9 Christmas Decoration Ideas from My Home to Yours

I love decorating for Christmas, and this year I finally had the space, time, and extra gift cards to start turning my home into my holiday fantasy. I am so excited to give you a tour of my living spaces, and show off our festive mix of old and new decorations. Maybe you’ll even get some Christmas decoration ideas for your own home this season!

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Personalized Instead of Styled

This is probably my main mantra when it comes to any type of decorating, whether for a specific holiday or year-round. While I love the look of a matching set, I always try to add in little touches that make everything more personal.

I don’t want my Christmas tree to feel like it could be out of a magazine or from anyone else’s living room. Each ornament we add to the tree has a story and a memory. It’s not a only a beautiful conglomeration, but this makes it so fun when we are decorating and reminiscing.

A Mantel is a Showpiece

If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace with a mantel, use it to your advantage. It’s one of my favorite areas of the house to decorate. This is because it doesn’t get cluttered with everyday things. It’s the easiest area to keep looking great throughout the whole season.

It’s also an area that I like to update throughout the year. We keep the large photograph (it’s from our engagement shoot in 2017) all the time, but switch out the garland and trinkets for the season. The deer stocking holders are new this year in our house, and I love how they add an extra touch of nature.

Reusing Matching Elements

I know I just said you don’t have to worry about everything matching if it’s sentimental, but you can still keep different decor items coordinated. This year, I added a few different small accessories to my decorations, like fake berries, greenery, and pinecones.

These elements can be found throughout my living room and dining area, tying all the decor together. You can use these small details to add just a small pop of color, life, or sparkle anywhere. On the table alone, I used them in a centerpiece, a vase, and as part of the napkin rings.

The Simpler to Store, the Better

One of my absolute favorite ways to quickly transition any room to holiday is by switching out the pillows. But keeping individual fluffy pillows stored can be a real nuisance, especially if you don’t have a basement or a ton of extra space. Instead, I use pillow covers.

In most cases, each pillow has a standard cover that it wears throughout the year. Then I just slip the main cover off and add on a festive one instead! When the season is over, it can be folded flat and only takes up as much space as a single reusable napkin. Cards, posters, and small books have a similar advantage.

Second Hand & Second Lives

The newest main feature of our holiday displays this year is our village! I have always wanted to have a Christmas village, so of course I agreed to take it off the hands of my husband’s grandmother when she was downsizing. The best part is that it didn’t cost a thing, with the exception of some extra tiny bottlebrush trees I added in.

Using something that you inherited or got second hand is so special, especially if it’s from a close family member or friend. But you can also recycle and reuse newer items in your decor. The backdrop of the village is actually the inside of last year’s winter FabFitFun box!

Combine Old with New

Christmas to me always has a bit of nostalgia, with all the traditions. I like to add that character into my decor as well by pairing antique hand-me-downs and finds with new decorations each year. Our tree is a great example of this with its many ornaments.

However, this year, we were able to set up a vintage train set around the base of our tree. I love the look of the old, hand-crafted detail paired with the fresh pine scent of a newly cut tree. It might be the newest and oldest pieces of decor right next to each other!

Hiding vs Replacing

I’m a maximalist by nature, so the many bookshelves and surfaces in my home are already covered with knick-knacks and souvenirs no matter the time of year. When it comes time to decorate for Christmas, I’m mostly adding joyful and sparkling items, but also need to balance the visual clutter.

One of my favorite ways to do that is to hide certain items that are not seasonal. On this bookshelf, I did just that. Instead of putting the cookbooks that live here full time into storage, I covered them with last year’s holiday cards. You can try this with other large, flat items, like posters or fabric too.

Anything Can Become Decor

I am a firm believer that decorating is just about highlighting the right items at the right time. I keep these Menu magazines from Wegmans, our favorite grocery store, on the shelf all year. But at Christmas time, why not pull out the holiday editions and make them part of the show.

Not only are they super accessible and quick to find if I need a recipe, but they add some life and personality into the decorating. If you shop your own closets and shelves, you are sure to find items that you can repurpose as decor. Try blankets, tea towels, sweaters, old magazines, cards, and craft supplies to start.

Just a Touch of Festive

When I’m not covering up the year-round decor, I am adding to it. In three out of these four shelves, I added small details to the foreground that made the whole shelf look more holiday-centric, without switching everything.

While I did use the hiding trick here too, it’s all about balance. Small touches of greenery, ribbons, candles, or a book open to a strategic page can all add a Christmas feeling without too much effort.

Bonus tip: Most of my new holiday Christmas decoration ideas came to life from Target this year, but it barely cost me anything! How? I love earning gift cards through Swagbucks by taking surveys and earning cash back from my everyday purchases. Check it out and get $3 bonus after you earn your first $3!

Shop This Post

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• The Sweet Smell of Christmas book
• Christmas Desserts cookbook