Christmas Decor Guide

Christmas has always been such a magical time of year, and I love when our home reflects the holiday spirit. This year was my first time decorating THIS home for Christmas (since we were in the midst of the great floor refinishing debacle last year….don’t recommend that during the holidays….EVER). Honestly I was a little excited to expand my holiday decor collection, but wanted to make sure I invested wisely. Like I mentioned in my Fall Tablescape Series (Traditional here, Blush here, and Neutral here) I really try to keep seasonal decor to a minimum. It takes up too much precious storage space, and just isn’t necessary.

That being said I thought it would be helpful to create a Christmas Decor Guide for those wanting to add holiday cheer throughout their home without breaking the bank. I have identified 6 Key elements to incorporate in holiday decor throughout your home.

1. Twinkle

This had to be number one, because nothing sets the mood for Christmas more than twinkle. With these early nights it feels so good to come home to the warm sparkles throughout the house.  Today’s market is flooded with amazing ways to add that extra warmth to the house.

Last year we invested in  this pre-lit Christmas tree……GAME CHANGER! Plus it has these pretty little sparkly snow covered branches (AHHHH- my angels signing voice). If you are still wrestling with those color coded branches and strings of lights girl it is time. It was a bit of an investment, but the second year in already well worth the investment.

Here are some close ups of the tree. I found this stunning Natural garland at Micheals and fell in love!

Here is the view from my favorite spot in the living room. I love how that glow dances up the stairs with the garland.

I used battery operated twinkle lights from Walmart on the stairs and formal dining table. I love how you can set the timer once and you are set for the season. I am also unsure why it took me so long to invest in timers for the tree and outside lights.

 The twinkle doesn’t have to be traditional Christmas lights either. Above you can see my Wax warmer adds a little glow to this shelf. I also have battery powered and traditional candles throughout the house as well.  These South Dakota winters get looooong and dark so I love that extra glow all year round.

2. Natural Elements

During the cold winter months some winter greenery and natural elements breath life into the home.

Some of you may have busted me on this one…..Ya’ll know I have a black thumb!

BUUUUUT Hobby Lobby and Target have the best faux greens so no thumb needed.  Quick tip when you are shopping for faux greens look for the ones that appear REAL. They will have those extra details to them and they don’t typically shed! For Christmas decor you can add berries, eucalyptus, twigs, and pine cones to any greens bring dimension to the look.

Otherwise if you are creative like my girl Jenae from @_Hillside_Haven you can even grab some clippings, branches, or pine cones from your yard.

I have been dreaming of a staircase dripping in garland since we first stepped foot in this house. If you follow me on Instagram you saw it was a little trial and error before I found this garland from hobby lobby. With a two story entry and balcony I had a lot of space to cover. I knew I wanted the look to be nice and full. It was a bit of an investment. I used six strands and didn’t want to risk waiting until the super sales after the holidays. I was able to snag this one for 50% off though and they will last for many seasons to come.  If you wanted to dress it up or add dimension you could also weave in other elements like giant pine cones, ribbons, or ornaments to change the look up each year.

I loved the garland so much I used an extra strand in our formal dining room and I think it ties the spaces together nicely. I also used a few sprigs from this mixed box of greens from target to add life to each table setting.

To add holiday coziness to the kitchen without cluttering the counters I added four of these  wreaths to the the front of our kitchen cabinets and this matching one above the stove.

Last is this Eucalyptus garland I used from my Neutral Fall Tablescape. It is the perfect example of adding to  “non-christmas” greenery. The entire tablescape is the same except the wood and pumpkins. I added in more sprigs from this mixed box of greens and giant pine cones from hobby lobby to add a Christmas feel.

3. Art

Chalkboards, Craft Paper, and Empty picture frames are the ticket here. I honestly don’t have the storage for a ton of Holiday specific art so these options are perfect for transitioning through ALL the seasons!

I love how this chalkboard adds some dimension to the look of this bright white kitchen. PS you don’t need to be an artist by any means. Pinterest is loaded with ideas. Chalkboards are honestly one of the most versatile elements and they are so easy to update. I prefer the chalkboard markers over the traditional chalk, because I have more control.

This next one was a super easy project using craft paper and permanent markers! Total cost for this “art” was free ninety nine!! If you aren’t into lettering you could even use vinyl wall decals.

These last two honestly came about because I was running low on Christmas decor funds after all the garland, but I loooooved this Magnolia piece at target. As I stood over my bright red Target cart a light bulb went off. I some frames from clearance at home. I used some quality paper and a nice marker. Viola I had my own little Christmas set. It was honestly a trio, but I may have dropped one…OOOPS

Another quick tip is to buy frames that have mattes in them. It makes anything look like a nice piece of art.

4. Neutral Decor

If you follow me on any platform you are probably sick of me saying this, BUT I am going to sing it from the mountain tops. Neutral decor is the KEY to transitioning a space through the seasons.

This room is the perfect example.  I really pulled back all of the colors in this space. I swapped some rugs and pillows to create a completely neutral pallet for some of the red accents. I added these red pillow covers to pull that red throughout the room. I  love that they can fold flat for easy storage. The key to neutral decor is lots of texture like these nubby pillows, the contrasting wood and metal clock,  antique wooden coffee table, and of course those natural elements.

I kept all of the decor the same on these shelves. I just added some of these greenery sprigs from Micheals. I also wrapped my blue pot on the top shelf with one of my Magnolia cloth napkins.

Don’t be afraid to shop your own house too. That is one of the benefits of neutral decor; everything goes with everything else.  This vase picture below was on my mantle with eucalyptus sprigs. I added some pine sprigs and moved it to this side table. I had a royal blue lamp here before, but wanted to tone it down so I swapped it out for this neutral one from the guest bedroom.

I typically love blues and greens so I concentrated those colors to the rest of the house room as well as the rest of the house of course. Again that way everything can be moved throughout your home and you have a cohesive feel to your spaces.

5. Christmas Scents

Our sense of smell is more strongly associated with memories than any of our other five senses. Christmas comes with it’s own nostalgia. What better way to stir those beautiful childhood memories or create some for your own family than adding this element to your holiday home.   Maybe its the smell of sugar cookies that reminds you of piling around a counter for Christmas baking.

For those of us that don’t bake without supervision you can settle for a candle or wax melts. They add to the glow of your home as well as greet you with a sweet scent.

6. Twine & Ribbon

Twine and Ribbon are like the belt and shoes of this outfit. Frankly command strips and floral wire are like the bra and undies keeping everything in check underneath.

Above I used burlap ribbon, floral wire, and Command strips to mount these wreaths on my cabinet doors.

To hang my garland on the staircase I actually used clamps from my shop to hold them in place, then twisted them on with floral wire. I was experimenting with some ribbon as well.

Above I used Command strips to mount the chalkboard as well as twine to wrap the base of this Target Dollar Spot tree with another Magnolia napkin.

Well I hope you enjoyed this little Christmas decor guide as much as I did creating it. I hope you all have a toasty warm Christmas full of love and cheer with the ones you love!