As a great alternative to expensive Christmas tree flocking or messy faux snow products like canned flocking spray, consider using Poly-Fil batting to give the appearance of snow-covered branches. Designed as a filling for cushions and stuffed toys, Poly-Fil is soft, fluffy and bright white, and from a distance, it has a striking resemblance to snow. Put the illusion to good use by artfully arranging tufts of Poly-Fil along the branches as fake snow on a real tree or artificial Christmas tree.
Learning how to flock a Christmas tree with Poly-fil is easy but takes a little artistry to look as realistically festive as possible. Add accents like clear lights, pine cones, snowflake Christmas tree toppers and other Christmas decorations.
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A major benefit of this version of fake snow is that you can easily remove Poly-Fil and reuse it when the holiday season is over whether you add it to an artificial tree, a pre-lit Christmas tree or a real tree.
Buying Poly-Fil batting
Poly-Fil batting and stuffing are sold alongside similar products, but some work better than others as artificial snow for Christmas trees. Look for loose stuffing rather than flat sheets of batting and look for polyester or other synthetic fibers rather than cotton. Cotton batting is not as fluffy as synthetic batting, and it sometimes comes unbleached, which makes it off-white rather than the bright white needed to resemble snow and create a white Christmas in your home.
A small bag of Poly-Fil approximately the size of a throw cushion should be sufficient for a Christmas tree around 6 feet tall. You're unlikely to find smaller amounts for a smaller tree, so expect to have some left over. For a tree over 6 feet, buy a larger bag of fluff or two smaller ones.
Tip
If you are short just a little flocking, rather than buy a new package, you can DIY homemade Christmas tree flocking. Or, if you have too much left over, consider using it for your Christmas village or a Christmas tree skirt.
When to add the fake snow
After putting up a real or fake Christmas tree and arranging the branches to your liking, first add the string led lights and then the Poly-Fil batting to give it that snow-flocking look you're going for.
Save all other garlands, red berries, tinsel and Christmas ornaments until after you've added the fake snow to the tree. It might be helpful at this stage to position the tree far enough away from walls and furniture so you can walk all the way around it. You can carefully move the tree on its metal stand into its final spot after making it a flocked Christmas tree.
How to add Poly-Fil batting
The basic technique for putting Poly-Fil batting on a Christmas tree is quite straightforward for this simple DIY project.
Pull a large handful of batting out of the bag, pull it gently apart and stuff it between the upper rows of branches, pushing it up against the trunk. Reach in and gently tug the batting to the sides to wrap around the trunk and also toward the ends of the closest branches. It should look like irregular, fluffy ropes of snow wrapped around the tops of the branches. Don't worry if the batting breaks apart in places; it will look more realistic that way, like a real winter wonderland.
At the lower branches of the Xmas tree, don't push the Poly-Fil tufts all the way to the trunk or they won't be visible. Push them in most of the way and continue with the shaping of the batting ropes along the branches as you did for the top. Step away from the tree frequently to examine the faux snow effect and make adjustments as necessary. Add more or less batting depending on the effect you desire and aim for even coverage.