Do you get excited thinking about how you’ll trim your Christmas tree this year? Or do you worry that, no matter what, you won’t quite be satisfied with how it looks? Here are a few tips to make the centerpiece of your Christmas living room sparkle. If you want to up your holiday game and trim your tree the way professionals do, make use of some of these Christmas tree decorating ideas, and incorporate the holiday cheer throughout the rest of your home.

Wondering, how to decorate a Christmas tree professionally? Adopt a theme.

When you see the tree you wish you had, whether it’s in a store or your most stylish friend's home, the first thing you notice is how all the decorations work together. Maybe they’re the same color. Or maybe they all reflect one cherished aspect of the Yuletide season.

A theme guides you in which decorations to include on your tree. Equally important, it tells you which ones to leave out. There are themes that have been around for years, and there are some new ones for 2020. Pick one of the following five themes or choose your own. Plus, take note of these tips, and this year you’ll adorn the tree that everyone is talking about.

Tip: Choose the Right Tree

Natural or artificial? Either can work, but the pros often start with a top-quality artificial tree. Artificial Christmas trees are full and balanced and don’t have bare spots. Either way, pick a size and shape that fits the spot: big enough to fill the space, but no ceiling scrapers. Six to fifteen-foot trees are considered standard size, but table-top or other small trees are also available to fit limited spaces, as well as slim artificial Christmas tree options. Learn more about choosing the perfect artificial Christmas tree.

Theme: Platinum

Metallic has always been a popular Christmas tree theme, and platinum is the hot metallic this year. It’s softer than silver and gold, and it goes with any color from traditional red to blue or black. Team it up with the whites of a flocked tree. Or skip the contrasting color for a modern, shimmering metal-only look. Deploy platinum in multi-faceted bulbs and geometric shapes.

Tip: Make It Fluffy

Once you get the tree on the stand, reach in and fluff it out, especially if it’s an artificial tree. It adds depth and texture and eliminates gaps. Alternatively, you can cut time out of your set-up process by choosing a self-shaping tip/branch tree. They simply pop into shape when unwrapped.

Tip: Simplicity and Restraint

Professionally decorated trees are never cluttered or busy. There aren’t excess decorations, an overabundance of colors or many different types of decorations. What sets them apart is the flawless execution, the way every element is precisely and carefully placed.

Theme: Plaid

Here’s an old one that’s slated to enjoy new life this holiday season. Red and black plaid items will be seen as well as white and black. Fill the tree out with a flannel skirt and some knit ornaments. This is a theme that can be extended throughout the house. It goes comfortably with a blanket on your knees and a cup of hot cocoa in your hand.

Tip: Let There Be Lights

With an artificial tree, the lights are often included. If you need to string them yourself, work from the bottom up. Go back and forth between the branch tips and the trunk; internal lights add perspective and illuminate the Christmas ornaments. Be sure the lights you choose work with your theme. Colored and flashing lights assert themselves, while white or clear let other decorations take center stage. Before you move on, turn the room lights off and the tree lights on, and adjust them to fill gaps.

Tip: Ribbons and Garlands

Many themes are enhanced by popcorn, strings, garlands and beads. Hang them before the bulbs and baubles. Weave ribbons either side-to-side or top down.

Theme: Blue

The Pantone color of the season is Classic Blue. It’s similar to navy but more reflective. Best of all for your Christmas tree, it works with white, platinum and even red. For an especially contemporary statement, you might go “all in” with blue lights, ribbons and bulbs.

Actually, just about any single color makes a sharp theme. Think about all red on a flocked tree or all white on a green tree. The best tree color themes minimize secondary colors and display at most one or two.

Tip: Christmas Ornaments

First hang the heaviest bulbs and baubles, or the ones in your theme color. Put your favorites in the “spotlight” locations. As with lights, place some, preferably larger ones, near the trunk for perspective. Step back to ensure your initial batch is balanced before filling in with smaller ones.

Tip: What’s on Top?

Stars and angels are favorite toppers, but there’s no law against using a ribbon, a wrapped present or something else that fits your theme. If you have a color theme, you might match that color big and bold at the peak.

Theme: Nutcracker

Another old idea that’s new again for 2020. You can mix in a bit of trendy blue with the red, green and gold. Why not use actual nutcrackers right in the body of the tree? Candy canes and other Christmas goodies finish off a design that’s sure to make your mouth water!

Tip: Skirting the Subject

Even though an artificial tree can get along without one, a tree skirt is a great opportunity to emphasize your colors and add some pizzazz to your theme. Alternatively, use a tree collar. Designed to go over and around the tree stand, tree collars have become a new norm in modern Christmas decorating, offering a clean and contemporary look.

Theme: Traditional Red and Gold

You see these year after year, and they continue to look stunning year after year. There’s nothing quite like a Christmas tree adorned with red and gold ribbons and bulbs, and you can complement them in so many ways. Use wooden decorations, candy canes, gingerbread men, even birds and other festive critters.

Tip: Coordinate Room Decor

Don’t let your Christmas theme stop at the branch tips. Trim the entire house! One possibility: hold back a few baubles from the tree and set them in decorative baskets on the mantle. You can also repeat elements from your tree throughout the house in other ways. Top your sofa or a bench with a few plaid throw pillows. Incorporate your theme colors through holiday-themed décor. Switch out wall art with holiday prints. This season, light-up holiday wall art can bring the same sparkle from you tree to the rest of your house.

This year, let your creative decorating spirit take charge. Make your themed and beautifully adorned Christmas tree one to remember for many Christmases to come.