Sometimes it feels like the magic of the holiday season is that you get more done than seems humanly possible. And between shopping for presents and planning holiday festivities, decorating your home can feel like just another item on a very long to-do list.
But decor can be a fun and fast way to get in the holiday spirit. These 15 easy holiday decor ideas are a great place to start.
1. Create a Green Centerpiece
Buying a centerpiece seems simple enough, but why spend extra when you can easily make your own with pine boughs and ornaments? Arrange these on a festive platter, and enjoy the scent of pine throughout the season.
2. Deck Your Doorways
Tabletops, stair railings, and mantles almost always get decorated. But you can lift a room’s holiday vibe by decking the doorways, too. Add inexpensive string lights to door frames to make them sparkle – extra credit for finding lights shaped like stars or snowflakes!
3. Change Up Your Ornaments
Create your own tree ornaments with pine cones you find in your backyard or around your neighborhood. Keep them natural or spray paint them metallic gold, attach a small looped piece of string to the top with hot glue, and you’re set! This is a fun activity for children (with supervision, of course!) and may even become a new holiday tradition.
4. Add Greenery to Your Mantle
Between candlesticks and stockings, fireplace mantles can get a little overloaded with
holiday decor
. Keep things subtle by laying long green pine boughs along the mantle with ribbons that match your interior design aesthetic. This can tie together the overall look of your room.
5. Replace Your Tree Skirt with a Planter
The purpose of a tree skirt is to hide your tree stand, but that’s not the only option you have. Instead, kick it up a notch with a planter. You’ll still need your tree stand, but baskets and boxes can hide it just as well – as long as you find one that has a flat bottom and is wide enough for your stand. A true DIYer may want to decorate a cardboard box as a present and use that to hide their tree stand.
Just make sure you can still water the tree if you have a real one! Dried out Christmas trees can be a fire hazard.
6. Create a Unique Holiday Scene
Collectibles that create a holiday scene on your mantle have been around for years now. Create your own unique display with figurines that are important to you, whether that’s action figures, nutcracker dolls, or other items you’ve accumulated over the years. Simply use boxes to create different levels, white batting to simulate snow, and then place your figurines in whatever positions amuse you.
7. Pick a Color Scheme
Choosing two or three colors for your holiday decor goes a long way toward making your home look polished. This is true even if you’re drawn to colors not usually associated with winter holidays (hot pink, anyone?). Stick with your chosen colors – from gifts and ornaments to table linens and throw pillows – to create a cohesive and memorable palette.
8. Rethink Your Flower Arrangements
The easiest way to arrange flowers is to drop them in a lovely vase and leave them be. (This includes poinsettias, which often get left in the green planters they come in.) However, you might try clipping blooms and placing them in low glass dishes. You can even do that with poinsettia bracts – just be sure to burn the ends. This keeps the sap from oozing out and helps them live longer.
9. Use Evergreens and Glass
Glass containers can make anything look elegant. Place evergreen sprigs in glass containers of different shapes and sizes, such as candle holders and decanters, and then set them in various places throughout your home. This simple holiday home decorating idea is an easy and inexpensive way to make any space feel more festive.
10. Make Bottle Brush Trees
This is an activity your children will love! You can make your own bottle brush trees using sisal fiber, floral wire, cork, and clothespins, or buy them pre-made and paint or dye them all sorts of fun colors. (You have to bleach the sisal fiber if you dye them, so you may want to do that step before your kids get involved.) You can use these as holiday decor on their own, but they could make an excellent addition to a holiday scene on your mantle.
11. Update Your Wreath
Wreaths don’t have to be made from evergreen boughs. Instead, make them out of items that mean something to you, like family photos or materials that fit your decor, and then hang them throughout your home.
12. Hang Your Stockings with Care
Even without a fireplace, you can still make sure your stockings are hung with care. Just find a space with enough ledge to put a stocking holder on, like a bookshelf, kitchen island, or window frame. To make the area stand out, decorate it with other holiday items to create a festive tableau.
13. Accent Your Chandelier
Your chandelier is already a focal point, so why not decorate it with berry garlands, paper dreidels, or colored ribbons? This can be the perfect accent for holiday dinner parties, but make sure your decoration don’t touch the lights. No sense in risking a fire for style and charm.
Few things look more beautiful than candlelight, and you can create more sparkle with a few well-placed mirrors. Adding reflective surfaces to your mantle, bookcase, or even your tablescape can increase the delicate glow of the candles for a peaceful effect. Just be sure to keep your candles away from flammable items like fabric or paper, and never leave them burning while unattended.
15. Decorate with Candy
Whatever your tradition, holiday-themed treats can be a fun way to celebrate. Filling glass jars with Hanukkah gelt or using
candy canes to decorate a vase
is a great way to add some whimsy to your holiday decor.
