Best Christmas tree decorations 2021: Baubles, garlands, toppers and more

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

If opulent decorations are your style, this set of 12 jewel ornaments is a great way to enhance your Christmas pine without breaking the bank. Including two of each design, the decorations capture all the tones of the festive season, from shimmering gold to burgundy red and snowy white. Plus, they have a wonderfully shiny surface that subtly reflects the glow of your tree’s lights, so they really make a statement. They’re made from glass and, although they don’t feel perilously fragile, they would be prone to breaking should they fall from a great height. Luckily though, the ribbon ties, which are made from an opaque metallic fabric, help to keep them in firmly place. They’re colourful, affordable and guaranteed to make even the smallest tree look glorious.

Best: Plastic-free decoration

Rating: 9/10

A happy green dinosaur for your tree? Why not? This decoration would make a brilliant gift for any dino lover or as a quirky addition to your Insta-ready Christmas decor. While it’s certainly unusual, it’s super high quality, with a soft green fabric background that’s adorned with tiny orange beads that make up the stegosaurus’s spikes. It’s also a great choice for anyone trying to approach the festive season with sustainability in mind – the beads are made from glass and all the fabric and thread is free from plastic. In fact, the only plastic you will find is in the filling, where the brand has used recycled plastic.

Best: For a personal touch

Rating: 8/10

Ideal for Christmas lovers looking to add a personal touch to their tree, this decoration is made from metal, meaning it will last you for many years. Finished with delicate silver beads and a champagne-coloured velvet cord, you can pick one up in every letter of the alphabet, so you can spell out your entire name or pick an initial for every member of the household. We also think it would make a great gift for a hard-to-please Secret Santa.

Best: Felt decorations

Rating: 8/10

Representing the classic festive song, this set of 12 decorations adds a touch of whimsy to your tree and is sure to bring some joy to your home. Made from coloured felt, which feels luxuriously soft, the set includes each of the gifts mentioned in the famous carol, such as five gold rings, a milk maid, a lady leaping, a drummer and even a swan wearing a golden crown. While they are delicate, you don’t need to be worried about them becoming damaged, as they arrive in a protective linen bag and can be easily wiped clean with a damp cloth should any grubby fingers snatch them off your tree. If your festive fir is already full, these can also be hung around your home, displayed on your dining table or tied around bottles of wine to make unique gifts.

Best: Glass decoration

Rating: 9/10

If opulent decorations are more your style, or you’re looking for something that will add a touch of glamour to your tree, consider these glass drop ornaments for your shopping basket, pronto. Sold in a set of four, you’d need to invest in multiple packs to fill out your fir but, because they reflect light so beautifully, you can make the most of a single pack by weaving them among glittering baubles. While they’re made from glass and should be treated with care, they don’t feel overly delicate and manage to perch steadily on any tree thanks to the strong velvet hanging loops.

Best: For minimalists

Rating: 9/10

Inspired by Japandi design – a mix of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian functionality – these honeycomb decorations are great for any festive fan looking to embrace an understated aesthetic. Made from recycled paper, they come folded (a plus when it comes to packing them away again) and in four different designs, each featuring a twine white string for hanging. Despite being made from paper, the decorations feel robust and we managed to easily fold them out without any tears. We also loved that they snap into place using a magnet, not glue, meaning they can be reused for many years to come.

Best: Chocolate tree decoration

Rating: 8/10

Calling all chocaholics: there’s now a way to make your tree extra sweet without having to ruin your decor with gaudy, foil-wrapped treats. A festive bar with a difference, this one features a hidden Christmas tree inside that you need to break out by chomping on the surrounding chocolate. With a small hole at the top of the chocolate tree you can then thread through some ribbon of your choice and make your very own extra-special decoration – if you can wait that long to eat it, that is. The Fairtrade bar is vegan, made with 51 per cent cocoa and flavoured with real candy cane pieces. Plus, you can enjoy the treat with a clear conscience, as Tony’s Chocolonely provides a living wage to cocoa farmers in its cooperatives and ensures no illegal child slavery exists on its farms.

Best: Tree topper

Rating: 8/10

No Christmas tree is complete without a showstopping topper and it doesn’t get more fanciful than this. Mouth-blown and hand-decorated with glitter, beads and flecks of tinsel, it’s a dazzling yet timeless design that will look great in virtually any home and is also super easy to mix and match with other decorations, no matter your style. Unlike some sad-looking toppers that can cause your tree to droop, this one anchors perfectly thanks to a deep hole at the base, which we found helped it sit securely without the need for any extra support.

Best: Multipack

Rating: 8/10

If you’re trying to be frugal this year, you can’t go wrong with a multipack of stylish ornaments. These beautiful baubles come in a variety of shapes, sizes and finishes – glittery, matte, swirly and shiny – which helps add some depth to your tree, and we love the addition of the silver snowflakes for extra sparkle. Great for adding a subtle hint of colour, they come in varying shades of green, champagne and silver so you can dress your tree from top to bottom in one easy purchase. They’re also shatterproof, passing our drop test, which makes them a good choice for households with inquisitive little ones or feline friends. If green doesn’t fit your colour scheme, the good news is they come in pink (£12, Homebase.co.uk), blue (£12, Homebase.co.uk), silver (£12, Homebase.co.uk), gold (£12, Homebase.co.uk) and traditional red and green (£12, Homebase.co.uk), too.

Best: Quirky tree decoration

Rating: 7/10

Inject some fun into your Christmas curation with this glass decoration that’s guaranteed to stand out among your festive decor. A great option for leopard enthusiasts and anyone looking to deck out their tree with joyfully gaudy ornaments, it’s a decent size but still lightweight enough to hang comfortably without slipping off a branch, and feels really well made. Unique, attention-grabbing and under £10; what’s not to like?

Best: Bauble

Rating: 8/10

An ornament for those who prefer their tree to be stylishly mismatched, this bauble has a classic round shape but comes decorated with a contemporary striped design that’s guaranteed to catch your eye. The bauble is made from silky smooth fabric in two shades of blue, which catches the light nicely, and we loved that the hanging loop is made from the same material, only twisted, to ensure it’s extra durable and won’t fall off your tree.