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  • Tartan Christmas

    • Tartan Christmas Tree: How to Get the Handed-Down Heirloom Look

    Oct 23, 2026
    Tartan Christmas Tree: How to Get the Handed-Down Heirloom Look

    A tartan Christmas tree looks like it has been handed down through the family, even if every piece arrived this week. It's the tartan bows, the velvet baubles and the antique gold violins that do it. Christmas at the Manor is our heritage version, in rich red, hunter green, navy and gold, crowned with a champagne mirror star.

    Already own some red and gold? Keep it, and add the tartan and brass. Here's exactly how we put it together.

    In a hurry? Shop the Christmas at the Manor tree bundle or browse the whole collection.

    The palette: red, hunter green, navy and gold

    This is a traditional palette with more depth than plain red and green. Navy is the quiet surprise, and it's what gives the tree that country-estate feel.

    • Red: magnolias, poinsettias and the red in the tartan
    • Hunter green: flocked velvet baubles in a few sizes
    • Navy: glitter jumbo baubles, midnight blue sprays and blue magnolias
    • Gold: antique gold bells and instruments, the bauble garland and glitter sprays

    Burgundy flowers sit between the red and the navy, and they're what tie it all together. For more classic colour ideas around the house, see our guide to traditional red, green and gold Christmas decorations. This post sticks to the tartan tree itself.

    Made for a fireplace, a formal lounge or a timber dining table

    Christmas at the Manor feels at home in a formal lounge, a dining room with timber furniture, or anywhere with a fireplace. It suits classic and heritage-style homes, and it's a natural choice if you already own a few red and gold pieces and want them to look more considered.

    Love traditional colours but want something softer and more garden-like? Our burgundy and gold Christmas tree, Botanica and Berries, sits in the same Traditional group and shares the antique gold.

    How to decorate a tartan Christmas tree

    Work in layers, from the top down and from the inside out. The big pieces go in first and the details go on last.

    1. Crown it and add the bells

    Top the tree with the Champagne Glitter Mirror Star Tree Topper Pick, then hang the antique gold large hanging bells near the top. Starting at the top gives you a fixed point to balance everything else against.

    2. Layer in the florals

    Mix burgundy, red and blue flowers through the tree. Tuck the large stems deep into the branches and let the clips sit near the tips. The burgundy velvet poinsettias and midnight blue magnolias do most of the work here.

    3. Add sprays and garland

    Fan the midnight blue gum leaf sprays and gold glitter burst sprays out from the centre so they break up the outline of the tree. Then drape the gold bauble garland around it in loose swags.

    4. Fill with flocked baubles

    Mix green, navy, royal blue and burgundy velvet baubles in a few sizes. Put the jumbo ones deeper in the tree, where they fill gaps and add depth, and keep the smaller ones towards the tips.

    5. Finish with tartan and heirloom brass

    Clip tartan bows all over the tree, then hang the antique gold instruments. The violin, French horn, drum and trumpet give it that heirloom feel, as if the decorations have been collected over many Christmases. Not sure how many bows you'll need? Our guide on how to put bows on a Christmas tree covers spacing and the easiest way to attach them.


    Get the full look with the tree bundle

    If you'd rather not work out quantities, the Christmas at the Manor tree bundle has every piece from our showroom tree, at the quantities we used, ready to add in one click. Change any quantity, untick anything you already have, and add the tree itself if you need one.

    It includes the green, navy and royal blue flocked baubles, blue and red poinsettias, midnight blue magnolias, blue and gold sprays, burgundy berry picks, the antique gold bells and the gold bauble garland. Underneath, you can tick on extras like the tartan bows and antique gold instruments. The full bundle qualifies for free standard shipping on orders over $150.

    SHOP THE TREE BUNDLE

    Stockings, sacks and the table

    This collection goes well beyond the tree. There are velvet stockings in dark red, forest green, blue and gold, Santa sacks in blue, forest green and dark red, and glass baubles in red, gold and blue. You personalise each one on the product page when you order, which makes them a lovely gift as well as a keepsake.

    Hang the stockings from antique gold 3D tree stocking hangers and lay a real touch cedar dripping garland along the mantel. A pair of red or green flocked nutcrackers either side of the fireplace finishes it off. Our nutcracker decorating ideas have more ways to use them.

    For the table, start with a navy velvet table runner, add gold fluted charger plates and stand red LED taper candles in the antique gold French horn candle holder. A small red flocked tree at each end carries the tree's colours onto the table. At the front door, the real touch mixed evergreen wreath with a 30cm tartan bow ties it all back to the tree.

    SHOP THE CHRISTMAS AT THE MANOR LOOK

    See it in person

    The whole tree is set up in our showroom at 36 Menangle Street, Picton, open 7 days, and every piece on it is sold separately. Come and see how the velvet and antique gold look under real lights. Still deciding? Take the two-question quiz in our Inspiration Gallery, or see all eight trees in our 2026 Christmas tree themes.

    Frequently asked questions

    What colours are in the Christmas at the Manor collection?

    Christmas at the Manor uses rich red, hunter green, navy blue and gold, with tartan bows and velvet flocked baubles.

    How do I decorate a tartan Christmas tree?

    Top the tree with a champagne mirror star, then layer burgundy, red and blue florals and blue and gold sprays. Fill with flocked baubles and finish with tartan bows and antique gold instruments.

    How many tartan bows do I need?

    Six 30cm tartan bows is a good start for a 6 to 7ft tree. Add some 20cm bows if you'd like the tartan to show up more.

    Can I personalise the stockings and Santa sacks?

    Yes. The velvet stockings, Santa sacks and glass baubles in this collection are personalised on each product page when you order.

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