The perfect hack to make a sparse Christmas tree look fuller

Christmas trees that are on the sparser side tend to look quite sad and, dare I say, cheap. And very often, if it is a sparse-looking artificial Christmas tree, it’s likely a budget design that didn’t cost much. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t fix a sparse tree – on the contrary, as I just found the perfect hack that fixes this issue. And all you need is green tinsel!

The best artificial Christmas trees are usually full and bushy as the branch tip count tends to be directly tied to their quality and price tag – the higher the count the better the look but often also the higher the price. But if your existing tree is too sparse to your liking, filling the gaps with green tinsel is both an easy and budget Christmas decorating idea.

This simple fix comes courtesy of Kirsty, a TikTok content creator at @houseofhaz. But Christmas tree and styling experts fully back this creative way to make your artificial Christmas tree look more expensive.

‘Once you’ve positioned the fullest side of the tree to face the front and arranged the branches as neatly as possible, you might still notice a few small gaps,’ says David Sumner, sales manager at Christmas Tree World. ‘This is where a darker green tinsel can work its magic! Adding green tinsel to sparse areas is an easy and effective way to create the illusion of a fuller tree. The tinsel blends naturally with the tree’s foliage, seamlessly concealing any imperfections.’

Chloe Barrow, interior expert at Laura James, agrees, ‘Green tinsel is a great affordable way to make a Christmas tree look fuller, and is something I would recommend for those needing to make a sparse artificial tree look a bit healthier. The trick is to ensure that the green tinsel matches the Christmas tree as closely as possible – so opt for tinsel that’s matte rather than glittery to create a seamless effect.’

An alternative solution

If you want to take it a step further, then using a faux Christmas garland to fill any gaps of your tree will likely result in an even more realistic and cohesive look – so it’s a great Christmas garland idea.

‘If you have a little more budget, but still don’t want to replace your tree entirely, you can purchase tree-like garlands to add instead. This will be a much easier match to the tree and can make an artificial Christmas tree look really bushy and bold. Adding decorations over this will help cover the fact that it’s an external garland and make the tree look cohesive,’ Chloe at Laura James says.

How to fix a sparse real Christmas tree

Real Christmas trees can often look quite patchy and sparse, too. But it’s not necessarily recommended to be using the green tinsel hack on a real tree.

‘If you have a real Christmas tree, adding tinsel to fill it out could actually cheapen the look of a natural tree,’ Chloe warns.

Sam Sutherland, Flitch interior stylist, suggests an alternative solution, ‘While this technique is less practical for real trees due to their natural irregularities, you could achieve a similar effect with sprigs of faux greenery tucked into sparse spots, which enhances fullness while keeping a more organic feel.’

Now there’s no need to tolerate a sparse-looking Christmas tree because you know exactly what to do about it. You’re welcome!