Why Flocked Christmas Trees Remind Us of An Old-Fashioned Christmas

Flocked Christmas trees couldn't be a better (faux) snow experience for the holidays.

Glitzy Flocked Christmas Tree
Icy white and pale pink filler ornaments set a backdrop for statement-making metallic textured balls and geometric spindles. Modern-day steel magnolias will flip for blush-and-bashful accents like mauve plastic foam flowers. Blue floral wrapping paper completes the wintry scene. Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

A white Christmas can be more than just a dream with a flocked Christmas tree. A tall evergreen dusted with a blanket of faux snow helps turn the living room into a winter wonderland. Flocking refers to the artificial white powder that's applied to a Christmas tree's bare branches. Create this popular look yourself with store-bought sprays or powders that can be used on real and artificial trees, or buy a faux one that's already been flocked.

Flocked Christmas trees probably bring back memories of old-fashioned Christmases your mother or grandmother may have had one twinkling in her living room window at one point or another. This wintry look for Tannenbaums became popular around the mid-1900s, when glittery tinsel and metallic ornaments also took off as all-the-rage Christmas tree decorations. However, people were adding snowy touches to their Fraser firs way before then with pantry staples like flour and cornstarch. Flocked trees bring the holiday magic of a snowy evergreen forest indoors, and the trend is clearly here to stay.

Pink Christmas Tree Ribbon
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Flocking is an easy way to give your Christmas tree a whole new look. By doing it yourself, you can have more control over how much "snow" sits on the branches. Buy flocking spray paint (like Santa Spray Snow, $5; acehardware.com) or powder (like SnoFlock Genuine Original Snow Flocking Powder, $23; seasonsreflection.com) to apply to a real or synthetic tree. Follow these easy steps for flocking your own Christmas tree here.

Or splurge on a tree that's already flocked. Bring it to life with festive decorations like metallic ornaments, colorful garlands, and bright lights. Top off your twinkling Tannenbaum with a shining star or a big bow with cascading ribbon. Shop a few of our favorite flocked Christmas trees below.

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Faux Snowy Norway Spruce

flocked Christmas trees

The Norway Spruce is very recognizable as the go-to tree for holiday revelry. Invest in a beautifully constructed faux version with flocking, and look forward to unpacking the joy every year.

BUY IT: $598; shopterrain.com

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4 ft. Flocked Colorado Spruce

target flocked tree
Courtesy of Target

The Colorado Spruce is the quintessential evergreen: thick pine needles on closely packed branches. This flocked version can be placed almost anywhere, thanks to its smaller size.

BUY IT: $140; target.com

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7.5 ft Kenwood Frasier Fir

Home Depot flocked tree
Courtesy of The Home Depot

The Frasier Fir grows thick in the Appalachian Mountains of the U.S., and is a familiar site in other places throughout the Southeast. This majestic flocked Frasier will be the star of your Christmas celebration.

BUY IT: $349; homedepot.com

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7.5 ft Green Spruce Flocked Christmas Tree

Flocked Christmas Trees

The blue-green or dark green needles of the Green Spruce are irresistible when selecting a tree to celebrate the holidays. Choosing a faux Spruce with flocking makes it even more enticing.

BUY IT: from $648; wayfair.com

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