How to Make a Faux Christmas Tree Look Fuller (A Happy Accident)

The best design discoveries are usually accidental. A few years ago I bought green wired ribbon without paying much attention to the color. When I went to use it, I realized it was almost exactly the same shade as my faux Christmas tree. I almost put it aside. Instead, I wove it through the branches on a whim. It changed how my tree looked entirely. And now I use it every year.

The Problem with Faux Trees

Faux trees have gotten significantly better — the density, the spacing of branches, the color variation. But no matter how well-made the tree, two things are almost always true: there are gaps, and the texture is uniform. Every branch is the same material, the same finish, the same weight. From a distance it reads as flat in a way that a real tree, with its variation in needle size and branch structure, never does.

Most people solve for this with ornaments and lights. Those help. And I (accidentally) found another solution to add to the list—ribbon!

The Accidental Fix

Green wired ribbon — particularly a ribbon with subtle texture, like moire, adds a layer of visual interest. Because the color disappears into the branches, the eye sees texture and movement rather than ribbon. Gaps fill in. The tree looks denser. And the slight variation in sheen between the ribbon and the branches creates the kind of depth that makes a faux tree look more alive.

The wired edge is what makes this work. It holds its shape when you loop or tuck it, so you can direct it exactly where you need it rather than having it drape limply.

How to Use It

Work from the interior of the tree outward, tucking and looping ribbon between the branches rather than draping it across the surface. Focus on the areas where gaps are most visible — typically toward the center and lower third of the tree where branches tend to thin.

The ribbon I use is 2.5 inches wide and 50 yards long for a 7.5 foot tall tree. (I have the Balsam Hill Stratford Spruce.) You’ll need more or less depending the height and width of your tree. The goal is not to see the ribbon — it's to feel the difference in fullness and texture.