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

This article appeared in Cleverclassic and has been published here with permission.

Try These Magical Christmas Decor Trends and Ideas!

Christmas is certainly the most decorative time of the year. But, decking your halls isn’t always as easy as you hope it would be, especially when there are so many different options to choose from! To help you have a beautiful holiday, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite Christmas decor ideas, trends, and hacks to make your holiday season truly magical!

Invest in Trees

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.

Invest in Trees

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.

Command Strip Stockings

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.

Command Strip Stockings

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.

Santa’s Village

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.

Santa’s Village

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.

Garland Headboard

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!

Garland Headboard

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!

Festive Throw Pillows

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.

Festive Throw Pillows

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.

Don’t Forget Your Bath

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.

Don’t Forget Your Bath

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.

Shower Ornaments

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.

Shower Ornaments

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.

Decorate Your Cabinets

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.

Decorate Your Cabinets

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.

Add Some Holiday Sweets

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?

Add Some Holiday Sweets

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!

Ornamental Magnets

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?

Ornamental Magnets

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!

Set the Mood With Garlands

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?

Set the Mood With 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.

Christmas Coffee Corner

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.

Christmas Coffee Corner

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.

Try Flocked Trees

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.

Try Flocked Trees

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.

Get Cozy With Tartan

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.

Get Cozy With Tartan

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!

Go Classy With White and Green

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).

Go Classy With White and Green

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!

Red and Green for the Win

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.

Red and Green for the Win

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!

How About Monochrome?

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.

How About Monochrome?

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).

Minimalist Decor

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.

Minimalist Decor

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.

Neutral Centerpieces

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.

Neutral Centerpieces

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.

Santa’s Footprints for the Kids

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:

Santa’s Footprints for the Kids

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!

DIY Snow Globes

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.

DIY Snow Globes

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.

A Personal Touch Goes a Long Way

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.

A Personal Touch Goes a Long Way

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.

Dollar Stores Are Your Friend

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.

Dollar Stores Are Your Friend

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.

Fir Trimmings as Garlands

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.

Fir Trimmings as Garlands

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.

Display Your Cookies

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!

Display Your Cookies

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!

Cookie Cutter Ornaments

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.

Cookie Cutter Ornaments

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.

Festive Table Runners

Table runners are a quick and easy way to add some decoration to any meal. So why not make special table runners, specifically for Christmas? Simply use some garland, ornaments, pine cones, tinsel, or whatever else you fancy for this holiday decoration!

Festive Table Runners

Making this item on your own is easy enough and it’s an activity that the whole family can do together. Bonus points for the fact that this table runner will make a somewhat empty table look fuller.

Scrabble Place Settings

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.

Scrabble Place Settings

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.

Personal Gift Labels

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.

Personal Gift Labels

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.

Clear Ball Ornaments

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.

Clear Ball Ornaments

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!

Family Photos Garland

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.

Family Photos Garland

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.

Fabric Wrapping

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.

Fabric Wrapping

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.

Ornament Advent Calendar

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!

Ornament Advent Calendar

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.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

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.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

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!

Play Around With Ribbons

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.

Play Around With Ribbons

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.

Go for the Unexpected

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.

Go for the Unexpected

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.

Create a Festive Treat

Regular old candy bars are for trick-or-treaters on Halloween. In order to make those leftovers Christmas-ready, turn them into snowmen! Simply wrap a flat candy bar in white paper, and cut out a carrot nose from orange paper.

Create a Festive Treat

Then, create the scarf from yarn, and draw on the eyes, mouth, and buttons. You now have an adorable snowman chocolate bar – and no one needs to know that it was regifted from Halloween!

Make Melted Snowmen

While snowman cookies are definitely a cute idea, they can be a bit overdone. Stand out from the crowd this Christmas by making melted snowmen cookies! It’s the perfect treat for those who celebrate Christmas in warmer climates!

Make Melted Snowmen

These unique cookies are also a lot easier to make than traditional snowman cookies, enabling your kids to participate in the process. And for those of us who struggle with getting cookie shapes just right, this idea is definitely a lifesaver!

Craft Cone Trees

Cone trees are an easy way to get that Christmas tree aesthetic around the house, without spending too much time or energy on each tree. Simply roll some construction paper or cardboard into a cone, cover it with glue, and apply any decorations you like onto it.

Craft Cone Trees

This activity is perfect for kids and adults alike! You can make the cones look like Christmas trees, like Santa hats, or simply a beautiful sparkly design. The possibilities are endless!

Try Three-in-One Treats

Delight your party guests with these adorable three-in-one treats! These little sleighs consist of candy canes, chocolate bars, and festive erasers.

Try Three-in-One Treats

In order to make these Christmas party favors, glue candy canes onto a candy bar (it’s preferable to choose a candy with a red wrapper, so that it’s on theme), and glue a little eraser on top. Try to find erasers with little Santas or reindeer so that the treat truly looks like Santa’s sleigh.

Don’t Forget Your Chairs

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.

Don’t Forget Your Chairs

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.

Don’t Be Afraid of Asymmetry

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.

Don’t Be Afraid of Asymmetry

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.

Embrace Sentimentality

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.

Embrace Sentimentality

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.

Bring the Outside In

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.

Bring the 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.

Use Your Furniture

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.

Use Your Furniture

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!

A Splash of Color

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.

A Splash of Color

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.

Go for Abstract Modern

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.

Go for Abstract Modern

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.

Don’t Throw Out Your Christmas Cards

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!

Don’t Throw Out Your Christmas Cards

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.

Repurpose Tangled Fairy Lights

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.

Repurpose Tangled Fairy Lights

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.

Try Maximalism

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.

Try Maximalism

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.