Looking for a truly simple seasonal decorating idea? Turn your bedroom into a cosy Christmas grotto by swapping your bed linen for festive-inspired designs. Whether you want a Nordic pattern in traditional colours or something more fun with slogans and bright prints, the options are endless. Mix patterns and plains to create a luxurious and inviting pile of pillows and blankets.
Swapping your everyday scatter cushions for Christmas versions is probably one of the easiest and fastest ways to bring seasonal colours into your home. Bright cushions embellished with festive motifs and Christmas well wishes will instantly transform the room and create comfy spots for a post-dinner nap, too.
Christmas cards can clutter up a home, so pick out your favourites and peg them to a string tied across the window. A touch of holly or ivy entwined around the garland will look all the more festive; you can then string up more tiers as the Christmas post arrives.
Changing everyday items such as tea towels and coffee cups for Christmas-themed versions is a sure-fire way to spread the magic throughout the house. What better way to snuggle up in the evenings as the advent counts down with a hot drink from a festive mug?
Got a set of string lights that's a jumble of wires? Save yourself the frustrating hassle of trying to untangle the chain of lights by displaying them as a twinkling of festive stars in a glass vase or jar. Craft shops, eBay and Amazon sell these bell jars, or you can use a mason jar or an empty food jar for a more homespun look.
Bring even more festive fun into your home with a Christmas-themed doormat. Swap your plain, everyday design and welcome your family and friends with some cheer during the holiday period. We love this endearing stag design with hanging baubles.
Unravel the frustrating and time-consuming task of tangled Christmas lights by investing in an artificial tree that comes with its lights permanently attached. You'll never need to worry about zig-zagging again as the twinkling lights of a pre-lit Christmas tree are perfectly placed year after year, so you can cut straight to the decorating.
With the cost of living soaring and food bills increasing, we predict hampers as gifts will be warmly received this year. You can buy a ready-made hamper to save time, or buy a kit that includes a basket, filler, and wrapping to make your own too, which could be more cost-effective. Plus, you can then personalise the gift for your favourite chocoholics, baking buffs or spice cravers.
Windows offer a large clear canvas to get temporarily festive with. You can find stickers in most stores for a quick fix, or, if you have more time you can try your hand at painting with glass paint. It's available in all shades of the colour wheel so you can paint a bright Chrismassy scene that can be peeled off afterwards. Alternatively use stencils to create a frosty scene with snow spray.
For a quick festive fix, tie glittery ribbons to the backs of your dining chairs. A pretty bow or sash will transform the space by adding a touch of elegance to your table setting. For rustic themes choose a natural-style fabric such as hessian with eucalyptus. If you have more time for a wow-factor finishing touch, suspend an au naturel centrepiece of wood, foliage and simple metal decorations from the ceiling too.
Here's a simple and economical trick that will make unpacking and packing baubles and Christmas ornaments so much faster and easier. As we move into autumn save up your empty egg cartons to keep decorations safe and sound while in storage. The individual egg cups are a perfect size. For extra delicate glass objects, wrap them in tissue or cotton wool for extra padding.
Remember making paper dolls as a child? Use the same format to make a full forest of decorative card Christmas trees. This three-metre garland made from concertina folded paper can be purchased ready-made. However, a DIY craft version can be easily re-created at home. Cut to length and display on mantle pieces, walls, window sills, stairways... anywhere you fancy.
Keeping a mirrored tray in your cupboard for special occasions is a secret interior design tip worth knowing. The reflective surface creates an exquisite anchor to display Christmas candles and decorative shiny ornaments that instantly adds glamour as a table centrepiece or as part of a console table display.
A speedy decor tip if you need to get festive fast: bring out your glass flower vases and use them to display twigs and branches dripping small hanging ornaments or vases. For extra twinkle, wrap tiny LED chain lights around the natural foliage or buy pre-lit jewelled tree picks.
Turn your attention to awkward spaces in the home and fill them with displays of festive cheer. We love this 'half hallway' tree that fits snuggly into a corner. It's also a fun place to pop extra gifts if your main tree is already full to the top of the tree skirt!
Give leftover baubles an extra dose of TLC by replacing regular strings with beautiful ribbons. The fine fabric update will transform them into opulent hanging displays in windows or above dining tables. Hang them at different levels from colour-coordinated ribbons anywhere you need a little extra festive cheer.
Bring your pets into the Christmas circle by swapping out their usual pet accessories for fun festive-themed versions. Ideas include Christmas pudding-shaped pet beds, novelty (but practical, comfortable and safe) pet wear or Christmas stockings filled with favourite treats for your furry friends.
If you live in colder climates, there is little chance of using the garden around the festive period. So, rather than forking out on yet more string lights, borrow the outdoor ones. Once clean and dry wrap them around a hanging table display filled with foliage for an 'outdoorsy' festive woodland scene.
If you find yourself short on Christmas decorations at the last minute, take a look in the toy box. You'll be surprised at what you could adapt. Wrap colourful lights around a toy T-Rex, add fairy wings to a cherished dolly, or pop a Santa hat on a favourite teddy. This train set is purpose-made to travel around a Christmas tree, but a DIY version from a regular wooden train set could be easily created.
Turn to a festive favourite to add a bit more cheer to a hallway or dressing room. Stockings can be bought from most places around the holidays and often at low cost, especially if you buy in sets. If you're good with a needle you can make these cotton stockings in a selection of fabrics. Whichever way you choose, fill them with holly, sweet treats, and any eye-catching foliage that you like for extra wow-factor.
Add a little festive origami to the Christmas table with easy-folded Christmas tree napkins. Napkin Christmas trees are super easy to create and will make an impressive touch in very little time. Check out this Instructables video tutorial for a visual guide.
Simple to construct and visually effective, paper concertina Christmas trees, like this design from Etsy, are an easy way to add a festive feel to a sideboard or table. What's more, they're an eco-friendly alternative to traditional decorations and can be folded down and stored ready to pop out again next year.
Entertaining is a big part of the holiday season but decorating your dining table needn't be a chore. Create the perfect backdrop for a festive feast with a matching dinner set. When laying the table, stack plates and bowls on top of each other for a sophisticated look. Coordinating blue and silver table mats and glassware will make for a luxe finish.
Christmas dinner is the main event of the season. Make sure your holiday table is perfect every time with a stand-out candle holder that doubles up as a centrepiece. You can make or buy this depending on how much time you have to spare. You could also lay a garland along the centre of the table and pop baubles and candles safely within the foliage.
While some go all-out with Christmas tableware and elaborate centrepieces, you can achieve the same festive feel with a couple of carefully chosen decorations. A few minimalist brush trees arranged down the middle of the table are all you need to conjure up a magical snowscape. Complete the look with artistically scattered baubles or figurines and some colour-coordinated napkins.
Hallways can be overlooked at Christmas. A super-easy (and quick) way to bring yuletide cheer into your entrance is to buy a mini tree or see if you can get cut off foliage for the banister that matches the door wreath. Add some small baubles that match the colour scheme for a subtle but stylish finished look.
Make the most of any existing hooks or hanging spots around the home by suspending any spare decorations from them. Pop a hero bauble on a single hook with ribbon or use the humble peg rail to make a statement with natural wreaths or swags.
Don't let your leftover tree baubles go to waste. Glass flower vases and sweet jars are perfect for popping leftovers in to create quick decorative display pieces. They can be used to welcome guests in the hallway or make for an easy table centrepiece. Cake stands make a stylish alternative too.
You can easily trim your holly bush or mistletoe to save on buying fresh foliage at Christmas. Get creative and find some unconventional spots around the house to tie it in to your other decor for a fast festive fix. Try tying an indoor wreath to the back of kitchen bar stools, pop a sprig of mistletoe on the edge of a mirror, or add wow factor to a four poster bed. Just watch out for any sharp leaves or pine needles.
If you need to save time on decorating and for an effortless look in the living room, a faux garland of leafy green foliage and rustic pine cones can look just as good as the real thing. Easy to hang or as part of a display, it gives just enough colour for a seasonal feel year after year.
Sometimes, a few simple seasonal accessories are all it takes to transform your home into a winter wonderland. Swap out those plain tealights by the hearth or on the table for a festive design like these endearing silver and gold fir trees. Bonus points if they are scented with Christmas smells like gingerbread or frankincense.
Stuck on a last-minute centrepiece? You likely have all the ingredients to whip up an array of charming, homemade table decorations already. Trim a few sprigs from your Christmas tree, or go foraging for seasonal greenery, and tie with twine around plain pillar candles. You can even thread on a classic wooden tree ornament. And there you have it, a festive focal point in a flash. Just remember not to light them...
Before you go out and splash the cash on festive foliage and ornaments, consider what you already have in your home. Houseplants can easily be given a quick seasonal facelift with wire fairy lights and miniature baubles. Upcycle your existing pot with a faux fur trim or invest in a Christmas-themed design for the final finish.
Monochromatic decorating is always on trend, so don't be afraid to layer the same colour from your walls to your baubles. It saves time on working with a more complicated colour pallet. It works especially well with kitsch pinks, bringing a sort of 60s exuberance to the overall look, but any colour you fancy will work.
If your Christmas tree is looking a little sparse this year, and you don't have as much time as you'd like to artfully arrange baubles, why not embellish it with a plump garland? Tinsel is back, but if it's not for you then it's just as easy to craft your own version from feathers, pom poms, or even extra greenery. The tree will look much fuller, much faster.
So, you've got your perfect tree and decorations in place but you need a bit of extra Christmas cheer? Add a tree skirt. Great for catching needles, soaking up spilt water, hiding ugly artificial tree stands and keeping presents safe and tidy, there are so many styles and designs that will make a fabulous finishing touch to your tree décor.
It's common sense that the larger the Christmas decoration the more area it will cover so, of course, the bigger you buy the less you need. Make your tree look sophisticated and your displays look divine with a series of oversized and fanciful decorations. Remember balance is key, so thankfully less is more with this style of decorating.
Paper decorations fold out and pop up in no time to create a striking look. Hang stylish stars in windows or create a standout banister garland with variously sized paper honeycomb balls and pom-poms. When Christmas is over they simply fold up and can be packed away until next year.
These days many shops provide coordinated packs of baubles and decorations at bargain prices. Coming in at the best value, they make decorating super quick and mean you don't have to overthink a new colour scheme each year.
To save money on your decorations, gather natural materials such as pine cones, bark and even fallen branches to create an on-trend Nordic-inspired look. This branch makes a striking decoration suspended from the ceiling and wrapped in fairy lights.
No Christmas tree this year? If you haven't got the space, time, or the inclination, a decorated mantelpiece is a Christmas staple that delivers striking results with minimum effort. Drape a garland along the flat surface, winding it around three candle votives, and then add in a few tree decorations that pick out hero colours in the room.
Most homeware brands release their own Christmas decorating themes every year, which are based on current trends and sold in sets. Each style is designed to colour match and coordinate with each other, too. So, whether you choose a cosy woodland retreat range or a fun Santa's workshop look, you can't fail to bring home the decorating magic and look like a pro.
Eucalyptus is one of the most fashionable festive additions you can include in your Christmas decor. Its simple silvery leaves suit minimal Nordic-style Christmas schemes as well as cosy country looks. Add a eucalyptus wreath, a mantel garland and a sprig here and there to keep it festive and fragrant throughout the holiday period.
We'll let you in on a secret, those wrapped gifts you see in interior magazine Christmas issues aren't really presents. Stylists look out for empty boxes to wrap with festive wrapping to fill up their Christmas decorating shoots. Steal their style and pop a few ready wrapped 'gifts', like these from National Trust, in amongst your decorating displays for an authentic feel. Empty teabag boxes are a good size, so put the kettle on.
Impress your neighbours with some playful window decorations that are quick to create. Soft fairy lights look idyllic and cosy during the evening, while baubles and stars hung from ribbon cut a striking silhouette during daylight hours. You can even get crafty and make your own festive décor, such as these paper snowflakes.
A statement wreath on the front door is traditional and looks stunning, but hanging smaller versions inside too is a quick way to decorate your home. Their beautiful round shape suits just about anywhere and instantly adds a welcoming touch to the room. Hang alone, in groups of three, or even prop them up on flat surfaces as part of a shelving display.
Candy canes are a Christmas decorating icon thanks to their bright colour and striped design. Their curved shape makes them perfect for filling in decorating gaps as they can be easily hung anywhere. They also make fun gift toppers for an additional sweet surprise.
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