Finding the right theme to decorate your home in for the big Christmas gathering can be anxiety inducing. You want a perfect combination of style without going over the top with seasonal features. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the options available to you and difficult to even know where to begin. Cue this guide. We hope it’ll help guide you in the right direction for your party. You’ll always have the following year to try a different theme!
The family dinner is a quintessential part of Christmas festivities and one of the easiest ways to spread Christmas décor. Feel free to deviate from the standard red-and-green colour scheme. "Rather than the traditional red and green scheme, try something new like a fabric in malachite and hot pink peonies," says designer Grant Gibson. "Layer in black and white for a graphic pop. The plates [below] are antique French."
For a more natural take on Christmas, dress up a dinner party with lush garland, silver candle holders, and wood chargers. Complete each setting with gold flatware and a cinnamon stick, as Lauren McBride did here, for a warm and inviting Christmas setting.
In this holiday vignette styled by Craftberry Bush, a white Fir tree, white walls, and plenty of fake snow make for a wintery wonderland and make the bold pops of red even more dazzling. This can be used in any room. Try a white table runner topped with green foliage in the kitchen, or cluster white candles near mirrors to spread light.
Classic baubles in red, gold and green can sometimes come across as dated. Spruce it up (excuse the pun) with varying shapes, colour or texture. Have fun with a minimalist twist, such as the candle lights and geometric gold ornaments pictured below (styled by My Scandinavian Home).
Ornaments are not solely reserved for the tree! Use bookshelves as an opportunity to inject a bit of holiday flair!
For lovers of floral accessories, Take inspiration from nature for your decorating scheme. "Use fresh evergreen boughs, garlands and wreaths combined with in-season citrus like lemons, tangerines and oranges," says designer Tobi Fairley." It will give your home a beautiful natural look, and it smells heavenly."
If a real tree leaves a mess in your living room, don't feel married to it. Besides, artificial trees often have wires that are easy to curve and bend to better hold ornaments. Not to mention they last much longer. Miss the scent of pine? A few scented candles (just not too close to the tree!) should do the job, or try out our natural pine needle idea above.
If filling bowls with pinecones is beginning to get boring, check crafts and home stores for natural ornaments, and display them with seasonal greenery. Added perk: The greenery, such as pine needles, will add a fresh aroma to the room, a must-have if you have opted for an artificial tree.
For a beautiful statement decor piece, follow this easy formula. "Christmas means three things to me: paperwhites, citrus and magnolia. I go to the flower market (or the backyard) and cut magnolia and place it on mantles," says designer Miles Redd. "I intersperse lemons or clementines (sometimes studded with cloves), and paperwhites — either the individual bulb — or just mossy pots of 6 bulbs. The smell of the combination is wonderful."
Reduce, reuse, recycle! Save ribbons from previous presents you have received, or reuse old fabric as a unique wrapping for presents. Or even make a custom wreath from different materials, fabric bows, small baubles… you get the idea. Making some DIY decorations can also be a fun way to spend some quality- time as a fun activity with little ones.
Spruce up both indoor and outdoor areas with some hanging lights. Weave in some natural evergreens and fabric straps to a staircase and hang strings of lights to have a magical floating effect.
For a warm climate, adding sparkle to unexpected places also makes for gorgeous outdoor entertaining. Play around with some scented candles, hanging fairy lights, or solar lanterns for varying strength of lights and different ambience.
Images above from here.
For more Christmas inspiration, look at the article we have written on Christmas Decorating Trends
