Christmas Decorating Ideas for a Festive Glow Up
Planning to entertain during the holidays? Here are some Christmas decorating ideas to get you started.
Whether you're gearing up for a festive party, relishing quality moments with family, or simply indulging in your favorite holiday traditions, there are countless ways to elevate your decor for the Christmas season. This time of year brims with possibilities—all you need is a touch of creativity, some out-of-the-box thinking, and the right inspiration.
It's considered the most wonderful time of the year for a reason, and you can make it even more delightful. In this post, we've compiled a list of inspiring Christmas decorating ideas to inspire you to create a beautiful and cheerful space for the season.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Transform your front porch: Use winter greenery, festive signs, lanterns, and a seasonal doormat to create a welcoming entrance.
- Elevate your door decor: Hang a beautiful wreath, frame it with lights and garlands, or personalize it with unique touches like monogrammed ornaments.
- Brighten up with lights: Incorporate string lights outdoors and indoors, using them on trees, rooflines, mantels, and as glowing centerpieces for a magical atmosphere.
- Cozy up your living room: Focus on a themed Christmas tree, layered textures, and festive scents to make it the heart of your holiday decor.
- Extend the festive spirit: Add holiday touches to overlooked spaces like the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen with subtle yet creative decorations.
Christmas tree decorating ideas
The Christmas tree is a holiday staple. They come in various sizes and colors, making it easy to find one that matches your decor and personality. Go for a traditional green tree, or play it up with a white or bright color alternative. Creating a non-traditional tree is a great way to add playfulness and inject some personality into the holidays.
Non-traditional Christmas tree colors | mujijoa79 (left) and Inara Prusakova (right)/Shutterstock
Real and artificial Christmas tree ideas
While a colorful or white tree might seem chic and contemporary, the classic green tree holds its timeless allure. Choosing a real tree can be a great conversation starter and a natural decor feature that adds a delightful scent to your home. Expect some cleanup as certain tree species are prone to shedding needles.
For a unique tree setup, you can forgo the conventional tree stand or skirt in favor of an actual planter filled with soil and water to hold the tree upright—a quirky yet intriguing approach to Christmas tree decorating that's gaining attention.
If you don't want to deal with cleanup during the festive season or if a real tree doesn't align with your style or budget, go for an artificial tree. They come in a variety of options, from budget-friendly to more luxurious. These faux trees work just as effectively in bringing Christmas cheer and enlivening your decor.
Alternative Christmas tree decorating ideas
If the Christmas tree is not your vibe, you can choose a more creative option. Over the years, people have crafted innovative alternatives to the traditional tree. From stacking books and shaping clothes hangers into simple triangle-shaped cutouts or even a tree shaped like a dinosaur, there are many out-of-the-box ideas to explore.
Christmas tree alternatives | Maglara (left) and Novoselov (right)/Shutterstock
Decorating living room Christmas ideas
The living room is the heart of your holiday celebrations, making it the perfect spot to showcase your Christmas spirit. Start with a statement Christmas tree, choosing a cohesive theme such as classic red and gold, sleek white and silver, or a rustic look with plaid ribbons and burlap accents.
Layering textures like festive throws, pillows, and seasonal rugs can add a cozy, inviting feel to the space. If you have a fireplace, decorating the mantel with garlands, candles, and stockings will create a traditional focal point. To enhance the festive mood, infuse your living room with seasonal scents by displaying cinnamon sticks, pine cones, or a bowl of dried oranges.
Go for moody Christmas decor for your living room
Although red and green work well here, why not try something different? With a black interior, gold or silver looks amazingly chic and, in a way, still gives warm Christmas vibes in a less traditional sense. Gold baubles look fabulous on a tree with white lights - you could even add red as a pop of color and make the gold stand out.
If you are a fan of ribbons, lining your fireplace or curtain poles with silver ribbons creates eye-catching features that can elevate your current decor. Opt for more non-traditional Christmas colors if you're not into traditional gold, silver, red, or green. You can easily find holiday decor in any color these days, or you can create your own.
If you're into the winter wonderland, choose crisp whites and icy blues in your decor, including baubles, blankets, ribbons, fake snow, lights, and icicles. Dripping blue icicle lights look incredible if you hang them outside to mimic natural ice. Throw in a stuffed polar bear ornament, maybe an elf or two, and you're definitely on the right track with your wonderland.
Advent calendar: the traditional Christmas decor
Advent calendars are a popular tradition that began in Germany during the 19th Century. They can be as incredible or as dull as you want. These days, you can find these calendars in stores during the holidays. They come with chocolates in squares that correspond to every day leading up to Christmas.
You can use any storage items, like little ring boxes or paper bag pouches, to create storage for chocolates or other sweet treats. You can suspend or organize them on a tray but remember to include the day numbers that count to the big day.
Make your own Advent calendars | Carey Jaman (left), Andrei Yarashevich (right)/Shutterstock
DIY Advent calendar ideas
If you have some old cardboard boxes or toilet rolls, you can create fun and inventive calendars with your kids. Make each compartment as big or small as you wish (depending on what will go inside) and glue it together. Decorate your DIY Advent calendar with cute accessories like dried twigs, nuts and ribbons.
Make your Advent calendar fun | Tatyana Soares (left), Nina Esk (right)/Shutterstock
You can fill your DIY Advent calendars with flavored teas, chocolate and candy or go for a more adult theme with small gin or wine bottles. The ideas are limitless, so it's all down to what you want for your little treat per day on the run-up to the big day.
Christmas decorating ideas for your home
Another way to enhance your decor and play up the festive holiday season is to enhance what already exists within your home. We're not just talking about older, stately homes, but apartments too, as interesting architectural features can be found anywhere.
Let's start with Christmas garlands. If you have a beautiful fireplace you love to show off, elevate it by hanging a garland over the hearth and adding some stockings for bonus Christmas vibes.
Christmas decorating ideas for staircases
The same idea applies to staircase railings. You may have a home with an original staircase, and wrapping garlands around the railings can instantly transform your decor into a holiday one. You don't need antique railings; this idea works with all staircases.
Garlands are a versatile Christmas essential for inside and outside your home. They can be used not only on fireplaces and railings but also on doorways, windows, curtain poles and outside. A touch of spray-on snow on the windows can also add some holiday cheer.
Christmas door decorating ideas
Your front door offers another opportunity to spread holiday cheer. Hanging a beautifully crafted wreath is one of the easiest and most classic Christmas door decorating ideas. Whether you choose a traditional evergreen wreath, a minimalist design with metallic accents, or one adorned with colourful ornaments, it will instantly elevate your entryway.
For a bolder statement, you can use a vertical swag of greenery combined with bows, berries, or bells hanging from the centre of your door. Framing the door with garlands, lights, or oversized ornaments can add even more charm. Personalizing your decorations, like adding a monogrammed ornament or a family name tag to the wreath, can give your door a unique, welcoming touch.
Christmas dining room decorating ideas
Dinner parties, festive dinners, and entertaining are the staples of the Christmas season. Although it is essential to partake in everything responsibly, Christmas is usually a time we overindulge, so why not make the most of it and spruce up the areas where you're most likely to overeat?
If you're talking dinner parties and dining, you will want your room to look the part. Now, colors come into play here about as much as any other time of the year, but Christmas is when you can go the extra mile.
Ideas for Christmas table decor
Let's start with a tablecloth for your dining table. While any tablecloth will do, 'tis the season, so try to embrace the color scheme you have chosen for the rest of your home.
Reds work well here - for psychological reasons, but also greens, golds, whites, and even those icy blue colors. You can get tablecloths in various colors and prints so you can embrace Christmas colors and trends. If all else fails, you'll be sure to find some with reindeer or Santa prints that will be an easy alternative. The same principle applies to table runners. These are a great alternative if you don't want to cover the whole table but still want a little festive cheer.
Ideas for Christmas table centerpieces
Once you have your basics covered, you can move on to other decorative details, such as candles and centerpieces. Candles are an easy way to change the ambiance and are a great addition to any dinner party. They come in a variety of colors to fit your color scheme. Be sure to opt for scent-free ones, though, as you don't want anything to disrupt the smell of delicious food.
As for centerpieces, these are a very traditional focal point of dining and can realistically be whatever you please. Some people go for flowers, which would be an excellent choice given the time of year. However, feel free to choose seasonal fruits, berries, a themed statue, or even just a massive candle in the middle surrounded by little bits of everything. If it catches the eye, it's done its purpose.
Dinnerware Christmas table set-up ideas
Next is dinnerware, and while families tend to have fancy plates for this time of year, you are free to go in whatever direction you choose. Some people like to use disposable plates to save on washing up, which is fine if you go for a less formal dinner party. Use compostable ones to reduce trash and keep things sustainable.
Like most things this time of year, you can even get creative with the plates. Instead of boring white plates, why not choose a different color, shape or size? If you have a gold tablecloth, black plates make a fantastic contrast. You can also select fancy glassware or add extra oomph with decorated chinaware. After all, small things like this usually leave the biggest impression.
Speaking of little things that make a big impact, individual placeholders are a great way to add a personal touch. Since it is Christmas, these could be written on little tree-shaped paper or miniature scrolls in fancy calligraphy.
Another nice little gesture is adding decorations to your chairs. These can be as simple or as extravagant as you want. Are there any unused garlands or ribbons? Wrap them around the chairs like gifts. It all depends on how much effort you want to put in, but it usually translates into a huge payoff.
More Christmas decorating ideas
Every corner of your home can be filled with holiday cheer if you think creatively. For instance, adding string lights to your bedroom headboard or placing small Christmas trees on bedside tables can subtly extend the festive vibe to your sleeping space.
In the dining room, a holiday-themed tablescape with candles, greenery, and elegant tableware creates a sophisticated setting for meals. Even your bathroom can join in the fun by swapping out hand towels for ones with holiday motifs or hanging a small wreath on the door.
The kitchen is another often-overlooked space for Christmas decorating. Hang miniature wreaths on cabinet doors or fill a bowl with shiny ornaments for a festive yet practical decoration.
When wrapping presents, store-bought wrapping paper is always great. You can even recycle old newspapers for an eco-friendly touch. However, if you would like to go over the top in your gift-giving, consider custom wrapping paper.
This can include unique wrapping paper, from glitter print to a hologram, to custom-designed paper with the recipient's face on it. Consider wrapping a gift in a printed blanket and then wrapped in a bow, which is like a two-for-one gift this time of year.
Conclusion
Whether you are a big traditionalist or an adventurist, Christmas is a time to relax, enjoy and have fun. From adding personal touches to the wrapping paper to complete Christmas theme lighting displays, there are millions of ways you can elevate your home decor for the season.
These Christmas decorating ideas will make your home a magical retreat for the holidays. While this list in no way provides every idea possible to spruce up your decor for this holiday season, we hope it will inspire you and help you get creative to enhance your home over Christmas!
Planner 5D has an extensive catalog of Christmas decor items so you can plan you holiday decor in advance. Try it today and be ready to dazzle your guests when they arrive.
