Forget ornaments, they’re decking the halls with boughs full of bows.
In the year we all became enchanted by girlhood — Barbie, Taylor Swift and, oh my! — style has followed suit by way of soft, childlike bows with the rise of the hyper-feminine balletcore aesthetic and elevated pieces from designers like Sandy Liang, known for her delicate trademark ribbons.
So, it’s no surprise that the playful yet elegant embellishment — which Liang once described as a “childhood emblem” — has transcended holiday decor.
On TikTok, the search for “Christmas tree bows” has scored more than 10 billion views, as content creators flock to their local craft store to purchase a roll of organza or satin fabric to beautify their branches.
Instead of “dealing with tons of big and bulky ornaments,” influencer Samantha Miller spruced up her tree with the trendy embellishments.
“It’s a good thing bows are very aesthetic and very in right now,” she said in a clip while boasting her bulk ribbon purchase from Amazon, sticking with a black and ivory color palette.
She added: “Some might think it’s plain Jane, but it’ll give Chanel, I promise.”
While some creators kept it neutral — black, white, green or gray — and carefully balanced each knot atop a branch, others opted for monochromatic Barbie pink or a seasonal holly red, and used ornament hooks to secure them in place.
Embellishing your fir with bows is the hottest holiday hack for easy decorating that still looks elegant. TikTok / @samanthakatew
The content creator gushed over her sparkling tree adorned with black and ivory ribbon. TikTok / @samanthakatewVery merry viewers praised the subdued — or rather, “quiet luxury” — decor, commenting that it’s “cat proof” and fawning over how “simple” yet “cute.”
The tannenbaum trend is a stark deviation from this year’s decree of maximalist Christmas advocates, who called for a return to homey early aughts decor for the “nostalgia” factor: multi-colored lights, mismatched wrapping paper and a fir drenched in tinsel.
Regardless of just how the younger generation is garnishing their tree, more of them are opting for real over artificial.
According to a survey from UK home improvement store B&Q, nearly a quarter of Gen Z decorators prefer the experience of a real tree: Bracing the bitter cold to cut down their own or pick one out of a lot and inviting the hallmark Christmastime scent of pine, spruce or fir into their home.
In comparison, a stark 65% of Boomers have stuck with artificial.
“It’s been interesting to see the generational split emerging when it comes to their tree choice in the lead-up to the big day,” B&Q’s head of Christmas, Mairi Devlin, told Southwest News Service.
“For many, choosing your tree marks the start of the festive season and brings the magic of Christmas to life.”
Many creators opted for a more neutral color palette, while others used monochromatic pink ribbon or festive red. TikTok / @lilikaramalikis
Bow enthusiasts said they were “obsessed” with the final result. TikTok / @hellokate.o- 13 best Christmas tree stands for real and artificial trees, per experts
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The survey also found that a staggering 31% of adults decorate like Kardashians, putting up two or more trees in their home, allowing a variation in ornaments and aesthetic from room to room.
This way, people can “feel the Christmas spirit throughout the whole house,” Jen Derry, an interior designer and the chief merchandising officer at Balsam Hill who was not associated with the survey, previously told KidSpot.
She added: “We’re also seeing themed trees, with meticulously curated ornaments serving as a focal point for other decorations.”
