Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s time to deck the halls! Whether you’re drawn to the cozy nostalgia of a traditional Christmas, the breezy charm of coastal decor, or the sparkle of a glam winter wonderland, each style can be used to create a space that’s festive, cozy, and full of seasonal charm.
Today, I’m sharing three of my favorite Christmas decorating themes along with ideas for how to bring these looks to life in your own home. And following that, I’m sharing how I’m decorating my own home for Christmas, including several new ideas and others I’m putting on repeat from past years! (post includes commissionable links; for more information, see my full disclosure statement {here})
Theme #1: Classic Christmas
If you love timeless traditions and cozy holiday cheer, the Classic Christmas look never goes out of style. Think lush greenery, plaid ribbons, and twinkling lights that make your home feel like a scene from a Hallmark movie.
Color palette: Deep reds, forest greens, creamy whites, and warm metallic accents.
Decor ideas:
- Layer deep reds, fresh greens, touches of gold, and plenty of greenery to capture that warm, familiar Christmas feel.
- Place fresh or faux garlands along your mantel with red velvet ribbon and pinecones.
- Use timeless Christmas tree ornaments such as glass balls, nutcrackers, snowflakes, stars, and nostalgic family ornaments. Drape wood bead, dried orange slice, or pinecone garlands on your tree.
- Add a cozy feel with tartan pillows or throws, quilted stockings, and glowing candlelight. Flameless pillar candles in windows are a beautiful touch.
These are some of the Christmas decor pieces I love for getting that classic holiday vibe:
Source Links: Doorknob bells | Wreath | Moravian star | Lighted deer | Mercury glass ornaments with plaid bows | Red berry branches | Stockings | Plaid pillow covers | Pinecone ornaments | Holiday doormat | 4′ prelit Christmas tree | Globe planter (13″ W)
Design Tip: If you’re mixing some new decor pieces in with your traditional favorites, stick to a cohesive color palette so everything feels intentional and beautifully blended.
Theme #2: Coastal Christmas
Bring the relaxed beauty of the coast to your holiday home with a Coastal Christmas theme. It’s perfect if you love the beach or just crave a softer, more relaxed holiday look.
Color palette: Soft blues, sandy neutrals, and whites.
Decor ideas:
- Add woven textures such as rattan bells, chunky knit stockings, and seagrass tree collars
- Accent traditional greenery with sprigs of eucalyptus, bleached pinecones, or blue berries
- Choose a tree with a loose, natural shape, and decorate with driftwood or starfish ornaments, glass baubles, and shells with soft white lights for a gentle glow.
- A few touches of champagne gold help elevate the coastal look without taking away the beachy vibe.
- Add sparkle in soft, ocean-inspired ways like pearl-finish ornaments, capiz shell pieces, sea glass beads, and soft silver accents.
These are a few of my favorite Christmas decor pieces that would work beautifully with a coastal theme:
Source Links: Rattan bells (set of 2) & white bow | Christmas tree hand towel | Norfolk pine wreath & blue velvet ribbon for bow | Set of 3 brass bells (bronze 10″, 8″, 6″) | Jingle bells | Christmas tree | Starfish tree topper | Seagrass tree collar | Dusty blue & gold ribbon | White knit stockings | Blue & white Christmas wrapping paper | Multicolored Christmas wrapping paper | Blue glass ball ornaments | Woven Christmas trees | Oyster Christmas tree | Pine & eucalyptus garland
Design Tip: If you have shells from a past vacation, turn them into ornaments by attaching a loop of soft blue or white ribbon to the back with hot glue (or drill a small hole in the shell to loop your ribbon through)
Theme #3: Glam Christmas
If your feeling is “the more sparkle, the better,” then Glam Christmas is your perfect match! This look is all about luxury, shimmer, and that magical golden glow.
Color palette: Metallic gold, shimmering silver, and cream with crystal-clear accents.
Decor ideas:
- Layer metallics with a mix of gold, silver, and champagne tones to create depth and dimension.
- Add sparkle and texture with glittered ornaments, sequined ribbon, mercury glass pieces, and velvet accents. Use oversized ornaments for instant drama.
- Lean into sparkling lights with warm white LED strands, twinkle lights, and spotlights or uplights behind your tree.
- Add luxe floral picks or stems to your tree in champagne gold, soft blush, or metallics along with glittery branches.
- Finish with a show-stopping tree topper such as an oversized star, glittery sprays and picks fanning upward, or a crystal finial topper.
These glam Christmas decor pieces would help you tie your statement-making look together:
Source Links: Lumbar Christmas pillow cover | Nutcracker | Lighted Outdoor Christmas Ornament Set | Glitter Christmas bow | Glam wreath | Christmas garland | Christmas ball ornaments | Stockings | Silver Christmas tree | Starburst tree topper | Gold Christmas collar | Wrapping paper
Design Tip: Balance the shine with soft textures like faux fur throws and velvet pillows.
More Christmas Decorating Themes to Try
If you love to mix it up each year, here are a few other Christmas themes to consider:
- Rustic Woodland – birch logs, plaid patterns, and antler details
- Scandinavian Minimalist – simple neutrals, natural wood, and white lights
- Farmhouse Chic – galvanized metal, buffalo check, and cozy textures
- Winter White – all-white decor with soft greenery accents
- Boho Christmas – macramé ornaments, natural materials, and eclectic colors
- Candyland Christmas – bright pastels and sweet-inspired decorations
- Vintage Christmas – mercury glass, retro ornaments, and old-fashioned charm
Whichever theme speaks to you, have fun with it and make it your own. Mix in pieces you already love, add a few new touches, and enjoy creating a home that feels festive, inviting, and uniquely you this Christmas!
Decorating My Own Home for Christmas
As with most years, I’m going to reuse some of my favorite Christmas decor from past years while mixing in some new pieces too. I’m getting a later start with my decorating than usual but thought I’d share my plans early enough to give you a few decorating ideas for your own home!
For our dining room this year, I bought four of {these rattan bells} and have added one to the back of each of our dining table side chairs with {this wired velvet ribbon}:
They look so pretty with {this blue and white patterned rug} we have under our dining table:
In our kitchen, I’m having fun decorating our kitchen coffee bar that was installed at the end of last year as part of our kitchen remodel:
To turn it into a holiday coffee bar, I’ve added some festive holiday mugs to {this mug holder tree}. My exact mugs are no longer available, but check out {these holiday mugs from Rifle Paper Co.}) for similar options:
I’ll be swapping out the syrups in {these coffee syrup pumps} for some holiday flavors like peppermint and cinnamon:
And I snagged two sets of {these super cute holiday plates} on big sale that come in a set of four. I love that they include a combination of traditional holiday colors along with blues and pinks:
I’ll be adding {these beautiful gold Christmas tree ornaments} to one of the bowls on our coffee bar (they are surprisingly gorgeous for the price!):
and since I can never get enough of ribbon, I’ve used some of {this wired velvet ribbon} on our coffee bar sconces to add a festive feel:
Stay tuned for the full holiday coffee reveal coming soon!
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In our family room, I’m putting my fireplace mantel decor from last year on repeat because it’s so quick and easy to put together, and I love the look of it! It includes {this gorgeous spruce garland} that looks amazing right out of the box with faux berries, eucalyptus, pine cones, and LED lights mixed in:
I dressed it up with a few ornaments strung from ribbon on the ends and bows made with beautiful wire-edged ribbon (my ribbon is unfortunately no longer available). And {this handsome Nutcracker} is doing repeat duty in front of our fireplace:
I’ll add some Christmas cheer to our family room shelves with some favorite pieces from past Christmases along with {these beautiful Christmas trees} with a woven rattan look that I bought this year. They’re such a great Serena & Lily look for less:
For our large sunroom tree, I’m using {this 7.5′ balsam fir Christmas tree} that I bought last year and loved! I’m putting the ornaments, ribbons, and woven tree collar (similar to {this one}) on repeat from last year:
but I plan to add in more white berry branches and dress up the top of the tree with {this new starfish tree topper} for a coastal vibe:
I also bought {this smaller, well-priced tree} to use as a second tree for our family ornaments in a smaller corner of our home.
I bought a few new rolls of wrapping paper in coastal colors, including {this Chinoserie Christmas wrapping paper} and {this blue nutcracker wrapping paper} – so cute:
Outside on our front porch, I’m using {this set of bells} that I’ve used every year for close to ten years now! Sometimes I tie them on a wreath:
and other holidays I’ve used them to create a holiday swag:
I’m going to reuse my 4′ twinkling LED light trees (which are still in stock right now – they sell out early every year!) and hanging Moravian star:
I’ll share the full tour of our holiday home in early December since I’m waiting until my girls are home for Thanksgiving to do some of the finishing touches together 😊. Thanks as always for stopping by – I hope you all have a wonderful week!
XO,
