It's safe to say the bow Christmas decoration trend is THE most popular of 2025. Bows emerged last year as the standout Christmas decorating trend, and I'm delighted to say it's back with even more impact this season.
From Christmas tree decorating ideas to fun ways to decorate a living room on a budget, bows are the hero for the holidays. The beauty of the bow is that it ticks all the boxes – affordable, easy and suitable for every decorating scheme.
Bows have become a Christmas decorating staple thanks to their versatility. From tree decorations and table dressing to gift wrapping and alternative door wreaths, bows are a brilliant way to elevate home decor with ease.
The big Bow Christmas decoration trend of 2025
Already this year, we're seeing a trend of scaling up to make an even greater impact. Oversized bows are used for tree toppers and mantlepiece showstoppers, bunting and doorscaping. While smaller, more delicate bows are used nestled in the tree, tie napkins or decorate taper candles to add a whimsical finishing touch.
From luxe velvets and satins to glitzy sequins and jazzy foil fabrics, playing with texture is all part of the fun – anything goes as long as it's bows! Here's how to embrace this year's biggest trend in your home...
Adorn the tree with elegant bows
Bows are an easy way to elevate your Christmas tree theme, whether you complement your existing decorations and choose a ribbon to match the colour scheme or choose to emulate Victoria Beckham's Charming Christmas tree with long, flowing bows.
You can buy beautifully elegant pre-made bow decorations to ensure your bows are perfect, or you can make your own. To do this, all you need is a length of ribbon and the knowledge of how to tie a perfect bow and you're ready to finesse your tree with expert flair.
When fashioning DIY bows, it always helps to use wired ribbon because it creates a more rigid frame that holds a better bow silhouette. This gold-edged ribbon is 6.3cm wide to make hearty bows for all your decorating needs.
Velvet is the most luxurious fabric for bows; it presents an element of quiet luxury. This charming set is perfect for those who love to embrace a splash of colour by layering bold brights to create a joyous overall scheme.
I've just bought a striped bow to add to the top of my tree; it's a nice way to add a sense of playfulness to your scheme. Red and white stripes are so versatile; this bow would work with pretty much any tree decor.
Wrap doors in decorative bows
It's simple but highly effective to actively wrap doors to become part of the decorations. It does require a long length of material to emulate the ribbon of bows, which you can choose to wrap around the door or simply pin into the wooden frame at the edges – if you are doing this on your UPV front door, you might need to use a strong adhesive tape instead.
Because the material is thin enough to go undetected, you can still close the door with ease. This decorating idea is perfect for both front doors and internal doors.
Decorate dining room chairs
Bows are the easiest way to take your dining chairs from functional to fabulous. And why not? We go to great lengths to consider Christmas centrepiece ideas, place settings and festive tableware, but so often we don't add a seasonal spruce to the seating.
Whether you tie bows onto the top of the chair to be seen from the table or tie them to the back so they are still visible even when seated, a little can go a long way to make your festive dinner table feel more considered.
Embellish swags with colourful bows & ribbons
Swags are the new way to use foliage, hung upside down from front door knockers, internal door handles and knoll posts on staircases.
Not only does the ribbon add a perfect finishing touch of on-trend bows it is also the perfect way to introduce a hit of accent colour in your decorating scheme. Simply leave enough length of ribbon free to flow from the bow and add an elegant splash of colour.
These perfectly made 12 by 27cm velvet bows come complete with a clip on the back to make it a) easy to fix, b) reusable for years to come.
This ready-made swag is an easy way to hang a bow with foliage on the back of chairs, bannisters or doors to dress the less obvious places.
Deck the halls with your own swag bows by using this thick green Christmas craft decoration ribbon. The traditional dark green shade is ideal for a classic decorating scheme.
Dress the bannisters
Decorating the staircase is an easy way to style a hallway for Christmas, to set the scene for the rest of the home beyond the entrance. The beauty of bows is that you can keep it simple and still make an impact, or you can go all out and use them in addition to garlands and strings of fairy lights.
We LOVE the simple example shown above, styled by the team at Annie Sloan, where the fabric bows are the only decoration used on the balustrades, but to great effect. Measure enough in length to wrap around the post, then tie a pretty bow, spacing them out to avoid overcrowding the space.
Another great idea for a family home is to use your bows as the anchor for lengths of ribbon to attach Christmas cards to. This is a fun way to spread seasonal greetings and extend a warm welcome to holiday guests.
Frame a mantelpiece
There are so many different ways to embrace bows to decorate the mantelpiece for Christmas. From bow garlands hung across the hearth and dainty bows tied around candlebras to huge bows adorning a mirror above the mantel.
Any style you choose can be a show-stopper, a great way to captivate guests with the pretty bow Christmas decoration trend.
Enhance the exterior
We all dream of the full-on doorscape treatment that celebrities post on social media, but the reality is that that takes a lot of effort, time and money. Bows are the ideal way to make a house exterior look dressed for the holidays, but without all the faff.
We love how the team from Yester Home have hung their red bows from a wisteria that frames the front door. This simple idea is a lovely way to use nature to your advantage and make a dormant plant pretty for the festive season.
You can tie bows to existing foliage and trees to make your home look suitably ready for the holidays. Of course, you can hang artificial garlands if you don't have foliage, but these will also benefit from being dressed in bows.
Admittedly, bows have always been a huge part of Christmas decorating, but in the last few years, they have been elevated to new heights. As I said earlier, it's the play on oversized bows and the sheer number of bows and the more unexpected places that have brought them to the forefront this year...and long may it continue.
The team at w&h will all be dressing our homes from head to toe in bows this coming weekend, will you?
