Picture a tree glowing warm gold from every angle, deep jewel-toned purple tucked between the branches, and just enough shimmer to make the whole thing feel like it belongs in a palace rather than a living room.
That’s the quiet magic of a purple and gold Christmas tree — a palette that manages to feel both regal and completely cozy at the same time. It’s a step away from the usual red-and-green setup without straying into anything too unconventional, which is exactly why it keeps showing up on so many wish lists this time of year. These fifteen ideas will help you bring that rich, elegant combination to life on your own tree this season.
1. Start with a Classic Purple and Gold Ball Ornament Set
A pre-made set of shatterproof ornaments in coordinating purple and gold finishes takes most of the guesswork out of building this palette from scratch. Look for a mix that includes glossy, matte, and glitter finishes so the tree has texture even before anything else gets added. Hanging these in clusters of three or four throughout the tree, rather than spacing them perfectly evenly, gives the design a fuller, more natural look. This approach is especially budget-friendly since a single set often provides enough ornaments to cover most of a standard-sized tree.
2. Layer in Deep Plum and Eggplant Tones
Sticking to darker purple shades like plum and eggplant, rather than brighter violet, gives the tree a more sophisticated, almost velvet-like richness. These deeper tones photograph beautifully against warm white lights, since the gold accents pop even more sharply by comparison. Mixing a few different purple shades within this darker family keeps the tree from feeling flat or one-note. This variation works particularly well for anyone aiming for a formal, evening-party kind of tree.
3. Add Gold Beaded Star Ornaments
Metal wire star ornaments finished in gold glitter bring a delicate, slightly vintage sparkle that pairs beautifully with a purple base. Their open, beaded design lets light pass through in a way that solid ball ornaments don’t, adding visual interest at different depths throughout the tree. Scatter a handful of these stars at varying heights rather than clustering them all together for the most natural effect. A larger matching star can double as a simple, elegant tree topper.
4. Use Velvet Ornaments for Texture
Velvet-flocked ornaments in deep purple bring a soft, tactile quality that plastic or glass pieces simply can’t match. The slightly muted, matte finish of velvet also helps balance out shinier gold pieces elsewhere on the tree, keeping the overall look from feeling too glossy. Handmade velvet ornaments in particular tend to have small, charming imperfections that add to the tree’s personality. Group a few velvet pieces together in one section of the tree for a soft focal point.
5. Incorporate Glitter Poinsettia Picks
Large glitter poinsettia flowers in purple and gold make an excellent filler for gaps between ornaments while adding real dimension to the tree’s silhouette. Insert the stems deep into the branches so the blooms sit naturally rather than floating on top of the greenery. A few poinsettias clustered near the base of the tree can also tie the design down to the tree skirt below. This addition works especially well on trees with sparse or thin branch coverage that need a bit of visual bulk.
6. Try a Mardi Gras-Inspired Twist
Purple, gold, and a touch of green together bring a slightly playful, Mardi Gras-inspired energy to the traditional purple and gold combination. This version tends to feel a bit more festive and less formal than a strictly two-color palette, which can work well for family-friendly spaces. Fleur-de-lis shaped ornaments or beaded garland strung loosely through the branches reinforce the theme without overcomplicating the design. This approach also gives you a bit more flexibility if you already own a mix of holiday ornaments in these three colors.
7. Weave in Gold Beaded Garland
A strand of gold beaded garland draped loosely from branch to branch adds continuous shimmer that ties the whole tree together visually. Rather than wrapping it tightly around the tree in even loops, let it drape with a slight sag between sections for a more organic, hand-placed look. This garland style also catches and reflects light beautifully, especially under warm white bulbs. It’s an easy, relatively inexpensive way to add a lot of visual continuity without buying dozens of additional ornaments.
8. Add a Purple and Gold Tree Skirt
A sequined tree skirt in deep purple or metallic gold finishes the whole display by extending the color story down to the floor. Choosing a skirt with a subtle pattern, rather than a solid color, adds one more layer of texture without competing with the ornaments above it. This detail is often what separates a tree that looks fully styled from one that looks slightly unfinished at the base. A skirt in the opposite of your dominant ornament color — gold if the tree leans mostly purple, or purple if it leans mostly gold — creates a nice visual bookend.
9. Balance the Palette with Roughly 60/40 Proportions
Rather than splitting purple and gold evenly down the middle, most well-balanced trees lean slightly more toward one color, using the other as an accent. A common approach is roughly sixty percent purple with forty percent gold, letting the deeper tone serve as the base while gold adds highlights and sparkle throughout. This kind of intentional imbalance tends to look more curated than a strict fifty-fifty split, which can feel a little too calculated. Adjust the ratio slightly based on whichever color you personally want to stand out more.
10. Add a Crown-Shaped Topper or Ornaments
Small crown ornaments in purple and gold play into the regal, almost royal feeling this color combination naturally carries. A single larger crown can work beautifully as a tree topper in place of a traditional star or angel. Smaller crown ornaments scattered throughout the branches reinforce the theme in a subtle, playful way, especially for a tree in a child’s room or a shared family space. This detail tends to become a favorite among kids who enjoy the slightly whimsical, storybook feel it brings.
11. Mix in Butterfly or Nature-Inspired Accents
Purple glitter butterfly ornaments add an unexpected, slightly whimsical touch that breaks up an otherwise all-ball-and-star ornament scheme. Clip or wire these onto branch tips so they appear to be resting naturally rather than hanging straight down. This detail works particularly well for a tree in a bedroom or a space with a slightly softer, more feminine design sensibility elsewhere in the room. A few gold butterflies mixed in alongside the purple ones keep the palette consistent while adding subtle variation.
12. Layer Multiple Ornament Sizes and Finishes
Combining ornaments in several different sizes, from small 1.5-inch balls to larger 3-inch statement pieces, gives the tree a fuller, more professionally styled look. Place the largest ornaments toward the interior of the tree, closer to the trunk, and let smaller pieces populate the outer branch tips. Mixing matte, glossy, and glitter finishes within the same purple and gold palette adds richness without introducing any new colors. This layering technique is one of the simplest ways to make a tree look noticeably more polished.
13. Add Gold Ribbon in Loose Loops
A wide gold ribbon looped loosely through the tree, rather than wrapped tightly around it, adds movement and a sense of flow to the overall design. Leave some slack in each loop so the ribbon has a soft, almost fabric-like drape rather than a stiff, structured look. This technique works especially well alongside a purple base, since the warm gold tone stands out clearly against the darker backdrop. A few ribbon tails left hanging loose near the bottom of the tree add a nice finishing touch.
14. Coordinate Wrapped Gifts Underneath
Wrapping presents in matching purple and gold paper extends the tree’s color story down to the base of the display, making the whole corner of the room feel cohesive. Mixing solid purple gifts with gold-striped or patterned ones creates the same kind of visual variety used in the ornaments themselves. A few metallic gold ribbon bows on the purple-wrapped gifts, and vice versa, help the pile feel intentionally coordinated rather than randomly assembled. This small extra step often gets noticed by guests before anyone even looks up at the tree itself.
15. Bring the Palette into the Surrounding Room
A purple and gold tree tends to look most impressive when a few of its colors show up elsewhere nearby, rather than standing completely on its own. A gold-framed mirror, a few purple throw pillows, or a matching mantel garland all help tie the tree into the room’s broader holiday decor. Even small touches, like coordinating stocking trim or table linens, make the tree feel like part of a bigger styled moment. This kind of extended coordination is often what elevates the whole space from “decorated” to genuinely photo-ready.
Final Thoughts
There’s something about purple and gold together that manages to feel festive and elegant at exactly the same time, which is probably why this combination keeps earning its spot on so many holiday mood boards. Pick two or three ideas from this list that fit the space you’re working with, whether that leans more regal and formal or a little more playful with crowns and butterflies, and let that direction guide the rest of the tree. Wishing you a season full of warm gold light and every bit as much sparkle as you were hoping for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What ratio of purple to gold looks best on a Christmas tree?
A slightly uneven split, like sixty percent purple to forty percent gold, tends to look more intentional than an exact even balance between the two colors.
Q: Do purple and gold ornaments work with white lights or colored lights?
Warm white lights pair especially well with this palette, since the gold tones amplify the light’s glow while the purple stays rich and deep.
Q: What can I use as a topper for a purple and gold tree?
A large gold star, a crown-shaped ornament, or a purple and gold bow all work beautifully as alternatives to a traditional angel topper.