Here’s the thing about a coastal Christmas tree, it’s not really about the ornaments. It’s about walking into your living room and feeling like you can finally relax, even in the middle of December chaos. It’s about creating a holiday space that doesn’t ask you to be someone you’re not.
If traditional red and green have never felt quite right, you’re not alone. Coastal Christmas decorations in blues and whites let you celebrate the season while keeping that calm, beachy feeling you’ve worked so hard to create in your home. And honestly? These pieces earn their keep — they transition beautifully into winter decor for January and February, so you’re not boxing everything up after three weeks.
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Why Blue Coastal Christmas Works
There’s something deeply calming about decorating with blues during what can be a hectic, overwhelming season. While everyone else is battling the visual chaos of traditional holiday colors, your tree becomes a peaceful focal point — festive but not frantic.
Navy, teal, aqua, and seafoam blues create that relaxed coastal style you love.
They pair effortlessly with whites, creams, natural woods, and metallics you probably already have in your living space. This means your beachy Christmas decor enhances your home instead of competing with it. Plus, blue and white don’t scream “pack me away on December 26th”. Mercury glass votives, white candles, navy ribbons—they all work straight through winter.
What You'll Need
Before diving into the decorating process, gather these essentials for your blue coastal Christmas tree:
- 80-100 beach Christmas ornaments in varying sizes (navy, white, teal, metallics)
- Coastal-themed ornaments (starfish, sand dollars, glass floats, shells)
- 600-800 white LED string lights
- 15-20 feet of ribbon (navy velvet, jute, or burlap)
- Wood bead garland or nautical rope garland
- Coastal tree topper (starfish, driftwood star, or white branches)
- Tree skirt or woven basket base
- Natural accents (driftwood pieces, white coral, eucalyptus)
Step 1: Choose Your Blue Color Palette
Stick to three or four colors max for coastal Christmas tree ideas. This is the difference between “curated” and “I threw everything at the tree”. Look at what’s already in your room, your pillows, your art. If you echo those blues in your tree, everything feels connected.
Classic Navy and White — This is the most versatile option and works in both traditional and modern coastal homes. Navy provides richness and depth while white keeps things bright and fresh. Add brushed gold or warm bronze metallics for a sophisticated glow.
Teal and Silver — Perfect if your home leans more tropical or contemporary coastal. Teal brings that ocean-water shimmer, while silver adds icy winter elegance. Incorporate cream or ivory to warm it up.
Seafoam and Natural Wood — The softest, most organic option for beachy Christmas decor. Pair pale seafoam green with driftwood tones, jute, and soft whites for an understated, beachy-boho feel. This palette feels more “cottage by the sea” than “yacht club”.
Multi-Blue Gradient — For the bold decorators, combine navy, cobalt, turquoise, and powder blue in varying shades. Keep everything in the blue family and use white as your neutral anchor. This creates stunning visual depth.
Skip decision fatigue! My Navy and White Coastal Christmas Tree: Quick Shopping Guide narrows it down to top picks for a stunning coastal look—so you don’t have to spend hours searching.
Step 2: Gather Your Coastal Christmas Decorations
Before you start decorating, gather everything you need so you can see your full collection and spot any gaps.
Beach Christmas Ornaments:
- Plan for 80-100 ornaments for a 7-foot tree, fewer for smaller trees. You’ll want a mix of sizes: large statement ornaments (3-4 inches), medium fillers (2-3 inches), and small accent pieces (1-2 inches). Look for shatterproof blue and white ball ornaments in matte, glossy, and glitter finishes for variety. When shopping for beach Christmas ornaments, prioritize coastal-specific designs like glass fishing floats, sand dollar shapes, starfish, seahorses, mercury glass in blue tones, and rope-wrapped balls to reinforce the beachy element.
Ribbon and Garland:
You’ll need 15-20 feet of ribbon for a 7-foot tree if you’re doing the cascading ribbon technique. Navy velvet ribbon, white burlap ribbon with frayed edges, or natural jute rope all work beautifully for coastal Christmas decorations.
Skip traditional tinsel garland and opt for coastal alternatives — chunky white wood bead garland, nautical rope garland, or even faux eucalyptus in silvery-green tones adds texture without overwhelming the design.
Lights First:
Start with 600-800 white LED lights for a 7-foot tree. Warm white creates a cozy glow, while cool white feels more contemporary. If you’re feeling adventurous, blue string lights can create a stunning moonlit effect, though they work best as a secondary layer over white lights.
Tree Topper:
- Your topper sets the tone for your coastal Christmas tree ideas. A large white starfish, driftwood star, oversized silver star, or even a simple arrangement of white branches in a vase makes a coastal statement.
Tree Skirt or Collar:
- A white faux fur tree skirt brings snowy texture, while navy velvet feels luxe. Natural woven baskets, galvanized metal buckets, or jute tree collars offer a more casual coastal vibe.
Step 3: String Your Lights
Always light your tree first, before adding any ornaments. Start at the base of the tree near the trunk and work your way around and outward, pushing lights slightly into the branches for depth rather than wrapping them around the outside. Use the “three-foot rule”: plan for about 100 lights per vertical foot of tree. This might feel like overkill, but generous lighting makes your beach Christmas ornaments sparkle and creates that magical glow coastal trees are known for.
If you’re layering blue lights with white, add the white strand first as your base layer, then weave blue lights more sparingly through the outer branches for pops of color.
Step 4: Add Ribbon and Garland
This step is optional but adds significant visual impact to your beachy Christmas decor. For a coastal tree, skip stiff wired ribbon and choose materials with movement and texture.
Cascading Ribbon Method:
- Cut 18-24 inch sections of ribbon and tuck them vertically into the tree, letting them cascade down naturally. Start near the trunk and work outward, spacing ribbons evenly around the tree. This creates elegant flow without looking too structured.
Garland Draping:
If using bead garland or rope, drape it loosely in a spiral from top to bottom. Don’t pull it tight — let it swag naturally between branches for that relaxed coastal feel. Jute or nautical rope adds incredible texture and reinforces the beachy theme without adding more color. White wood bead garland brings farmhouse-coastal charm to your coastal Christmas decorations.
Step 5: Layer Your Beach Christmas Ornaments Strategically
This is where your tree truly comes to life, and the order matters.
Start with Large Ornaments:
Place your biggest beach Christmas ornaments (3-4 inches) first, spacing them evenly around the tree in a triangle pattern — some high, some middle, some low. This creates visual balance. Push them slightly into the tree rather than hanging them on the tips of branches for depth.
Fill with Medium Ornaments:
Your 2-3 inch ornaments are workhorses. Use these to fill the visual gaps between your large pieces. Alternate colors as you go — if you placed a navy ornament, flank it with white or silver.
Add Small Accent Pieces:
The smallest ornaments (1-2 inches) fill remaining gaps and add detail when you look closely. This is where specialty coastal ornaments like tiny starfish, mini glass floats, or small shells make their appearance.
Vary Ornament Depths:
- Some ornaments should sit deep in the tree, some midway out, and some near the branch tips. This creates dimension and makes your tree look fuller.
Mix Textures and Finishes:
Combine matte navy balls with glossy white ones, add glittered pieces for sparkle, incorporate mercury glass for vintage coastal charm, and include natural elements like wood or shells for organic texture. This variety keeps the eye moving and prevents the tree from looking flat or one-note.
Step 6: Add Coastal-Specific Elements
Now bring in the elements that make this distinctly coastal rather than just blue Christmas.
Natural Elements:
Tuck in small pieces of driftwood, real or faux white coral branches, dried starfish in white or natural tones, sand dollars (real or ornament versions), or white feathers for beachy organic texture. These natural touches are what transform ordinary blue ornaments into authentic beachy Christmas decor.
Nautical Touches:
Miniature rope knots, tiny wooden boat ornaments, compass ornament designs, or anchor shapes reinforce the coastal-nautical theme without going overboard into theme-park territory.
Ocean-Inspired Accents:
Capiz shell ornaments catch and reflect light beautifully. Glass icicles can double as sea glass. Frosted white ornaments mimic sea foam.
The key is restraint — add these elements as accents, not as the dominant feature. You want “subtle coastal nod” not “nautical explosion”.
Step 7: Style Your Tree Topper
Your topper is the exclamation point on your coastal Christmas tree ideas, so choose something that feels authentic to the aesthetic.
A large white starfish (real or resin) is the most obviously coastal choice and looks stunning perched on top. A driftwood star brings organic texture and works especially well with seafoam and natural wood palettes. An oversized silver or white star keeps things classic but still fits the color story.
For something unexpected, try a small arrangement of white branches in a decorative vase secured to the top, or even a gathered bunch of eucalyptus tied with navy ribbon. Some decorators skip the topper entirely and let the tree’s natural shape shine through.
Step 8: Choose Your Tree Skirt
The tree base grounds your entire design and shouldn’t be an afterthought when creating coastal Christmas decorations.
White Faux Fur:
Creates a snowy, winter wonderland effect and contrasts beautifully with navy ornaments. The texture adds softness.
Navy Velvet:
Brings richness and sophistication, especially stunning under a tree heavy on white and silver.
Natural Jute or Burlap:
Perfect for casual coastal style. Jute tree collars (the ones that wrap around the base like a basket) look particularly modern and beachy.
Woven Basket or Galvanized Bucket: :
- For a farmhouse-coastal vibe, skip the skirt entirely and set your tree in a large woven basket or metal bucket. Add a few wrapped presents around the base to complete the look.
Step 9: Evaluate and Adjust
Step back at least 10 feet and look at your tree with fresh eyes. Walk around it and view it from every angle.
Look for bare spots where you can see too much tree or lights are poking through. Fill these with additional medium or small beach Christmas ornaments in your palette.
Check for color balance
Does one color dominate too heavily? If your tree looks too blue, add more white ornaments. If it’s reading too neutral, layer in more navy or teal.
Assess visual weight
Is everything clustered at eye level? Make sure you have ornaments distributed from top to bottom and front to back.
Turn off the overhead lights and evaluate your tree lighting. Does it glow evenly, or are there dark spots that need more lights?
Step 10: Final Touches for Cohesive Beachy Christmas Decor
These finishing details take your tree from good to stunning.
Add sprigs of faux blue eucalyptus or white berry branches tucked randomly into the tree for organic texture. Cluster a few mercury glass candle holders or blue glass votive holders at the tree’s base for ambient lighting. Place a few larger coastal elements — like a white coral branch or driftwood piece — beneath the tree as part of your display.
Consider the area around your tree too. Coastal Christmas decorations look best when the tree doesn’t exist in isolation. Bring blue and white throw pillows onto your nearby sofa, add a navy table runner to your console, or place white candles in hurricane glasses on surrounding surfaces to create a cohesive holiday scene.
Make It Yours
The beauty of coastal style is that it’s inherently personal and collected. Your tree should tell your story.
Ornaments from beach trips. That piece of driftwood you found last summer. Have a cherished shell collection? Feature a few special pieces as beach Christmas ornaments.
The goal isn’t perfection — it’s creating a tree that makes you feel calm, happy, and like yourself during a season that can sometimes feel like it belongs to everyone else. Your blue coastal Christmas tree is permission to celebrate the holidays on your own terms, in colors that bring you peace.
LINKS TO RELATED ARTICLES
How to Make Navy Blue Pop on Your Christmas Tree (3 Pro Tips)
- Navy and White Coastal Christmas Tree: Quick Shopping Guide
