These festive Christmas decoration ideas run that gamut from sophisticated to cozy to unexpected.
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66 Christmas Decoration Ideas to Fill Your Home with Holiday Cheer
Updated on Sep. 27, 2024
Fill your home with warmth and light this holiday season
Inspiration for Christmas decoration ideas, whether they’re store-bought or handmade, can come from just about anywhere—think nature, your favorite city, or a beloved Christmas movie. Ready to make your homes as cozy, festive, and personal as possible? Start with these outdoor Christmas decoration ideas, unique ways to wrap and display Christmas gifts, and original Christmas tree ideas. We have plenty of new, fresh takes on Christmas decoration ideas to inspire you.
And what is Christmas without getting the family involved and creating some DIY Christmas decorations or DIY Christmas ornaments? Gather everyone around the table for some wreath-making or gingerbread house decorating. We’ve got dozens of Christmas decoration ideas to make your home festive, fun, and full of this holiday season.
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Sleigh the stoop
A charming Christmas wreath next to a rustic wooden sled that makes your front door or steps pop is the perfect way to welcome guests. You can make it even more special with a seasonal message or your family name. Grab a can of paint, or purchase an already personalized sled.
Dust your windows with snow
Nothing sets the tone for winter more than snow, and there’s no better way to decorate than with kids’ Christmas crafts. Whether you hang their cheery paper snowflakes individually or string them together to make a snow curtain in your window, they’ll add a crisp chill to the air no matter where you live.
Coordinate your stockings
Liven up your mantel by hanging stockings that match the rest of your decor—it’s OK if they’re not a matching set, in fact, patterns in coordinating colors are even more fun. Personalized stockings work well, or you can make your own without a sewing machine. Grab some fabric, scissors, and your trusty glue gun and you’ll have a whole new look in no time.
Hang ornaments in unexpected places
Ornaments are usually saved for the Christmas tree, but have you ever thought about using ornaments in unusual ways? Create a hanging centerpiece over your table, hang them in your windows, or fill a glass vase with colorful globe ornaments.
Welcome the great outdoors in
Turn your delicious-smelling candle into a visual stunner that would be gorgeous on any table (or in the bathroom, bedroom, or living room, for that matter) by adding some elements of nature to it. Some perfectly placed pinecones, fir tree sprays, or winter berries turn a generic candle into a thing of beauty.
Light up your kitchen
We all know that at parties, everyone usually ends up in the kitchen at some point. The food, the warmth, the smells, it’s just the center of the action, so you might as well make it as festive as your living room. String some lights around your cabinets, your light fixtures, or the top of your fridge to give the room an extra warm glow. (Just be sure you can still open and close any cabinets and doors to avoid any accidents.)
Customize a gingerbread house
What is Christmas without a gingerbread house to decorate? This year, kick your construction skills up a notch and create a gingerbread city. With a gingerbread house cookie cutter kit, you can customize the shape and size of your house, or make more several so everyone in the family can decorate their own.
Oh, and check out the winners of America’s largest gingerbread house competition for some inspiration.
Add a pop of red
Red is a traditional color for the holidays, but there’s no reason you can’t find new and unique ways of utilizing the color. Swap out poinsettias for red amaryllis (shown) to create a centerpiece out of a vase of flowers surrounded by red globe ornaments, and candles.
Make a magical mantel
Mantels are often the focal point of the holidays: It’s where we hang our stockings and leave cookies for the big man. Take your mantel back to nature by foraging for pinecones, sprays of pine, and acorns, and add some cinnamon sticks, driftwood, or holly to turn your hearth into a homey, rustic refuge.
Add drama to your table with candles
A dinner can turn into a dramatic event if the scene is just right. Add some beauty to your table with some tapers of graduated heights, it will draw the eye in and create a whole mood.
Have a blue Christmas
Swap the traditional red and green for a sophisticated palette of bold with blue? Add some cool tones to your decor with a new tree skirt, ornaments, or a table runner that sparkles and shines like the sea.
Give back
Donating money to charities like the Salvation Army has long been associated with Christmas, so giving back can be a natural part of your home’s holiday theme (or even your Christmas party theme) this year. Collect your loose change in festive Mason jars before heading out to drop your money in Santa’s bucket this year.
Keep it cozy
At Christmas, more is definitely more, so don’t stop decorating at your tree. A star twig wreath, garland-covered floating shelves, and a gingerbread house on your coffee table create a warm and cozy feel throughout your living room.
Throw on a new blanket
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who own seasonal blankets and pillows, and those who do not. And nothing will spread cozy, hygge-filled cheer like a beautiful, functional blanket that serves as a beautiful decoration to boot.
Put the reindeer centerstage
These delicate reindeer pair with a pastel color scheme for a calm, yet sophisticated vibe.
Take it to the tropics
Throwing a Christmas luau? Give your home a tropical holiday theme by creating a centerpiece from fruit like pineapple, dragon fruit, or lychee wrapped in string lights and ball ornaments.
Enjoy Christmas in the Big Apple
Even if you’re not in New York. These adorable ornaments featuring some of the most iconic aspects of the Big Apple, from yellow cabs to the classic pizza slice, are the perfect adornment for anyone who loves the city.
Fold napkins festively
Turn your tablescape into a wintry forest with these adorable napkins folded to resemble Christmas trees with a twig of spruce tucked in.
Upcycle your old wine bottles
Instead of pitching that empty bottle of Merlot, create a glowing, gorgeous window display by adding some twinkly fairy lights to it. After rinsing it out, fill bottles from inside, or wrap lights around the outside of a few bottles to create a dramatic but inexpensive scene.
Fashion a white Christmas tablescape
Create a winter wonderland on your dinner table with white decor, such as bottle brush trees or globe ornaments. Scatter in some eucalyptus leaves for a calming contrast, too; their fragrant, flat leaves pack a two-for-one punch, adding some visual interest to your table while also making your house smell amazing.
Bust out the bottle brush trees
Bottle brushes Christmas trees were first popularized in the early 20th Century, and their popularity is on the rise again. Give your mantel or tablescape a pop of color with a set of bottle brush trees in different heights and widths for a jolly holiday.
Get nutty with the nutcrackers
Thanks to The Nutcracker Ballet, traditional wooden soldier nutcrackers are synonymous with the holidays. A set of three in varying heights stands guard on the lookout for the Rat King.
Twirl yourself a yarn Christmas tree
Choose the yarn of your choice, wind it around a cone, secure the ends, and boom, you’ve got yourself the start of a yarn pine forest perfect for the dining table, window sill, or as part of your wintry model train display.
Mix it up with Mason jars
Everyone has spare jars around, whether it’s a Mason jar or just a used-up jelly jar. Turn yours into a twinkly display with some lights, an ornament or bottle brush, or any other festive trinkets you can think of!
Spruce up your mantel
Maybe you don’t have space for a full-sized tree, or maybe you just want to add some pine-spiration to other rooms in your house. Grab some pine branches and mini lights and make yourself a portable, adorable arrangement that looks every bit as great as a whole tree.
Craft potato-stamp wrapping paper
Potato stamps are an easy way for even the littlest hands to get in on the holiday decorating. Use a cookie cutter to cut the desired shape out of a potato and get to decorating your own homemade wrapping paper.
Branch out
A swag of pine or a sturdy tree branch can turn into a pretty hanging centerpiece over your table if you add a few simple decorations, like oversize glass ornaments, a string of lights, or even some tinsel.
Design a wreath wall
If you have a bare patch of wall, go for a maximalist look by arranging several wreaths of varying sizes to cover the space. Coordinate them all with some bows and baubles to tie the whole look together.
Decorate a cookie tree
Why just bake cookies when you can bake a cookie tree? Make a stunning 3-D display of your goodies with some creative stacking and then let your family chip away at it until there’s nothing left but the stump.
Embrace a minimalist vibe
If all-out holiday decorating isn’t your style, a few strands of twinkle lights and oversize lanterns filled with pillar candles are enough to warm up even the most sophisticated of spaces.
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Write a Christmas message
Whether you’re counting down the days till Christmas, welcoming friends over, or just want to say hi, these customizable message boards can be mounted pretty much anywhere you want to share some jolly Christmas spirit.
Shake things up with a festive snow globe
Snow globes may seem like a ubiquitous gift shop novelty, but when you think about it, they’re the perfect Christmas decoration, mesmerizing adults and kids alike. This sleek gold and white version will match any holiday color scheme.
Think pink
A pink tree can feel like a breath of candy-scented fresh air in a season of red and green. Decorate it with shimmering ornaments in hues of champagne and blush to lean into the look.
Hang up those Christmas cards
Displaying holiday cards from friends and family is a classic tradition, but it can create clutter if you have limited surface area. Hanging cards by the mantel or on the wall is a space-saving and beautiful way to show off all the mail you’ve gotten.
Squeeze some cheer out of oranges
Did you know that oranges with cloves stuck in them are actually called pomander balls? Think of them as nature’s incense, a beautiful holiday decoration that also releases a fragrant, delicious aroma in your home. Play with patterns to create an assortment of pomander balls for every room in your home.
Light up your advent calendar
Count down the days till Christmas with this rustic DIY advent calendar. Clip numbered burlap bags with a tiny treat inside each to twine hanging from a mounted piece of driftwood.
Make a wall tree out of ornaments
The great debate is usually real tree or artificial? But how about no tree at all? Use your wall as the tree this year, arranging your ornaments using temporary, removable hooks for a unique, minimalist approach.
Bring some cheer out to the porch
Every house has its own decorating style: there are those who blow up the inflatables, and there are those that keep things subdued with a simple wreath here and there. If you fall somewhere in between, try out this rustic “Merry Christmas” sign that got vintage appeal, and can be dressed up or down depending on how bold you want your outdoor decor to be.
DIY an advent calendar
There’s no better way to prep for Christmas than with an advent calendar, and you can make yours extra special this year by creating your own. Use brown paper bags or upcycle your old jars, cans, or other containers to present your daily treats.
Hang a pom-pom wreath
A pom-pom wreath adds a pop of charm to any room, and it stores well for use year after year.
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Set the mood with wood tea light holders
These wooden tea light holders are a festive way to label your place settings for your holiday feast. Rustic and chic, they scream winter wonderland.
Makeover Scrabble tiles
These adorable crafts make great ornaments or gift tags. Just hot glue some Scrabble tiles onto a decorative ribbon and add some jingle bells.
Shine a light on pretty petals
Turn your homemade candles into a centerpiece by adding some flower petals, herbs, or spices into the melted wax as you pour them.
Build a birch log votive holder
There’s something about papery, white birch bark that evokes the chill of winter. Why not
Warm up a wintry birch log by drilling in holes for small votives or tealights—we recommend using battery-operated ones. These birch logs are simple and clean and make a striking holiday centerpiece.
Ring in the season with Christmas crackers
Christmas crackers are a tradition for many, and these festive, bright poppers are a fun addition to your table this year. Add a place card to them so everyone at the table will get a crack at them. Looking for inspiration? Check out these cute printable Christmas cards.
Craft a mask angel
If there’s one item many of us still have an abundance of this year, it’s spare surgical masks. Make a clever Christmas ornament that screams “Pandemic Christmas!” by turning unused masks into angels.
Wrap with Washi tape
Washi tape is a wonderful way to decorate simply wrapped gifts with a pop of color. It comes in hundreds of colors and patterns and is sure to make a splash under the tree.
Upcycle toilet paper rolls
This is another project that’s perfect for small kids: The toilet paper roll Christmas tree. It’s easy, virtually unbreakable, and there’s no wrong way to decorate it.
Decorate your tree with cinnamon sticks
Cinnamon sticks may just be the underrated hero of Christmas. You can use them in your cider, in potpourri, and even turn them into ornaments. Break out the glue gun and add some buttons, jingle bells, and googly eyes to create these tiny trees and adorable reindeer.
Step back into the 70s
Clip your Christmas cards onto this macramé display ring, and, eventually, as you fill it in, it will turn into a clever little wreath of its own.
Bring the snow indoors
Create a whimsical, snowy village by your window, or add a coating of snow under your tree. With this versatile snow cover blanket, you can bring the outdoors in and give any room the look of freshly fallen snow.
Create a Christmas light show
Make your neighbors ooh and ahh with an ever-changing cycle of projections on your house with this Christmas-themed light projector that features over 50 different images and effects.
Modge podge glitter ornaments
Turn your plain old ornaments into ones that shine. All you need is a bit of glue and some glitter.
Decorate your balcony
Apartment dwellers, this one’s for you. Decorate your balcony with some weather-proof lights, garland, and oversize ornaments and bells, for a cheery look you and your neighbors can enjoy.
Create a Christmas shadowbox
Have some leftover ornaments lying around that couldn’t fit on the tree? Try making a Christmas shadowbox to brighten up a corner of your house that may need a bit more cheer.
Go for a gold tree
This year, make your tree glow with gold. Monochromatic trees add a sleek look to your home and all you need is a few shimmery, gold ornaments to make it happen.
Add a colorful garland
This fair trade wool felt garland is made for wrapping around your tree, above a door frame, or even on the dining table.
Set a pretty in plaid table
Use festive placemats or chargers to add some color to your dining table. These plaid chargers stand out for their bright color and bold pattern.
Bedeck your trees with whimsy
These wooden lanterns look delightful when strewn from pine trees or grouped around your front door. The battery-operated lanterns have color-changing LED lights that are remote-controlled.
Welcome your guests with a Santa doormat
Swap out your usual doormat with this delightful Santa face that’s not just festive, but it’s made out of sustainable coconut coir to boot.
Try out an aluminum tree and color wheel
Once upon a time when aluminum trees became popular, people would use colorful fan-like lights to cast a rainbow glow on them. If you want to try something similar grab yourself a Christmas tree color wheel to add some ambiance to your home.
Swap in some holiday pillows
Give your couch some love when it comes to holiday decor! Swap out your everyday throw pillows for festive ones.
Piece together a holiday puzzle
Gather the family ’round to have some fun together assembling this adorable holiday puzzle, and when you’re done, you can keep the whole thing on display for the rest of the season!
Add an arch
These arch tree lights can be used indoors or outdoors to add major drama to any entryway. Add some ornaments or ribbon, or leave them unadorned.
Have a berry Christmas
A spray of red berries looks modern set in a sleek, minimalist white or gold vase or sprinkled across the dining table for a splash of color.
Set the scene with snowmen
Instead of hanging your stockings with a nail or regular hook, add some fun with some whimsical stocking hooks. These enamel snowmen get the job done while adding loads of charm to your mantel.
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