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

To decorate a goth Christmas tree, pick black plus one or two accent colors, then build in layers: lights first, then garland, large ornaments, small ornaments, a topper and a skirt. Silver and purple are classic goth accents. Pastel pink or lilac make it cute goth. Keep motifs whimsical, such as bats, moons and black cats.

This page covers how to dress the tree. If you still need one, start with the black Christmas trees buying guide.

Which color scheme should a goth tree use?

Goth style has always leaned on black with small doses of color. Writer Ted Polhemus, quoted on Wikipedia, described goth dress as black velvet and lace “tinged with scarlet or purple,” with silver jewelry. Those same accents work on a tree.

Four schemes cover most goth trees:

• Black and silver. The most classic. Silver glitter and mercury glass make black branches sparkle under clear lights.
• Black and pastel pink or lilac. The cute goth option. Pair pastel glass balls with bat and moon ornaments for a spooky-cute tree.
• Black and purple. Deep plum ornaments with purple lights give the whole tree a dusky glow.
• Black and red, kept soft. Use dusty rose or wine-toned velvet as accents, never as the main color. It reads as Victorian rather than traditional.

Whichever you pick, limit accents to two. Black trees absorb light, so too many colors look busy against the dark branches.

How do you decorate a goth Christmas tree, step by step?

The method below works on any black tree, pre-lit or unlit.

1. Fluff every branch. Artificial trees ship compressed. Spread each tip so the center pole disappears, since gaps show as dark holes on a black tree.
2. Add lights from the trunk outward. Wrap lights deep inside the branches first, then along the tips. A 1000Bulbs guide suggests about 100 incandescent mini lights per vertical foot, or 50 LED minis.
3. Drape garland or ribbon. Silver tinsel, black beaded garland or velvet ribbon goes on before ornaments, so nothing gets hidden. CPSC advises nonleaded tinsel or plastic icicles.
4. Hang the largest ornaments first. Place big balls and feature pieces, such as bats or crescent moons, evenly around the tree. Tuck a few deeper into the branches to add depth.
5. Fill in with small ornaments. Mini balls and small black cats go in the gaps, mostly near the tips where they catch the light.
6. Crown it with a topper. A bat, a crescent moon, a black star or a spiky Victorian finial all suit a goth tree.
7. Finish with a skirt. Black velvet or faux fur blends into the tree. A silver or lilac skirt frames it instead.

Most people step back after each layer. It is easier to fix spacing before the next layer goes on.

What color lights look best on a black tree?

Light color changes a black tree more than a green one, because the dark branches reflect so little.

Colored lights come built into some trees. Vickerman sells a 6.5 ft black pencil tree with 400 orange LEDs, for example. On an unlit tree, you can switch from orange in October to purple in December. The Halloween Christmas trees guide covers that changeover.

How do you keep a goth tree from looking flat?

Black on black can look like a silhouette at night. Three fixes help:

Mix finishes. Matte and gloss ornaments catch light differently from glitter or velvet, so the tree keeps its shape in the dark.

Add reflective pieces. Mercury glass and clear crystal bounce light back from inside the branches.

Vary sizes. A tree hung with only medium balls looks uniform. The black Christmas ornaments guide sorts sets by size, material and motif.

Finishing touches around the tree

The room completes the tree. Black wreaths and garland on the mantel repeat the tree’s colors, and a velvet stocking or two ties them together. See black stockings, wreaths and garland for those pieces, and the goth Christmas decor hub for the full plan.