Vilmor Flower Shop transformed this Christmas tree into a fall wonderland by adding a rustic touch. “Decorate with different size stems, pumpkins, leaves, and pretty much any fall decor you have lying around. Top it with a large fall piece [in this case a turkey] and create an enchanting display of holiday warmth and harvest hues.”
Fall Harvest Thanksgiving Tree
If you’re going for an elegant fall look, choose natural decorations. Home blogger Linda Smith Davis decorated her tree to celebrate harvest season. “I love to add dried flowers such as sedum, hydrangea, and seed pods from our gardens,” she says. Davis also added dried orange and apple slices, cinnamon sticks tied into bundles, small antique amber bottles hung on branches, as well as harvest-colored ornaments, beads, and lights. “I love to see the flame of our fireplace sparkle on the ornaments during cool fall evenings,” she adds.
Floral Thanksgiving Tree
“With the colors changing along with the weather, the cozy vibes kick in and the organic inspiration just flows,” says blogger and photographer Shayne Aylene. After layering brown, white, and orange faux flowers, Aylene went in with some Christmas lights to fill in the empty spaces. “Never be afraid to just throw things together,” she advises. “It can be the most beautiful accidental masterpiece!”
Nature-Inspired Thanksgiving Tree
A neutral tree is a fall statement piece that will elevate the look of any room. Here, Holliday Johnson used several varieties of pine cone, brown baubles, faux sunflowers, and real gourds to decorate this lean evergreen’s branches. “After I placed in all the pieces, I added in the faux magnolia and fern picks for added girth,” she adds.
Whimsical Farmhouse Thanksgiving Tree
In her New England home, blogger Amy Desrosiers is passionate about decorating her fall tree every season. Her best tip is to find ornaments and florals that go with the rest of your home decor—in her case, farmhouse style. “I was going for a cream, burlap, and burnt-orange look with some yellow hints,” she tells us. “These are the colors I knew would really pop and complement the shades of green my tree has.”
Glowing Thanksgiving Tree
If you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner, what better way to make your guests feel welcome and cozy than with a decorated tree? Jaime Dovichi came up with the idea to create a fall tree when she noticed it was almost Christmas but her fall decor was still out. “I love the soft tones of a Christmas tree with the tones of fall. It made a scene to be thankful for!” she says.
Harvest Festival Thanksgiving Tree
In the spirit of harvest season, blogger Monica Scotto-Bruton created baskets overflowing with pumpkins and gourds. “Our tree stays up year-round, and I decorate for most holidays,” she explains. Here, she collapsed two holidays into one—Halloween and Thanksgiving. “The small jack-o-lanterns, orange throughout, and the hat topper pulled in the Halloween aspect. And I used the burlap, pumpkins, and faux leaves and flowers to give the overall feel of autumn,” she explains.
Tabletop Thanksgiving Tree
Who said trees had to go in the living room? Product stylist Suzanne Zingg created her Thanksgiving tree using a smaller tree atop her kitchen island. “These little tabletop trees are a great way to display what you have,” she tells us—in her case, flower picks, faux leaves, and ribbon.
Pumpkin Thanksgiving Tree
If you want to stick to a single theme, this pumpkin tree is for you. This idea, also from Holliday Johnson, played with the scale of the pretty gourds: “I started layering in the pumpkins from large to small. The larger pumpkins were placed first next to the trunk of the tree. Then I layered in the rest of the pumpkins, building from the inside out,” she notes. “The more variety, the better!”
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