Two years ago, I wouldn't have been caught dead styling tinsel on my Christmas tree. Last year, I fashioned my own sculptural DIY tree from a branch I found on the side of the road and long tinsel stands (it looked much better than it sounds — see below). This year, tinsel decorations are everywhere again, and I have to admit: I think I'm finally ready for their return.
Of course, it's not the classic tinsel garlands you might remember. No, this time around it's all about shape, shininess, and unexpected applications. As with most of the biggest Christmas decorating ideas for 2025, there's a touch of nostalgia, sure, but it's done in a whole new way. Think scalloped shapes, pom-poms, and playing with scale.
Kitsch can be a tricky aesthetic to navigate. The line between tacky and tactful is as fine as... well, a strand of tinsel. So, to help you navigate the new take on this tinsel, I've found 12 shiny yet still stylish takes on the trend to shop below.
The 'tinsel tree' trend took off last year — a style that saw Christmas trees dressed not in ornaments, but in shiny strands of sparkly tinsel. And, to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw it again this year. For that, this silver 'lametta' pack is perfect. Each set comes with 10 panels (50cm high x 34cm wide), which can be separated, so consider that when working out how many you'll need to cover your tree.
Draped across your mantel, around your tree, above entryways, or across your room — the options really are endless with this tinsel garland. The draped strands make it feel more contemporary than the classic style, while the scallop edge, well... I just don't think we'll ever tire of it. And the best thing about this pick is that it feels absolutely appropriate to leave up until NYE.
Tinsel on the tree is no new thing, but ever considered styling it as a bauble? Available in silver, gold, red, and green, there is something ever so nostalgic about this tinsel decoration, but the hanging ornament-style makes it feel a little bit more unexpected. I can just imagine the way it would capture the light, and feel like it would work well all around the home — styled on place settings, door handles, hung on your mantel...
The great thing about a garland is how many different ways you can style it. Whether it's strung around your Christmas tree, across your mantel, or in doorways, you can really get creative with it. Instead of the typical brushy tinsel garland, this 2.5-meter silver-coloured pom-pom style from H&M feels effortlessly modern, tapping into the nostalgia of the style without looking too kitsch.
A tinsel chandelier? Why on earth not. I can already see this style hung over a dining table, the shiny strands capturing the light in the space and adding a sense of festivity that feels fun and fresh. It also comes in gold if that's more your style, and for just £34, would be an easy way to tap into the modern tinsel trend.
If you're going for maximum impact, Amazon is always a good place to find bulk products for lower prices. Case in point: this 2-meter silver fringe garland for just shy of £7. It also comes in a range of other colors, including blue, red, green, pink, white, gold, and rainbow, so you can mix and match depending on the festive color palette you pick.
Okay, there's been a lot of silver, but what if you have a bit more of a maximalist taste for the festive season? Well, the modern tinsel trend is perfect for that, just look at this colorful tinsel wreath. It feels a touch fluffier than the tinsel of yesteryear, and the palette feels like a party. Reviews are only positive, with customers saying it looks great on your door as well as laid flat on the table as a centerpiece.
This is the same scalloped tinsel garland as the one shared above, but this time in tonal multi-colored styles: both blue and green, and red and pink (and it also comes in gold). Measuring 1.8 meters long, and with two tiers of color, there is something about this tinsel garland that feels especially glittery.
Not afraid of kitsch? This tinsel wreath from Anthropologie is a statement, but there is something that feels oh-so right about it. A bit glitzy, a bit glam, the vibrant hot pink, gold, and green color combination screams 'I'm fun' and it's definitely a piece that could be used far beyond the festive season. For something a little more subdued, it also comes in a silver and gold style (which is also slightly bigger).
Why not take the tinsel tree trend to a far more fun territory with this 3ft colorful tiered tinsel tree? Perfect for styling on console tables or around the base of your main tree, it's all about party and requires no additional decoration.
While this tinsel garland feels closely reminiscent of the styles we know and love, the chunkier tinsel pieces are enough to give it a slight modern edge. The multiple colors also feel unmistakeably festive and really show how this modern tinsel trend can easily lean into the more-is-more maximalist Christmas styling trend.
I mentioned different applications being one of the main markers of this modern tinsel trend, and these are perhaps the most unexpected: tinsel baubles. Not pom-poms like shown earlier, instead, these look like they've been coated in tinsel cuttings, and still capture the light in the unique way it does, without being so kitschy. Love.
The unique 'tinsel tree' I DIYed using a branch from the side of the road last year.
And just to prove I can put my money where my mouth is, here's the tinsel tree I made for Christmas last year. I liked it so much, I left it up well into January because it wasn't in-your-face Christmas and felt just as appropriate for New Year's Eve and beyond — and that subtlety is the real beauty of alternative Christmas tree ideas.
