DecoratingGuide

Red and Gold Christmas Tree Decorations

Red and gold Christmas tree decorations: how to balance two strong colors, starting ratios, shades and finishes, and how to use them on a green or white tree.

By Christmas Trees editorial teamUpdated October 31, 20263 min readHow we research

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Red and gold Christmas tree decorations look balanced when one color leads. Give it about two-thirds of the ornaments and the other color about one-third, on warm white lights. Ashley’s XO blog lists red and gold among classic Christmas color ideas, and Marks & Spencer starts this scheme with warm lights.

Balancing red and gold on a Christmas tree

A red and gold Christmas tree changes with the color people see first. Both colors are strong, so an even split can make the tree look busy. Adjust the ratios below to what you own and like.

Scheme	Red	Gold	The look
Red-led	About two-thirds	About one-third	Traditional, with gold as sparkle
Gold-led	About one-third	About two-thirds	Lighter and more formal
Even split	About half	About half	Lively but can look busy, so mix sizes

Size can do the balancing as well. A few large red ornaments carry about as much weight as many small gold ones, so count the visual effect as well as the number. In Reviewed, designer Brad Schmidt puts the biggest balls on first and varies how deep each one sits, which shows you the balance before anything small goes on.

On a 7-foot tree at about 80 ornaments, the figure from Mahoney’s Garden Center, that split means about 53 in the leading color and about 27 in the second.

Order of work for a red-led or gold-led tree

A red and gold tree goes together in the same order whichever color leads, with only the colors swapped. Lights go on first and ribbon goes on before ornaments, as in our step-by-step decorating guide.

Lights: warm white, tested before they go on.
Ribbon: the widest one in the leading color, with a narrower one in the second color.
Large ornaments: all in the leading color, spread around the tree.
Medium ornaments: mostly the second color, in the spaces between the large ones.
Small ornaments: both colors, filling the gaps.
Topper: a gold star suits either scheme. On a red-led tree it repeats the accent, and on a gold-led tree it repeats the main color.

Red and gold shades and finishes

A few shades and finishes keep a red and gold scheme from looking flat. Marks & Spencer’s take on this classic look uses geometric ornaments in different shades of red and red studded bows. Hicks Nurseries suggests mixing finishes on any tree.

Shades of red. Mix a bright red with a deeper one so the tree has some depth.
Tones of gold. Pick a warm gold or a champagne tone, then stick mostly to it. Several different golds side by side can look like a mismatch.
Finishes. Matte red next to shiny gold keeps the two colors from blurring together.

Ribbon ties the two colors together. Hicks Nurseries suggests 2 to 3 coordinating ribbons for dimension, and a red and gold pair fits that idea well.

When you buy, choose a set in the leading color about twice the size of the set in the second color, plus a few small ornaments in both.

Red and gold Christmas ornament sets

Shop red and gold ornaments

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Red and gold on a green or white tree

Red and gold on a green or white tree look quite different, because the tree acts as a third color. A green tree brings the traditional Christmas palette, with red contrasting against the branches and gold catching the light. On a green tree, place some ornaments deeper in, where gold can reflect the lights behind it.

A white tree gives both colors more contrast. Each ornament stands out, so you may need fewer of them and more care with spacing. The white tree guide covers what shows up on white branches. If red feels too heavy, blue pairings and pink decorations also work well with gold, as those guides explain.

On a small tree, use the red-led split with smaller ornaments, because a small tree has less room for a third color or a busy mix.

Warm lights for a red and gold Christmas tree

Warm lights suit a red and gold Christmas tree, and Marks & Spencer starts this scheme with warm string lights for a cozy feel. We suggest warm white, because it flatters gold and multicolor lights compete with the two ornament colors.

Before stringing them, check each strand for damage, as the U.S. Fire Administration advises. It also says to keep the tree at least 3 feet from heat sources.

Frequently asked questions

How do you decorate a Christmas tree in red and gold?

Let one color lead and the other support. Put on warm lights first, then ribbon, hang the largest ornaments in the leading color, then add the second color and fill gaps with small ornaments. A split of about two-thirds to one-third works well.

How many red and gold ornaments should I use?

As many as the tree would take in any other scheme, split about two-thirds and one-third. On a 7-foot tree at about 80 ornaments, the figure from Mahoney's Garden Center, that means about 53 in the leading color and about 27 in the second.

What color tree skirt goes with a red and gold tree?

Choose a skirt in the leading color or a neutral, so the tree does not end in a third strong color. Home Depot suggests finishing with a skirt and other matching decor.

Does red and gold work on a white Christmas tree?

Yes. Both colors stand out strongly against white branches, so use fewer ornaments in each color than you would on green.