Gypsophila Christmas Trees Are a Surprisingly Versatile Idea

a christmas tree decorated in a modern home

(Image credit: Mary Wadsworth)

published 28 November 2024

Do you ever get to the end of decorating your Christmas tree and just feel like it hasn't got the same oomph that the ones you see on Instagram do? I've known that feeling, but I think I've finally cracked the case.

The success of your Christmas decorating ideas comes through creating a sense of fullness in your tree. Now, if you start off with a good-quality artificial tree, or choose a real Christmas tree variety that's full and has a good shape, you're starting off on the right foot, but there are some other, clever, ways to decorate that can help bring a fuller look, too.

One such idea is a decorating trick I often rely on for my Christmas tree, and it uses the flower known as gypsophila, or baby's breath. This budget-friendly Christmas tree filler is trending in Christmas decor, and for good reason. As someone who has used it often in everything from Christmas trees to floral clouds, mantel garlands and wreaths, here are my top tips for using it as part of your festive decor.

How to Create a Gypsophila Christmas Tree

White tipped christmas tree in living room with grey button back sofa — *Add* *clip on candles, like these from Balsam Hill, for some extra festive magic.*

The most important thing you need to consider when planning a gypsophila Christmas tree is that these are generally sold as fresh-cut flowers, which means one of two things: you either need to dry them out, or keep them supplied with water to keep them fresh.

Here's the thing: if you just pop the fresh stems into your Christmas tree, they will dry out in place. However, they also shrink in volume as they do, so what once looked like a voluminous bunch of flowers might look a little less impactful by the end of it. My advice? Either dry them out first to be more purposeful with your placement, and realistic with how much you'll need, or buy these little water vials for flowers from Amazon, and pop your gypsophila stems into them before putting them on your tree. This will help keep them fresh for longer.

My other tip? You need more than you think. I empty several grocery stores at a time when I'm decorating with this dainty flower.

It's possible to buy dried baby's breath online in bulk (on Amazon, again, where else?) or else if you pick up a bunch from your local market or Trader Joe's, just simply hang it upside for a few days to dry it best. I recommend untangling the stems before drying them — once they're dried out, they're difficult to separate without damaging the flowers.

How to Style a Gypsophila Christmas Tree

Now to the fun part — how to use your gypsophila to decorate your tree, and there are a few Christmas tree ideas you could try. If you can get hold of enough, it can be really impactful to just use baby's breath by itself to style a minimalist Christmas tree that still feels magical and pretty, like the design above.. Use it in voluminous bursts across the tree, paired with pretty twinkling lights. The drawback? This uses a lot of baby's breath. While it's not extortionate compared to some flowers, the likes of Walmart sell 120 stems for $138, so it's not super budget-friendly either.

a modern fireplace dressed with a christmas tree and decorations

For an approach that's kinder to your wallet, try a design such as this one styled by Rebecca de Boehmler, which uses gypsophila in smaller bursts, like ornaments, creating more of a contrast. Rebecca paired it with a feathery-pink dried flower, with minimal decor otherwise, but you could also try a dyed pink gypsophila, like this one from Amazon, in your tree for a more colorful take.

a christmas tree and fireplace adorned with spray-painted gypsophila with presents round the base of the tree

Talking of color, there are other ways to use baby's breath in your tree that doesn't have to mean a plain white scheme. In the Christmas tree above, interior designer Luke Arthur Wells used tonal spray paints to color gypsophila for a neutral ombre tree. You don't have to use neutrals either — we can imagine this decor in brights for a maximalist look, too. Why not use this watermelon spray paint from Krylon on Amazon as a base?

You might think of gypsophila as quintessentially country chic but, as it turns out, it's surprisingly versatile!

Hugh is Livingetc.com’s editor. With 8 years in the interiors industry under his belt, he has the nose for what people want to know about re-decorating their homes. He prides himself as an expert trend forecaster, visiting design fairs, showrooms and keeping an eye out for emerging designers to hone his eye. He joined Livingetc back in 2022 as a content editor, as a long-time reader of the print magazine, before becoming its online editor. Hugh has previously spent time as an editor for a kitchen and bathroom magazine, and has written for “hands-on” home brands such as Homebuilding & Renovating and Grand Designs magazine, so his knowledge of what it takes to create a home goes beyond the surface, too. Though not a trained interior designer, Hugh has cut his design teeth by managing several major interior design projects to date, each for private clients. He's also a keen DIYer — he's done everything from laying his own patio and building an integrated cooker hood from scratch, to undertaking plenty of creative IKEA hacks to help achieve the luxurious look he loves in design, when his budget doesn't always stretch that far.