Tinsel Christmas Trees Are Officially Cool Again — Here’s How to Style Them Right

Tinsel Christmas trees are everywhere this year. Many are embracing tinsel’s traditional mid-century vibe, but design-obsessed holiday fanatics are also elevating it to new heights in 2025. The latest are more elegant, refined, and old-world inspired (think: The Nutcracker — a tad elevated from A Christmas Story and Shiny Brite ornaments).

“I really don’t think tinsel has to be strictly nostalgic,” says vintage decor collector Katie Van Liew. “You can totally use it in a modern way. It’s all in the intention: Retro tinsel says, ‘Sprinkle me everywhere!’ while modern tinsel says, ‘Place me with purpose.’”

You have permission to take your tinsel tree in whichever direction you prefer. Read on to get expert tinsel Christmas tree decorating ideas, and learn about why tinsel has (almost) always had a place on our trees.

Tinsel strands, garlands, and ornaments have been hung or scattered on Christmas trees across the globe as decoration for centuries. Tinsel is made of metal or plastic coated in a shiny, metallic finish, so it reflects the glow of adjacent tree lights. But beyond pure function, tinsel strands likely caught on after its earliest iterations were only afforded by luxe homes (a holiday status symbol!).

Until electric string lights became widely available in the 1920s, Christmas trees were lit by real candles, and tinsel helped to amplify this light. Tinsel could also be used as a reflective and safer alternative to candles altogether. These days, tinsel can make a tree lit with electric lights look brighter and more glittery, too. 

Tinsel refers to metallic Christmas tree decorations that traditionally were made of thin silver wire or thin strips of flattened silver, but now are mostly made of aluminum or plastic (namely, PVC) coated in a shiny finish. It originated in 17th-century Germany as fine strands of metal leaf, called lametta, explains Gregory Blake Sams, an interior and event designer and proprietor of the decor shop Wentworth in Charleston, South Carolina. 

“Thin ribbons of real silver would be draped on Christmas trees so the candlelight would catch and shimmer,” Sams explains. “The idea was to mimic icicles and also to amplify the glow in the room.” 

Old-fashioned lametta is gold (or sterling silver-plated) and consists of long strands that drape smoothly from tree branches. Typically you can cut lametta to any desired length; it’s easier to remove and reuse than plastic tinsel because it’s heavier and less prone to tangling. Like other real metal objects, it also develops a beautiful patina over time. 

D. Blumchen is a great source for authentic lametta roping, tassels, and icicles made with gold and silver bouillon. It’s not as expensive as it might sound; a small tree’s worth of real gold roping is under $100. Vintage German lametta or eislamella made of aluminum foil can also be found on Etsy, eBay, among other online marketplaces and resale markets. 

If you remember tinsel being exclusively regulated to your grandparents’ generation, you’re not alone. My grandmother was a collector, and the only time she let us make a mess in her formal living room was when we were instructed to douse the tree in tinsel until it was completely covered. I assume she had been decorating her tree this way since my father was a kid, during the mid-century tinsel craze. 

At that time, tinsel was an inexpensive and prolific decor staple. It was also ideal for decorating artificial Christmas trees (which became popular in the 1950s) because it coordinated perfectly with their plastic or aluminum branches. 

But this shimmering look can be traced back to as early as the end of the 19th century, when flat sheets of tin or aluminum (or other inexpensive metals) replaced more precious versions. Tom Magill, senior home stylist at Anthropologie and Terrain, explains that tinsel initially took off in the early 1900s as it added a glittering effect without the need for real candles placed on live trees.

“Tinsel really hit its peak in the mid-20th century,” Van Liew adds. “Those shiny aluminum Christmas trees and the heavy lametta strands, made from lead, in the ’50s and ’60s were peak holiday glamour.” 

Until 1965, that is. That’s when the Charlie Brown Christmas special arrived and derided artificial trees as “commercial.” Aluminum trees and tinsel trimmings quickly lost their mass appeal. Plus, as Van Liew mentioned, it didn’t help that mass tinsel suppliers were using lead at that time.

“We always refer to it as lametta, which is important to us,” Sams adds. “Even though we’re not working with silver anymore, lametta still gives you that feeling of wintry brilliance. It reflects light in a way that feels almost emotional — a small reminder of why people decorated their homes in the first place.” 

At Wentworth, Sams has created trees with lametta tucked deep within its branches (pictured above). They sit atop bases draped in rust-colored velvet that slowly rotate, “so the lametta can catch the light from every angle,” he adds. “The windows have basically become jewel boxes. We’ve definitely gotten a few honks from cars passing by.”

Whether they’re drenched in tinsel or are made entirely out of the satiny material, there’s no doubt about it — interior designers and home retailers are leaning heavily into tinsel trees this year.

“I think people are craving a bit of wonder again,” Sams says. “After so many seasons of quieter, restrained decorating, there’s a real appetite for a maximalist approach and things that shimmer and feel celebratory.” 

Van Liew agrees. “I think we’re all craving a little sparkle and nostalgia. Tinsel is the shortcut to both. It’s basically the holiday equivalent of throwing on a sequinned jacket — so instantly festive and zero effort.” 

The political and economic uncertainty of this particular year may also play a role in how trendy tinsel has become. “I think, when the world feels uncertain, we mine the past for comfort, and tinsel is certainly a reflection of that,” adds Magill. 

There is no right or wrong way to use tinsel in 2025. “If there’s a surface, someone’s probably putting tinsel on it,” Van Liew says of what she’s seen in her own social feeds so far. 

Magill agrees: “Beyond its typical use as a layer of decor on your holiday tree, we’re seeing tinsel used in garland, in ornaments, and even wreaths made entirely of tinsel.” So if you’re looking for moves that are more creative than the typical tinsel garland or loose icicles, keep reading; you can put up these expert-approved tinsel Christmas decoration ideas now. 

“Tinsel is a great layer for someone who’s just moved into their first home and doesn’t have a ton of ornaments because it’s an inexpensive way to bring a lot of sparkle to your tree,” says Magill. “A spray of tinsel is a fun, unexpected idea for a tree topper in lieu of a star. You could forgo ornaments on the tree entirely and just use lights and tinsel for maximum sparkle effect.”

“A single cluster of lametta around a candle can feel quietly subversive, as if the lametta knows it shouldn’t work there and does anyway,” Sams says.

Sams likes the look of a wreath with one dramatic spill of lametta down one side. “It feels cool and asymmetrical,” he explains. “Those unexpected placements are what make it feel fresh.” 

Look beyond the usual silver for updated colors like gold, berry red, or even green, says Magill. There are also tinsel trees in more whimsical colors like pink and white. You can find garland and ornaments to match and do a shimmering, tonal tree. 

“I tend to steer away from single-use plastics, so I don’t use the modern icicles at all, but I love the sparkle of vintage pieces,” says Van Liew. “They’re beautiful, they last, and reusing them feels so much better than buying something cheap and new every year.”

Magill recommends “sprinkling tinsel into a tablescape for an easy, festive layer.” Van Liew loves this look, too. She’s seen “people weaving tinsel into tablescapes so the whole dinner setup catches the light.” 

You can use tinsel photo backdrops to create a photo wall for a holiday party or to just cover your wall or entryway in tinsel for the season. 

Van Liew has been seeing tiny ships of tinsel tied onto gift wrap. It’s a cute and easy way to customize a present, and a festive upgrade from the usual ribbon.