What is the essence of flocking a Christmas tree?

Among the many intriguing holiday customs—such as figgy pudding and wassailing—one of the most unusual has to be coating small trees with a blend of adhesive and cellulose fibers, all to fulfill our desire for a white Christmas.

That’s the process behind flocking a tree, where synthetic snow is applied, creating the iconic snowy appearance. Despite the artificial nature of the snow, there’s an undeniable charm and warmth to a beautifully flocked Christmas tree. Let’s explore how professionals bring this Christmas vision to life.  

The Origins of Flocking

The desire to achieve that snowy look on Christmas trees goes back further than you may realize, starting in the 1800s with materials like flour and cotton. A 1929 edition of Popular Mechanics even suggested using varnish, corn starch, and mica flakes as an alternative.  

However, tree flocking as we know it truly became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s, coinciding with the rise of aluminum trees and other flashy (though not always natural) decorations from the post-war era. General Mills introduced Sno-Flok kits for home use, which could be applied with a gun connected to a vacuum cleaner.

These home kits are not in much demand today, according to Tom Leonard, owner of Peak Seasons, one of the largest producers of Christmas tree lot equipment and flocking in the U.S. Nevertheless, flocking still holds a certain charm. As Leonard shared with Mytour in 2019, “It’s hugely popular in Sunbelt states because of the lack of snow. The West Coast, the South, and the Southeast make up the bulk of the sales.”

The Science Behind Tree Flocking

So, what is flocking exactly? At its essence, flocking involves applying fine fibers to a surface to add texture, a technique also used in fashion, home decor, and crafts. Peak Seasons’ formula includes paper pulp for fiber, corn starch as a binder, and boron for fire resistance—providing an added layer of safety to the flocking process.

And the company produces a significant amount of it. Leonard mentions that they are the largest supplier of flock in both the United States and Europe. 'I won’t disclose the exact numbers, but let’s just say we sell a lot—truckloads upon truckloads.'

Located in sunny Riverside, California, Peak Seasons begins with paper and a grinder. 'It’s like a giant roll of toilet paper that weighs a ton. You feed it into a machine, and it turns into powder,' Leonard explains. The exception is for bright colors—flock in hues such as white, black, pink, ice blue, royal blue, red, green, gold, and purple—which requires cotton fibers to hold the dye. The final product is powdery, similar to baby powder, and is shipped in large bags the size of cement bags across the country.

Next comes the task of applying the flock in an even layer, which is where machines like the Mighty Sno-Blower come into play. These are large tanks that hold various amounts of flock, with a mechanism at the bottom to aerate the powder. The machine then pumps the powder through a hose, and a gun at the end mixes it with a fine mist of water.

And that’s how flocking comes to life.

The Craft of Flocking

You don’t have to hire a professional flocker or use commercially available flocking. There are plenty of DIY recipes out there that use ingredients like soap flakes or even desiccated coconut flakes. However, if you do opt for a professional, you’ll want someone like Paul Iantosca, who spent over two decades flocking trees in the Boston area.

Flocking one tree in a vibrant shade of purple (with white still being the most popular), Iantosca begins by spraying the tree with water. Then, in a section sealed off with plastic sheeting, he powers up the blower and envelops the tree in what appears to be a purple mist. The flocking goes everywhere. He wears a mask to avoid inhaling the powder, though some high-volume flockers wear full protective coveralls.

The tricky aspect of flocking is that you can’t assess your work until it has dried. When it’s applied, it feels cold and wet, much like paste. But as it dries, the Christmas magic happens—it puffs up, transforming into a soft, fluffy white (or, in this case, purple) fuzz securely attached to the tree’s needles.

Of course, there are some challenges. If you don’t apply enough water, the flocking will fall off and create a big mess. A flocked tree can’t get wet again. 'It won’t dry a second time. It’s actually pretty gross,' says Iantosca. Also, when you flock a tree, the color exposes any imperfections. A scruffy tree turns into an odd, uneven bush.

But if done correctly and adorned with lights, you’ll have a true masterpiece. Iantosca flocked trees in his own home for a decade, and now his kids won’t allow him to go back.

'When you plug that thing in, it absolutely glows from within,' he says. 'It’s incredible.'