40+ Magical Christmas Decor Trends and Ideas to Put You in the Holiday Spirit

Oh, the beloved and classic Christmas tree — it’s the centerpiece of every well-decorated winter wonderland home. But, though the mighty fir is certainly important, don’t underestimate how much little trees can make your home feel festive.

These little guys (which can easily be found at the dollar store or any department store) might not seem impressive at first glance, but dot them around your house and bring holiday cheer to every nook and cranny.

Here’s a sneaky little hack that will make your Christmas decorating a whole lot easier this year, especially if you don’t have a traditional mantle or fireplace. Instead of getting specialty hooks for your stockings, get command strips.

These cheap helpers will be extra helpful for discreetly hanging your decor. We recommend investing in the small, transparent ones with the little hooks on them as they’re absolutely perfect for your stockings.

Having a little Santa’s village right at home might feel a bit childish. But, trust us, there’s nothing childish about this display — only child-like wonder! You can easily get a few “homes” at a craft store and paint them pretty colors.

Then, just add a few trees and some cotton strips as fake snow and you’re done! As a bonus, if you do have kids, you can enlist them into incorporating some of their toys into your homemade North Pole display to give it a more homey feeling.

Who says your holiday decorations should only be used in the common areas of your home? Your bedroom deserves just as much Christmas cheer as any other room in your house, and this is an extra fun way to do it!

Just get some beautiful green garland (we recommend the fake stuff for this room), and drape it across your headboard. You can also put it over your bedroom mirror for some extra cheer. It’ll look so pretty you wouldn’t want to take it off!

Throw pillows are a simple and beautiful way to make any space cozier. All you need to do is just change your pillow covers to fit your holiday mood. Of course, you can go all out and get the specialized holiday ones.

But, for a more subtle look, get the more neutral designs while also keeping with the holiday’s color theme of red, green, and white. Then, watch as your sofas and beds become the comfiest spots to wait for Santa.

There are some areas of your home that are easy to ignore when decorating, chalking it up as unnecessary. But, just because it’s not the coziest place in your home doesn’t mean your bathroom doesn’t deserve a little holiday flair.

While you could go all out with the decor, we recommend adding a few key Christmasy items to turn this room from drab to festive. Invest in a few extra-fluffy holiday-colored towels and some themed bath bombs, and you’re done! Add a few nutcrackers or mini trees for embellishment.

This is a particularly adorable and easy Christmas DIY to add some extra holiday cheer to your old shower curtain without actually switching out for a gimmicky Christmas-themed one. All you need is plastic ornament balls and some pretty string.

Then, just tie a few pretty ornaments to hang from your curtain rod. Make sure not to use ornaments with glass or brittle plastic that might shatter. These will move every time you take a shower, so you want something sturdy that won’t break in case they do fall.

Wreaths are a great way to give your decoration a personal touch as you can make them as simple and clean or as grandiose and impressive as you like. For this idea, we recommend using the simplest and smallest ones you find.

By hanging them on your cabinets (just use a command strip on the inside of the cabinet door), you create a neat and beautifully festive kitchen decoration. This way, you won’t be over-cluttering your counters with needless knick-knacks, so you can actually use your cooking space.

If you love duel-use decor as much as we do, then this idea is perfect for you. Basically, you’re already going to be buying Christmas candy, so why not have it do some of the decorating work for you?

After all, Christmas candy is especially visually appealing. All you need to do is put your wrapped seasonal chocolates and your candy canes in separate beautiful glass containers (mason or apothecary jars are perfect for this) and place them on your counter. Voilà!

Here’s an appliance we bet you never thought of decorating — your fridge! But, if everything else around your kitchen is decked out in tinsel and ornaments, why should your fridge be left sad and without any holiday spirit?

This hack is jolly, cheap, and super easy! All you need are some cute and colorful ornament balls from the dollar store and a pack of simple fridge magnets (plus hot glue or super glue). Then attach the ornaments to the magnets and stick them on your fridge. That’s it!

We love using garlands in all sorts of locations around our house; on our stair railings, by our mantle, and, of course, on our trees. But, how about creating an entire Christmas tree from garlands?

This is a fantastic way to have a Christmas tree without all the mess and hassle. It’s also especially good for small spaces. It does require creativity, and a knack for handiness (for perfectly creating the shape), but at least there’s no need for a green thumb here.

Just like our favorite coffee chain goes all out to bring holiday cheer to our drinks, we should definitely spruce up our coffee corner at home for Christmas. There are also just so many ways to creatively decorate here.

But, here are our favorite suggestions: next to your favorite coffee blend, put mini marshmallows, peppermint candy, and hot chocolate. We also love having a couple of festive Christmas mugs to take out for the holiday. Finally, add a small tree or garland for an extra flourish.

While we love the traditional green Christmas tree, it’s nice to shake things up every once in a while, and flocked trees are the way to do it! In case you’re unsure, flocking is the process of adding texture by attaching fibers to a material.

So, basically making fake trees look like they’re covered by a perfect sheet of snow. With no mess, you can get a lovely, chic look by adding those cute snowy trees around your house.

Nothing does a better job of giving us a cozy and festive feeling while still being understated and not overly kitsch, like tartan. So, instead of putting childish snowmen or over-the-top Santas on everything, try this fun pattern.

Tartan throw pillows and blankets for your sofas and beds are especially great as they also do double duty by being appropriate, not just at Christmas time, but year-round. Now, that’s a smart decor investment!

Look, we loved having a super colorful and bright Christmas when we were children. But, now, living in our own homes as adults, we want our living room to be a calming sanctuary for us (yes, even during the holidays).

Sticking to just a couple of colors is a great way to keep our space cozy and relaxing, while still adhering to the holiday spirit with our decor. We think green and white keep things neutral, natural, and festive!

If you’re unsure how to decorate your house because you’re not feeling super creative, or you’re worried that it won’t be festive enough, here’s our tip — go for the classic red and green color scheme.

You just can’t go wrong with following this lovely tradition. Your tree will be absolutely picture-perfect with this mix of cherry red and Christmas tree green! As an added bonus, we suggest also wrapping your gifts in the same hues to make them a part of the decor, too!

Add a noir flare to your home this holiday season with a festive lack of color. Yes, you read that right, it can still be Christmas even without the loud and busy colors everywhere. But, you do need to be careful not to overdo it.

You might feel like going all out with the black but we suggest balancing it with whites and creams to make sure that your home doesn’t end up feeling like a funeral parlor (or the home of the Addams family).

There’s something really special about adorning a majestic fir tree with ornaments of Christmases past and other family heirlooms. But, that can also be a bit overwhelming if they’re really colorful or cartoonish. Try this aesthetic if you want something more subtle.

Going minimalist can seem scary at first, but really, it’s all about giving center stage to the most important elements of your home and your Christmas decor. By decorating minimally, you allow your loved ones to become the main focus of the holiday.

Whether it’s your kitchen island counter or your Christmas dinner table, without a beautiful centerpiece it would just look like any other day of the year. But, it can be difficult to hit that perfect sweet spot between over-the-top and empty.

That’s why we’re in favor of a neutral arrangement as your holiday centerpiece. Go with soft colors and natural elements like wood, pinecones, and branches. Adding your sense of smell into the mix with a lightly fragrant candle is a great way to make it extra festive.

Making Christmas a uniquely magical time for your kids is an important part of any parent’s job. Decorations, cookie-making, and gifts under the tree are certainly an essential part of this, but you could take it a step further by literally taking a step! This one requires some very basic DIY skills:

Take a piece of paper or some cardboard and cut out two shoe-print-looking shapes (left and right). You can use sandals to trace those shapes. Just place the stencils going around the room and sprinkle baking soda on top. Then remove the stencil… and violà!

Here’s a little DIY to make a truly magical centerpiece. For this, you will need: stemmed glasses, round coasters (about the diameter of your glasses or slightly larger), glue, candles, a few Christmas miniatures (from the dollar store or your kids’ toy chest), and fake snow.

Glue your miniatures (tree and figurines) to the coasters. Fill your glasses with the fake snow about a quarter of the way. Finally, glue the coaster to the opening of the glass (make sure there are no gaps). Once the glue is dried, flip and place your candles on what is now the top of the glass. Enjoy the magic.

For the super crafty parents who don’t mind a bit of a mess around the holidays, this DIY is one that’s not only fun but will also become a cherished Christmas memento for years to come. All you need are solid-colored ornament balls, white acrylic paint, and some permanent markers.

Just dip your hand (or your kid’s hands) in the white paint and then put it on the ball of your choice. Once the paint is dry, feel free to add whatever details you want with either markers or paint. This is an especially sweet way to remember your baby’s first Christmas by using their handprint.

Want to recreate those fancy and intricate Christmas decorations from your favorite celeb’s Instagram page but lack the funds for it? Here’s how to get the same swoon-worthy decor on a budget — raid a dollar store! Yes, it’s that simple.

Get tons of sparkly ornament balls (in metallic colors if you want them to be really trendy and chic) and a few glass domes (or plastic ones that look convincing.) Then, fill the dome and turn it. You could use the same method to make DIY snow globes.

We’ve got absolutely nothing against store-bought, fake stuff. In fact, we love it for the fact that we can keep using it year after year. But, sometimes, you just want to be surrounded by real nature.

So, why not use real tree trimmings, either from your own trees or from a vendor, as beautiful and lush garlands around your house? It’s a great way to add some traditional green to your home for Christmas.

While you might feel inclined toward storing your beautiful and delicious Christmas cookies away in the back of your kitchen cabinet, don’t! Those scrumptious baked goods can absolutely double as festive decor in all sorts of different ways!

For the cookies you’re not planning on eating right away, simply put them in a clear glass cookie jar. That way, their designs and frosting colors won’t be hidden. For the ones good for immediate snacking — display those on a platter for all to see and admire!

Did you know that there’s more than just one way to enjoy your cookie cutters during Christmas time? With a little DIY power, you can make those handy kitchen tools into magical and minimalist ornaments for your tree.

For a really clean look, you just need to tie a loop of string to your cookie cutter and then hang them on the tree. For a more colorful result, simply wrap some festive fabric or ribbon all around the cookie cutter then tape the ends.

There’s no reason you can’t be playful and festive in your holiday decor. This is a great way to add a game element to your beautifully elegant Christmas dinner table for a hint of whimsy. All you need is a whole lot of Scramble letter tiles and a small wooden stand.

Then, spell out the names of each of your guests and place the stands on their plates. For extra sturdiness, you can glue the tiles to the stand. But, if you don’t, you can play a little game of scrabble on the table between courses.

Decorating Christmas gifts in a pleasing way is just as important as dressing the rest of your home in the holiday spirit. Here’s a way to make your gift labels extra special this year. This takes a bit of prep.

Print out family photos and cut them in the shape of gift labels (with a hole for the string to go through). Then, simply use the photos of each family member on the gifts that belong to them instead of writing out their names. It comes out extra cute with pictures from past holidays.

It’s certainly fun to weigh our tree down with tons of novelty ornaments and colorful orbs. If you’re a DIY lover, this is a great way to decorate your tree with a truly personal touch. Just get a bunch of clear ball ornaments with a detachable lid.

The ones that open in half are also great for this. Then, just fill them with whatever you desire. Want a classy look? Put strips of musical sheets inside like in the photo. Want something more kid-friendly? Fill them with glue and glitter. This is all about letting your creativity run wild!

Do you always want to display your family’s holiday photos but are unsure of a way to make them classy and tasteful? Then this idea is the one for you! Instead of using simple green garlands, use your old photos to decorate your home for Christmas.

It’s also super simple to do — just hang some string or thin rope where you wish to decorate, then hang your photos on the string. Using clothes pins is a great choice but you could also use colorful paper clips.

For the environmentally conscious gift giver, it can feel wasteful and uncomfortable to throw away tons of wrapping paper every year. There are several eco-friendly options for those who feel this way, like reusing old wrapping or using newspapers.

For a super aesthetic and useful choice, just use fabric. In fact, it could be a part of the gift — buy your friend a pretty scarf or cloth napkin then use that as your wrapping paper alternative.

For those who don’t know what it is, advent calendars are basically a fun way to count down to Christmas — each day, you’re supposed to open a little gift until you reach Christmas day. While you could just buy a generic one, making your own is so much more fun!

For this extra special idea, all you really need is to get 24 beautiful and shiny new ornaments. To make it extra special, you can wrap each one individually, then place a number between 1-24, and open it on the correct day with the rest of the family.

Bringing the holiday spirit into your home isn’t just about decorating your home. It’s also about decorating your sweets in fun and festive ways. Here’s one of our favorite cupcake design tips for the winter holiday. This might take some trial and error if you don’t have good piping skills.

The trick is to carefully pipe a column of frosting in the middle of your cupcake and try to make it as high as possible, then add the pretty piping on the sides to create the tree. Just add some sprinkles, and you’re done with your beautiful fir cupcakes!

Ribbons don’t just belong on the beautiful presents under your tree. There’s a lot more that you can do with these strips of fabric. For the novice decorator, ribbons add an extra element and texture next to your rough garlands.

For those wanting to go all out with soft fabrics, how about replacing your plastic garlands altogether with some pretty ribbons? It’s a great way to have decor that’s minimal but still festive.

Green and red are classic for a reason — there’s something about those two complementary colors that work well to set the festive mood. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t try new colors this year.

Going for a different, bold color for your holiday decor is a great way to make your home extra memorable for your guests. This is an especially great choice for people who feel like their current furniture clashes with the classic Christmas colors.

While our banisters and tables get lots of attention during the holiday season, there are some furniture pieces that are overlooked. Adding a bit of Christmas flair to them can make your home feel a lot more festive, in no time.

We’re talking about your chairs, of course! Here’s the key to decorating your chairs — make sure that your decor is prominent but not too bulky as you want to make sure the chair is still functional. A small wreath or some pretty ribbons are especially pretty.

Look, we love symmetry. There’s something about that satisfying balance that just tickles our aesthetic senses — it’s just comfortable. But, that’s exactly why this Christmas might be the time to step out of your comfort zone and try something new! In order to pull off the asymmetrical look in style, you need to master the art of balance.

Obviously, some of your pieces will already be symmetrical. However, you can play around with asymmetry around them — basically, if you put something large up high on one side, you need to counter it with something at the bottom of the other side.

There are a million and one different ways to decorate your home for an aesthetic Christmas (after all, that’s what most of this article is about). But, at the end of the day, your Christmas should be about you and your family.

So, even if it’s loud, colorful, or kitsch, it’s perfectly okay to fill your home with family knick-knacks. Don’t be afraid of decking out your tree with your heirloom ornaments, regardless of whether or not they clash with the rest of your decor.

Christmas isn’t only about Santa, presents, and shiny lights. It’s also about celebrating nature and the fact that we have passed the longest night of the year. So, decorating your home with bits of the great outdoors is a great way to bring some of that outside… in.

Pine cones and tree trimmings (fir and pine) are classics, of course. But we also suggest using chestnuts, acorns, and branches. If you want a mushroom element in your decor like in the picture, we suggest getting fake ones.

While it might feel like you need to get a whole new house to properly decorate for the holiday, we’re here to assure you that you don’t. In fact, with a bit of creativity, your existing furniture can actually help you decorate your house to the nines.

For example, your everyday hanging light can become a beautiful Christmas chandelier with a few wisely-placed decorations. Likewise, your shelf units can turn into festive and eye-catching displays with the use of Christmas knick-knacks!

Do you want to have a colorful and bright Christmas that isn’t an eyesore? Keeping your color palette in the pastels is the key to this classy, understated, and festive decor aesthetic.

Here, those colorful mini trees from the dollar store will absolutely be your friends! Just make sure that the rest of your decor is fairly neutral, leaning toward white, beige, or natural browns.

Christmas is associated with all sorts of iconic imagery (from Santa’s hat to trains to the North Pole), and of course, we all love decor that has those symbols on them. But, having every ornament be one of those icons of the season, can look childish or overwhelming.

Instead, try going with decor that’s made of modern and abstract geometric shapes. Just make sure to balance it out with some sentimental pieces to make sure your decorations don’t make your house feel too impersonal.

Love getting pretty Christmas cards but are always unsure what to do with them once the holiday ends? Don’t throw them away! Instead, save them through the years and use them as part of your sentimental decor!

Once you have a nice stack (you could ask your parents and grandparents for their old ones) choose your favorites and display them in this unique way — by hanging them on some pretty ribbons.

One of the worst parts of getting ready for the holiday season is trying desperately to detangle the fairy lights you weren’t careful enough in putting away the year before. But, before you exhaust yourself with this terrible knot, try this idea.

Just put your tangled lights in a container in an unadorned corner and turn them on. It can be a box, a jar, or a pretty glass bell tip from a craft store. This little idea instantly makes any corner of your home bright with festive magic.

Maximalism is an art movement that believes that “more is more” and that can definitely apply to your holiday home decor. Also, since this movement is having a major comeback right now, investing in a maximalist Christmas is sure to keep you looking super trendy.

Choose bold and large decor pieces with strong colors and lots of gold accents. Then happily display them next to your colorful decor. While the style can feel overwhelming to some, when done right, everything works together to create an impressive display.