Tinsel spent a couple of decades as the thing your grandparents did. Now “tinsel Christmas tree” is climbing on Pinterest along with “beaded tinsel” and nostalgic trees in general. Done right, it makes a tree shimmer every time the air moves.
There are three kinds, and they look quite different.
Icicle strands
The old-fashioned kind: thin individual strands draped over branches so they hang straight down like icicles. This is what makes a tree look vintage.
How: take a small pinch of tinsel icicles (on Amazon), five or six strands, and lay them over the tip of a branch. Don’t throw it. Work from the inside of the tree out and from the top down. It takes time, which is part of the point.
How much: one 2000-strand box covers a 6 ft tree lightly. Double it for the dense look.
Tinsel garland
A thick, fluffy rope of tinsel. It’s quicker than strands and reads more retro-fun than vintage.
How: drape a tinsel garland (on Amazon) in loose swags from branch to branch, not wound tightly round the tree like a spiral. Start at the top, let each swag dip about 6 inches, then move around and down.
Beaded garland
Glossy beads on a string, usually gold, silver or multicolor. The look is somewhere between tinsel and pearls.
How: the same swag method. A long beaded garland (on Amazon) can be doubled up for a heavier look.
Lights first, always
Put the lights on before any tinsel. Warm white lights (on Amazon) make silver tinsel glow gold; multicolor lights look great with icicles for the full 1970s look.
Small trees
On a tabletop or pencil tree, use icicle strands sparingly or a thin beaded garland. A thick tinsel garland will swallow a small tree.
Storing it
Tinsel’s reputation for being a pain comes from storage. Wind garland around a piece of cardboard. For icicle strands, lay them flat in the box they came in, or drape them over a hanger and put a bag over the top. Keep them away from ornaments in an ornament box (on Amazon) so they don’t snag.
If you have pets, especially cats, skip icicle strands. They’re a choking risk.