Alpine Christmas Decor: How To Decorate A Sparse Christmas Tree

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It’s finally here! The Christmas season is upon us and I could not be more excited! Ever since I was a little girl, getting our Christmas tree has been one of my favorite parts of the year. Typically, we would “bundle” up (though only so many layers are needed for a South Carolina winter!) and head out to a local Christmas tree farm down the road to cut down our tree. From there, we would savor hot chocolate and candy canes and admire the beautiful poinsettias, wreaths and garland available in the barn before tying our favorite find to the top of our car. In the following days, our home would be transformed into a handmade Christmas wonderland with Bing Crosby playing in the background. Since then, fond Christmas memories have always accompanied setting up our Christmas tree. While Charlie and I typically have continued this fun tradition of cutting down a fresh tree to bring home, this year, due to travel, cleanup and not hoping to carry a large tree up to our fourth floor apartment, we had to pivot slightly and instead, settled on a cute, little faux alpine Christmas tree. Despite not having the traditional full figured Fraser fir, spruce or pine or my favorite fresh evergreen scent, our little sparse alpine Christmas tree has such a whimsical appearance that it feels just perfect for our apartment this year. As you might also be setting up your tree this week (or may just have finished your first and are looking to add a second), I thought that walking through how to decorate a sparse Christmas tree might be the perfect way to launch into this official Christmas season. 

Where Did The Christmas Tree Tradition Begin?

Germany! As a fabulous home to all things Christmas, Germany is the origin for our modern notion of decorating a tree for Christmas. During the medieval times, a popular play about Adam and Eve began the idea of creating a “paradise tree” in one’s home on Christmas Eve. Covered in apples (like the fruit from the Garden of Eden), wafers / cookies (referencing communion), candles (representing Christ as the light of the world) and a star, this tree remained popular among German Lutherans until the 19th century when it was introduced to England. (Britannica) 

Introduced in England in the royal palace by German Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, the Victorian Christmas tree was decorated by ribbons, gifts, garlands, candies, paper chains and candles as a nod to Albert’s German roots. From here, the Christmas tree became a popular Christmas tradition throughout the world, particularly being introduced to the United States through the influence of English and German immigrants. 

What Is A Sparse (Alpine) Christmas Tree?

As the name would imply, the sparse (alpine) Christmas tree is originally from the mountains! Evergreen trees grown high in the Rocky Mountains and the Alps tend to have a more sparse free flowing nature. While beautiful, they do differ from the fuller Fraser fir or spruce trees that we are more familiar with and therefore should not be overly decorated. That being said, when Charlie and I first visited Colorado (you can read more on that Christmas guide HERE!), we immediately loved the whimsical trees that feel like they are plucked from a movie. Now, in Germany, fresh alpine trees are cut and added throughout the Christmas markets and local streets, simply adorned with lights, a dusting of snow and an occasional smattering of red bows. 

How To Decorate A Sparse Christmas Tree

As you all know just how much I love Christmas, it likely won’t come as a surprise to learn that I in fact have been waiting to decorate our Christmas tree for months now. You see, I actually found our cute little tree on sale a few months ago and since Charlie and I had already decided to forgo a real tree this year, we thought that it was the perfect time to purchase it. Now, thankfully, we finally have been able to take it out of the box and begin enjoying our sweet little tree. 

So, you might ask, how do you decorate a sparse Christmas tree? 

Keep in mind, less is more. 

Since the tree does not have the typically full Christmas tree figure, you want to be sure that you do not over decorate it. As we did not bring any ornaments with us, Charlie and I have continued our tradition of picking up an ornament from each location we have visited, so the primary ornaments on our tree have continued our travel collection. For the remaining elements, I primarily leaned into a few vintage pieces like:

• Lights (of course!)
• A cranberry garland
• Orange slices
• Velvet ribbons
• Gold pinecones 

a small scale garland + at least 1 repeated natural element + a repeated draping / linear piece

Certainly feel free to personalize your Christmas tree as you like, but these are a few pieces that I felt provided interest and balance to our tree without being too heavy or overwhelming for the branches. 

Final Thoughts 

Though unusual, our little sparse alpine Christmas tree has become such a cozy statement in our apartment! Its free flowing form provides the perfect Christmas accent without being huge and heavy in our space (particularly working with our sloped ceilings), so if you are dealing with a small space or one with unusual elements, an alpine Christmas tree might be a good option for you as well. For ours, the mix of coral and soft teal ribbons blend with the orange slices and cranberry garland while the gold pinecones add a touch of shimmering whimsy. Have you ever decorated a sparse Christmas tree? I know that people frequently either love them or really don’t believe they are a true Christmas tree, so are they your cup of tea or do you prefer to stick with a traditional spruce or Fraser fir? I would love to know in the comment section below and send this article to someone you know loves a bit of vintage alpine Christmas decor! 

Happy decorating!

Chloe

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