Are You Fluffing Your Fake Christmas Tree? How to Make It Look Like the Real Thing

When you pull your new artificial Christmas tree out of the box, it’s not unusual for it to look flat and phony. You might be tempted to moan to the manufacturer, but it usually just needs a good ruffling to have it look its best.

Learn how to fluff a Christmas tree so that it looks more alive—in less than an hour you’ll have a much more realistic-looking tree to appreciate for the festive season.

Gather Your Gear

You don’t need a high-tech kit to fluff a Christmas tree. Just some tools to clean up any rogue fake needles that come off during the process, gloves, and a long-sleeved top to protect you from scratchy wire branches.

Do the fluffing in the room where you’re displaying the tree but in a spot where it’s going to be easy to sweep or vacuum up any shed needles.

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Start With the Bottom Branches

Work your way up methodically from the bottom, fluffing the widest branches first. It makes it easier to see what you’re working with and saves you from missing any as you go. Fluff by manually spreading twigs that are too close together and giving it the occasional shake.

Spread the Branch Fronds

Loosen the branches by giving them a gentle shake before you start full-on fluffing.

Fan out the branches on each section fully. Often artificial trees have three branches per main stem. Take care to work on a single branch at a time for an even result at the end. Repeat this step for all the pieces, and you’ll already notice your tree looking fuller.

For tall trees with a separate top section, fan out the branches before you place it on the central pole. It’s easier to work with it unattached.

Fluff From the Inside

The fronds may still look a bit flat at this stage. Don’t worry, though, as this is when the major fluffing commences.

Get your hands right in amongst the branches of the tree and ruffle them from the inside, moving your way gradually outwards. Again, work from the bottom branches upwards so you don’t miss any.

Bend the Branches

Add a kink to the tip of every branch to give your tree an even more authentic appearance. Rather than all the branches being upswept, vary the direction they bend to fill any gaps. Have some facing up and others curving downward slightly.

Displaying any heavy Christmas tree decorations on the upward-turning branches means there’s no risk of them sliding off and getting damaged.

At this point, you’ll want to add the top branch sections to a tall tree if you haven’t already—you might need a step stool or ladder to reach it.

Assess for Evenness

Take a step back and give your tree a good once over. Does it look full and even from every angle?

If there are any gaps, uneven sections, or patchiness, reposition the branches and give them an extra fluff-up.

Camouflage Any Flaws

If your trusty tree has been in the family for decades, there might be some thinning, holes, or patches that no amount of fluffing will fill in.

Don’t despair, though. You might not have to ditch that treasured family heirloom just yet.

Some strategically placed larger decorations, garlands, extra branches, and ribbons can cover up any problematic patches. Conceal the tree stand with a tree skirt or collar that will give the bottom of the tree a fuller appearance.

Store Sensibly for Next Year

Don’t try to stuff your Christmas tree back in its original box; use a tree-storage bag instead. It will protect your tree from dust and sun damage, and you won’t have to squash it down so flat that you lose all that hard-earned plumping.

You’ll still need to fluff your Christmas tree come the next holiday, but hopefully less than when it came fresh out of the box.

5 Additional Maintenance Tips

• Make an artificial Christmas tree look fuller by fluffing each branch before you decorate it.
• Add volume to a sparse real or faux tree with fillers such as fluffy garlands, ribbons, bows, picks, or additional faux branches.
• Separate the branches of each section so that you can work on one branch at a time for a consistent final result.
• Start at the bottom of the tree and work your way up, fluffing each branch with a brush.
• Go back in with your hands and continue fluffing the tree from the inside outward until you achieve a natural, realistic result.