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Goth Christmas

Chapter I

Trees and toppers

Black Christmas trees, how to dress them, and the stockings, wreaths and garland that finish a goth room.

16 guidesFrom the Goth Christmas editorial team

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A goth Christmas room starts with the tree. Our black Christmas trees guide compares sizes and pre-lit options from the makers’ own pages, from a small black tabletop tree to a full 7.5 ft spruce. Shape matters as much as height: a pencil tree tucks into a corner, while a full tree needs floor space.

Once it is up, how to decorate a goth Christmas tree gives the order of the layers, lights first and the skirt last. It also helps you settle on one or two accent colors before you buy a single ornament.

A small replica feather Christmas tree with pale green branches and silver glass balls, beside curly willow branches
Feather trees, first made in Germany, are the oldest artificial style; black versions suit a mantel.Photo: a2gemma (Flickr) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

For the feather style itself, sizes, stands and ornaments, see black feather Christmas trees.

The rest of the room comes from our guide to black stockings and wreaths, with velvet stockings on the mantel and a black feather wreath on the door. Planning one tree from October to December? Read the Halloween Christmas trees guide before you buy.

Black Christmas trees, from tabletop to full size

Shop black artificial Christmas trees

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Guides in Trees and toppers

  1. Goth Christmas Decor: Black Trees, Dark Ornaments and Krampus

    Overview, 7 minA starting guide to goth Christmas decor: what makes it goth, black trees, bat and velvet ornaments, playful Krampus pieces and the dark season's key dates.

  2. Black Christmas Trees: Sizes, Shapes, Pre-Lit and Feather Options

    Guide, 4 minHow to choose a black Christmas tree: height and width, pencil or full shape, tip count, flocked and feather styles, and pre-lit safety labels to check.

  3. Black Feather Christmas Trees: History, Sizes and How to Dress One

    Guide, 5 minWhat a black feather Christmas tree is, how the German goose-feather original was made, what modern ones use, and how to light, dress and store one.

  4. Purple Christmas Lights: Mini, C9 and Fairy Lights for a Goth Tree

    Guide, 3 minPurple Christmas lights explained: mini, C7, C9 and fairy styles, how many a tree needs, LED or incandescent, and how purple looks on black and green trees.

  5. Small Black Christmas Trees: Tabletop, Mini and Pre-Lit Picks

    Guide, 4 minHow to choose a small black Christmas tree for a table, shelf or bedroom: sizes, pre-lit or unlit, how to decorate it, and the safety labels to check.

  6. Velvet Christmas Stockings: Black, Burgundy and Emerald Picks

    Guide, 3 minHow to choose velvet Christmas stockings in black, burgundy, emerald or purple: trims and cuffs, mantel sizing, hanging safely and storing them.

  7. Nightmare Before Christmas Stockings: Licensed Styles and Hanging

    Guide, 3 minHow to choose Nightmare Before Christmas stockings: licensed designs, full-size or mini, what to check on the label, and how to hang heavy stockings safely.

  8. Black Christmas Tree Color Schemes: Gold, Silver, Pink or White?

    Compare, 4 minWhich colors go with a black Christmas tree: black and gold, silver, pink, white or purple, with the lights, ornaments and ribbon that suit each scheme.

  9. How to Decorate a Victorian Christmas Tree With a Gothic Edge

    Guide, 4 minHow to decorate a Victorian Christmas tree with a gothic edge: what 1840s to 1890s trees held, period-style ornaments, flameless tapers and a dark palette.

  10. Purple Christmas Trees: Is Purple Goth, and How to Decorate One

    Answer, 4 minIs a purple Christmas tree goth? Why purple suits dark decor, which purple trees exist, and which ornaments, lights and ribbon make one look moody, not sweet.

  11. Upside-Down Christmas Trees: Why Hang One, and Where to Find Black

    Answer, 4 minWhy people hang an upside-down Christmas tree, what the folklore really says, and how to find a black upside-down tree that stands or hangs safely.

  12. Black Wire Christmas Lights: Why They Suit a Black Tree

    Answer, 4 minWhy black wire Christmas lights disappear on a black tree, which bulb colors look best on them, and the label and safety checks to make before you plug in.

  13. Black and Gothic Tree Toppers: What Suits a Goth Christmas Tree

    Buying guide, 5 minWhich tree toppers suit a black or goth Christmas tree: bats, moons, finials, black stars and Krampus, plus how to size a topper and keep it upright.

  14. Nightmare Before Christmas Tree Ideas: Build a Jack Skellington Tree

    Guide, 5 minHow to build a Nightmare Before Christmas tree: pick a black or white base, a film palette, licensed character ornaments, a holiday door and a topper.

  15. Black Christmas Stockings, Wreaths and Garland for a Goth Home

    Buying guide, 4 minBlack velvet, knit and faux fur stockings, feather and fir wreaths, garland, tinsel and tree skirts: what to look for when you dress a goth room for Christmas.

  16. How to Decorate a Goth Christmas Tree: Colors, Layers and Lights

    Answer, 4 minA step-by-step method for a goth Christmas tree: choose a color scheme, then layer lights, garland, ornaments by size, topper and skirt. Plus purple lights.

Frequently asked questions

What size black Christmas tree should I buy?

Measure the ceiling and the floor space first. A slim pencil tree fits a corner: Vickerman's 6.5 ft black pencil tree is 28 inches wide. A full tree fills a room: National Tree Company's 7.5 ft North Valley Spruce is 54 inches at the base.

Are black Christmas trees safe?

They follow the same rules as any artificial tree. CPSC advises looking for a "fire resistant" label and using lights tested by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, and the U.S. Fire Administration says to keep the tree at least 3 feet from heat sources.

What is a feather Christmas tree?

An early artificial tree made of dyed feathers wired onto branches. Britannica dates German goose-feather trees to the 1880s, and the Sauk County Historical Society says they became popular in the United States in the 1920s.

Sources

  1. Vickerman 6.5' x 28" Black Pencil Artificial Christmas TreeVickerman
  2. 7.5 ft. North Valley Spruce Black TreeNational Tree Company
  3. Put Safety at the Top of Your List When Decorating this Holiday Season!U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  4. Holiday Fire SafetyU.S. Fire Administration
  5. Christmas treeEncyclopaedia Britannica
  6. A Feather Tree for ChristmasSauk County Historical Society

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