Frazzled by how to get your house festive without the use of more f words? 17 easy, inexpensive and calminggggg Christmas decorating ideas for a fantastic holiday season.
It takes me 3 days to decorate my house for Christmas. I'm not sure if this makes me uniquely qualified or unqualified to give tips on Christmas decorating, but I have some of my best tips laid out for you in this post.
This year I'm in the curious position all of us are in. I really want my house to envelop me in every bit of Christmas coziness it can muster but at the same time I'm exhausted and unhinged. That means, I don't know if I have the energy to do over the top decorating. It also means, I'm eating a lot of fried foods.
I'm also not sure that I want that kind of oppressive, over the top, choking on garland look I'm normally partial to. I need calm. I need easy. I need french fries.
The main reason it takes me so long to decorate my house is that I change it up every single year. Part of that is because I'm nonsensical and the other part is because I feature my house on my blog every year and figure you'll report me to the bloggers authority if I don't feature new and exciting things every year. I don't begrudge you that. It's kind of your duty as a blog reader.
So EVEN if I do things "easier" this year, it'll still take me forever because I'll have to figure out the best way to do it by trial and error.
You can see how I've decorated for Christmas over the past 8 years in my Christmas House Tours here.
I'm counting on there being a few tips in here that you can implement yourself this year; like placing twigs around your flopping paper whites. Or getting drunk.
In no particular order,
17 Christmas Decorating Ideas
as told by a Christmas addict.
1. To hang a wreath from cupboard doors, install a screw in cup hook or a 3M sticky hook on the inside of the cupboard door. Wrap fishing line around your wreath then hang it from the cuphook on the inside of the door. To make it look like it's hanging from ribbon just wrap ribbon around the wreath and attach it to the cup hook as well. It'll look like the wreaths are hanging by the ribbons but they're actually being supported by the fishing line. THIS look is pretty calm. I like it for this year.
2. FOR EVERY CHRISTMAS PIECE YOU PUT OUT, TAKE AWAY A REGULAR ACCESSORY. Keep a Rubbermaid bin or cardboard box with you as you decorate, placing all the regular accessories into it. Then when you take Christmas away you'll have all your regular stuff together in one spot making it easy to put out again in January.
3. Sometimes all you need to do is add a little Christmas colour. I had these berry sprigs that I bought for a wreath but didn't like them in it. Which is a good thing because they look a million times better bunched in a vase. Again. It's simple but looks Christmassy without making you feel like you're being eaten alive by the ghost of Santa.
4. ADD SPARKLE. I like a rustic Christmas more than anything else but even I make sure there's some glitter going on. You can get glitter from candle holders, a bowl of glittery pine cones, shaking an exotic dancer around your house, wine glasses or using sparkly ribbon on top of a burlap table runner.
5. Keep your Amaryllis or Paperwhite upright by surrounding the plant with twigs. The twigs stop the leaves and flowers from toppling over when they get too tall. Also ... I get my glitter fix.
6. SCENTED CANDLES or plugins. If it smells like Christmas it'll feel like Christmas.The world's best scented Christmas Candle is Frasier Fir by Thymes. It is OUTSTANDING. They also make hand soap, car fresheners and reed oil dispensers all in the delicious Frasier Fir scent. I own the room spray, candles, candle melts, car air freshener and reed diffuser. And yet - I want more.
7. Santa doesn't have to barf on your room to make it seem festive. In the case of my bedroom just adding a sheepskin mat to the floor and a cheap Ikea Christmas tree make it cozy and holiday-like. Again - nice and calm.
8. PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON TIMERS. Just do it. Inside, outside ... doesn't matter. Do 'em all.
9. Ornaments you already own are the cheapest way to decorate. Put them in bowls, mugs, vases or baskets. In this case, my antique egg basket holds my antique ornaments.
Below my DIY hanging magazine rack shows off some vintage ornaments. You can learn how to make the magazine rack here.
10. DOME IT. Glass cloches (otherwise known as domes) are available everywhere now. Big, small, it doesn't matter. Slip a glass dome over just about anything and it looks great and makes the thing inside seem as special as 5 legged cat. Only cuter.
11. The snowy scene on my sofa table is just a platter with white Dollar Store trees and plastic snow sprinkled in. That's it. O.K., and a garland and a sparkly candle and a white tree. This year it might feel like too much to me and I'd probably just have the garland and one other thing.
12. Vintage metal trucks SCREAM Christmas. I have no idea why. I blame Hallmark movies. I can also tell you that this random white truck that I bought at an antique store is one of the most commented on things in my house. Everyone love sit and no one really knows why. So if you can, pick up an antique metal truck if you ever see one. If you're impatient Amazon has tons of replica vintage metal trucks.
13. FRUIT! One of my favourite holiday decorations are fruit and nuts. They're festive AND edible. Mixed nuts in their shells, clementine oranges and pears are my favourites.
14. Pine Cones. If you can shove, hang, prop or display a pine cone in or on it DO IT. They're cheap, festive and available everywhere from stores to the street. If you're fancy you can buy the big ones that are covered in gold glitter.
Glue them on presents, put them in bowls, scatter them on tables or bookshelves.
15. Get your wrapping done. Just having wrapped presents around makes your house feel like Christmas. This year, it's going to be simple for me. No over the top crazy wrapping but it will be beautiful. I haven't entirely decided what I'm doing and with what materials, but I do know it's going to be simple, oversized ribbon and plain paper similar to what I did a few years ago. Just a classic, simple, old fashioned Christmas look.
16. Just a few sprigs. You don't need masses of store bought greenery, garland and wreaths. Just a few sprigs of anything evergreen from your yard can have an impact.
17. Don't forget the porch or whatever main door you use to get into your house. Just a little porch tree will make you smile with its Christmas cheer every time you come home.
BONUS CHRISTMAS DECORATING TIP: JUST BECAUSE YOU OWN IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO PUT IT OUT.
I still have the same glass ornaments I walked into this house with and I'll never get rid of them. I didn't decorate with them this year but I did 2 years ago and I'm sure I will again in the future. So they stay.
But in the same box I have a bunch of older decorations that I loved at one point but kind of roll my eyes at now. I used to try to find a place to just stick them but now I realize just because I own them doesn't mean I have to put them out. If I don't like them or don't have room for them I either don't put them out or I get rid of them.
MY FINAL BONUS TIP.
The most important thing to remember when you're decorating for Christmas is, you really can't go wrong. It's pretty forgiving and pretty hard to make a mistake. I mean, we put entire, full sized, living trees in our rooms and don't think a thing of it. What other time of year would this seem sane to us? Then we cover it with flashing lights.
So no. You really can't screw up Christmas decorating. Just have fun, make it cozy and shake that ho, ho, ho around.
→Follow me on Instagram where I'll be sharing a lot more Christmas stuff.←
Charlee
Love this post! So many good and simple ideas for Christmas decorating. Thanks for sharing.
Barb
Karen, I absolutely must share with you MY secret for the smell of Christmas in my home - Fresh Balsam Wallflower scent from Bath & Body Works. It's literally a Christmas tree in a bottle - well, not literally, but it smells like it could be. The fresh-cut balsam tree scent lasts as long as there's liquid in the bottle, and I positively adore it!
Marna
You always have such great ideas!
Merry Christmas to all! :)
Pat
Oh Karen, you must try a candle by Illume called Woodfire. I completely burned mine down and there is a little bit of the wax left. I just left it sitting out and the dreamy scent still fills the room!
Hannah
The best smelling candle in the world is buttered maple syrup scent. I discovered it yesterday in this adorable boutique and I forgot why I was in that store because it smelled so insanely good in there.
Spicequeen
Hi!
Love your site you're just too funny ;) Please tell me how you hung your rolling pins on the wll like that?
Karen
Hi Spicequeen! I screwed teen, tiny, brass cuphooks into the top of each rolling pin so they could hang on my hooks (which are actually antique French curtain tie backs that I had NO idea what to do with until I figured this little DIY out.) :) ~ karen!
Rachel Jennings
Our Own Candle Company https://www.ourowncandlecompany.com/online-store/Masons-c13392253 make the most delicious smelling candles. Plus, after you burn the candle, you can (at least I do) use the mason jar cup for a drinking glass. They make my whole kitchen smell & make scents that would be appropriate for Christmas. My favorite is a layered candle with Banana Nut Bread, Coconut and Hazelnut. It's called Smell My Nuts. Since I apparently have the humor of a teenage boy, I grin every time I read the label.
Edie Marie
Love the simple touches! But the "add a tree & a rug" thingy that flashes back & forth is awesome!! You always amaze me Karen! Love it.
Blessings Edie Marie
Karen
The thingy is called a GIF. :) Basically just one photo layered on top of another in a slide show sort of thing. So yeah, a thingy, lol. ~ karen!
Benjamin
I had to shake my ho ho ho around until he coughed up new opal glitter nail polish and my favorite smokey guy liner... he'll be lucky to make it past thanksgiving if I catch him one more time wearing my gold lame thong and kitten heels down to the mailbox. The neighbors are talking and homeowners association rules are not forgiving for trash on the front porch (if you know what I mean)… LOL Thank you, bish, Next!!
Jan in Waterdown
Well THAT gave me a good giggle... think I heard a finger snap in there somewhere....
Avril
Partylite candles have many wonderful scents for all seasons. Tealights, votives, wax melts, reed diffusers , and lots of nice holders too. The only drawback is trying to imagine what they smell like from the description if you're ordering on-line, but I have had pretty good success with it. You could also host a party or go to one and smell first hand!
Jan in Waterdown
Hmmmm, I could be wrong but Ima thinkin’ our gal here ain’t really a hosting a Partylite party kinda woman.... just sayin’ 😏
K Wadsworth
"Santa doesn’t have to barf on your room to make it seem festive. "
HAIL COMRADE. This approach is also good if you are a multi-faith household (my roommate is Jewish); I sort of lean towards a rustic/cabin vibe anyway.
(Speaking of which - I have a round metal tray I found in the street that I'm thinking of gussying up somehow, for the purpose of decor, but....any ideas WHAT to paint on it?)
Karen
Hmm. Depending on what's on it I don't think you have to paint it at all. Just put things on/in it, like greenery, candlesticks with white candles and maybe pinecones or Christmas balls. Of course, this is based on not having seen this mystery tray, lol ~ karen!
Susan T Blake
I agree about the Thymes Frasier Fir candles. Another good one is Wild Currant from Mixture. These are the only two scented candles that don't make my nose run. (Other than these I stick with pure beeswax, which smells wonderful.)
Sabina
I subscribe to not having to decorate with everything you own for that particular holiday too. Unfortunately my bf does not. He's a very sentimental fool, one of the things I both love dearly and loathe about him at the same time. His grandmother was a crafty crafter and there are lots of those plastic cross stitched yarn scenes and decorative dust and hair collectors for every holiday...and "mug rugs" (so gross). I can't wait for the day he decides it's time to start passing this stuff down to his kids...
...thankfully I have my own home...
Barbara Kemp
Karen,
I just decorated for Christmas since my next two weeks will be busy. How I love the simple and inexpensive and clearly you have demonstrated this. This year raffia became my friend. Who knew what you could do with raffia, very old imitation greenery and red berries.
Marilyn Meagher
I will be checking out our local store for one of those candles. Everything looks beautiful karen. Simple is always better in my mind.
Karen
Thanks Marilyn. And Yes! Strawberry Fields has them. Chapters does too usually. ~ karen!
Helen
I think I just had a mini "Karen" moment a couple of days ago, when I suddenly felt like making a cake after watching the British Baking Show, but was not able to find the cake pans I had put somewhere safe. After a mad search through two kitchen cupboards and the hall closet, I pulled out all the contents of the corner cupboard (where you put stuff you never usually need), and then decided to paint the inside as it then looked really grungy. Four cupboard doors came off, and the kitchen, and hallway looked like a bomb had exploded! As I was prepping for painting, I suddenly stood up and said to myself - "I'm doing a Karen" ! I still haven't made the cake, or found the tins, but I do have lovely clean shelves, and white kitchen cupboard doors! Thanks a lot!!
Karen
Often times people say they do things like me and I think ... that's not like me at all. But this? THIS is just like me, lol. ~ karen!
Randi Jean Veiberg
I love this blog! But, I need help.
I wanted to try a new way to display Christmas Cards this year and asked the hubs to go outside and get that branch he put near the trash bins.
My borrowed-pinterest-etsy-relatives idea was to hang it on the wall above the loveseat in the family room, decorate it with greenery and lights, and hang the cards and my favorite ornaments from it.
The branch is an easy 13 feet long - is that toooooo long to hang over a 5 foot long loveseat?
Mizz J.
I kid you not, the smell of Christmas is Thymes Frasier Fir, candles, oil, whatever. Just buy it. If Iam right, you can send me some Christmas cookies. If I am wrong. I'll send you some of mine.
Karen
You're too late for any kind of bet! I ended up finding some Thymes Frasier Fir last year. ;) Room Spray. This year I've searched out Room Spray, a car freshener, a candle and a wax burner, lol! Love it! ~ karen
Robin
Love the idea for holding up the Amaryllis!
Marika
I swear by Voluspa and True Grace candles. They really fill the house with fragrance, they really really do. Really.
Karen
Hmm. Do they? Do they really? ;) ~ karen!