A Macy’s Window Stylist Reveals the Best Way to Fluff Your Christmas Tree

’Tis the season for pulling your artificial tree out of its box and wondering how you’ll ever make it resemble the real thing. Whether it’s your first fake tree or you’re well-acquainted with connecting “Part A” to “Part B,” getting your desired final look can be tricky. How do you fluff a Christmas tree that spends 10 or 11 months stuffed in a container? The answer: You get expert tips from a professional.

I asked Kim Garner, Macy’s State Street’s visual designer, the secret to getting a window-worthy tree. Garner is part of the team that dresses up the State Street Macy’s store in Chicago, including the iconic holiday window scenes and the towering Christmas tree in the Walnut Room. So, yeah, she kinda knows what she’s talking about. Below, Garner shares specific steps you can take to set yourself up for your fluffiest possible tree this season. 

Plan to fluff your tree on a day when you have a solid amount of time to dedicate to the task. It shouldn’t take you hours, but you’ll need more than five or 10 minutes. One Christmas decor retailer suggests you need 45 minutes to fluff a 7-foot tree. 

First, take the tree out of the box — and do not discard that box. “Always keep the original box!” Garner says. It was designed for that specific tree, so you have a better chance of not damaging it and having a fuller tree with no missing pieces. When maintained properly, Garner says your artificial tree can last up to 20 years. 

Once you account for all the pieces, begin putting together your tree — but no fluffing yet! “It’s best to assemble the entire tree un-fluffed and make sure (if pre-lit) that all the lights and cords are in good condition,” Garner says.

Check that each piece is securely connected, paying close attention to the base. “Make sure the bottom piece is completely inside the base and properly tightened if there is hardware,” Garner says, adding that it’s more difficult to fix any structural issues after the tree is fluffed. “You don’t want a wobbly tree once it is decorated!” she says. 

Begin with the foundation. “I prefer to start at the bottom and work my way up, fluffing as I go,” Garner says. “The bottom is where you will have the most issues with holes.” Don’t be afraid to bend some branches to get the tree looking as full as possible. To fluff, pull apart branches that are stuck together and make sure all the bristles are standing up, not lying flat against the branch. 

There are no shortcuts as you work your way up, according to Garner: “Make sure to fluff every single branch to avoid any holes in the tree.” Pay attention to the branches that are closest to the center pole; really fluffing those out helps hide the center pole (and any wiring if your tree is pre-lit). It’s sometimes easiest to see any holes when you step back occasionally as you fluff.

“[Your tree] should look beautiful before you put an ornament on it,” Garner says. But once all parts of the tree are fluffed — with no branch untouched — you can strategically add decorations to make any tree look even fuller. 

Decorate the entire tree, not just the front, Garner says. She recommends adding round, glass ball ornaments deep inside the tree for color and sparkle and using a ribbon garland to create extra texture and depth. Finally, she says you should never let ornaments hang below the bottom branches — it looks messy and could cause branches to break — and opt for a tree collar instead of a skirt for a clean, full look.