Tips for Planning Your Christmas Home Decor Now
Now that we have officially entered my favorite time of year, we are a fast ride into the holidays. Today I’d like to share tips for planning your Christmas home decor now!
What month should I start decorating for Christmas?
What time is the perfect time to start decorating for Christmas? If you haven’t been thinking about it throughout the year like I have, then RIGHT NOW is the best time.
No one wants to enter the Christmas season with their hair on fire. Last year, after my Mom died in late October, I was dawdling a bit as I couldn’t really focus. I was spending too much time crying while unwrapping vintage ornaments that were hers.
So this year, as in previous years, I decided to get my buns in gear and do little things that will make my holiday decorating go a lot smoother. More doing, less crying.
Most important Christmas home decor planning decisions to make now
Even if you don’t get crazy with decorating plans, at the very least, these two things listed below should be the ones you can begin focusing on to help you get ahead.
Sometimes even just THINKING about them, and daydreaming, will spark some creative ideas and get you ahead of the twinkle lights, so to speak. Also, if you are perusing thrift stores, Hobby Lobby, or antique shops in the upcoming month, you may be inspired to make a plan for your Christmas decorating.
Plan your color palette
As you know, just because it is Christmas does not mean that you have to do a classic color scheme of red and green. It also does not mean that every room in your home has to have the same color plan throughout.
If you have a larger space that is more open, you would definitely want items to blend together well. But when your rooms are more closed off, you can switch it up. Here are a few great color combos to enjoy in different rooms at the holiday season:
- classic red and green – these can be enhanced by faux greens, vintage items, or adding a pattern like plaid, gingham or polka dots.
- white with an accent – I just love a white Christmas. White can be enhanced by metallics. wood tones and texture.
- pastels – lighten up the classic red and green to go all pink Christmas trees and pale sage or a mix of those Shabby Chic cotton candy colors.
- blue and white – if your home is classically full of blue and white, then lean in and make the scheme the focal point of the holidays as well.
- metallics – if you love bling, then metallics are the way to go. String lights will amp up the sparkle everywhere.
- silver and blue – silver and blue Christmas decor is a good one for households celebrating both holidays (Christmas and Hanukah) or for anyone who loves blue and some sparkle.
- blue and green – this one is a favorite of mine and is a subtle backdrop to many Christmas collections.
- red and white – think candy cane stripes and crisp red and white used in creative ways.
- multi brights – like the vintage Christmas lights of long ago, a primary color palette offers a great variety for nostalgic Christmas decor.
- green and white – adding natural materials will make this scheme an easy Christmas choice. Add pine cones, and other natural elements found in your yard for inexpensive decor.
Christmas home decor themes
Your Christmas decor theme can match your everyday theme, or get switched up at the holidays to adorn specific areas. Choose things that are meaningful to you. Also, will your seasonal decor consist of items you already have, new items, or collections you are still building and adding to?
I tend to switch themes year after year. There are only a few areas in my home that get the same decor. Don’t be afraid to do something different, even if your family gives you a hard time for bucking tradition and changing things from room to room.
Questions to ask yourself to plan ahead your Christmas home decor
Vintage or new?
When planning your Christmas decor, will you have everything you need? Will you be using what you have or wanting to refresh some items? Is your look all new faux garlands and pristine Christmas wreaths or will vintage items be a part of your plan?
Remember that everyday vintage elements can add charm and patina to your Christmas decor, especially in a new house. I love adding the feel of memories from Christmas’s past.
Make each surface a focal point for the holidays. From the fireplace mantel, to the coffee table, in the entry, to the vanity in the half bath. Add little decor moments that bring about that good feeling for the holidays.
Branch out into other spaces. Will you have guests for the holidays? Add a small tree to the guest room. The master bedroom and all the secondary bedrooms can each have a small space that could display your holiday cheer.
This is a great time of year, and everyone loves a bit of holiday nostalgia. The living room and main areas of the home shouldn’t be the only ones who have all the fun.
Collections to use
Christmas is such a nostalgic time. For me, I love adding vintage items to my Christmas decor. Not only do vintage holiday items fit into my Christmas decor ideas, but I use everyday antique items as well. I like to use plaid blankets, milk glass, old wood buckets and baskets, vintage toy trucks, and much more. Bringing in that old time look and feel is the best Christmas decorations for me.
Pull out the things that make you feel special and bring back memories. Use collections you have. Locate a piece of Grandma’s china in the back of the cupboard and let it be a place to pile pinecones with a personal touch.
Use what you have and add a bit of holiday flair with a ribbon and seasonal greenery.
Faux or real
If you have the space, an artificial tree is sometimes the easiest way to begin decorating for the holidays, especially if you like to start early. Artificial Christmas trees can help stretch out the decorating season.
If you like to use fresh trees, begin decorating areas in other ways. When you get closer to the holiday, where you know a real tree will not dry out as quickly, simply add that to your Christmas decor.
Preparing in advance
One major way to make the holidays less hectic is to prepare early. Here are a few things you may want to get a handle on now rather than later.
Wrapping paper station
Set up a place that you can do your wrapping, where everything can stay out. Whether it be the dining room table (if you won’t be hosting the holidays), space in a craft or laundry room, or a pop-up table in an extra bedroom.
When you shop or receive items via delivery, they can go right into the wrapping area to be wrapped. Gather together your wrapping paper, tape, scissors, tags, and any little pretty details you can recycle for a present top.
I keep my wrapping station up year round. It is a great place to quickly wrap birthday presents as well. Storage baskets are easily accessible to recycle any gift bags, tissue, and ribbon throughout the year.
Outdoor decorating plan
If you live in a climate like mine (Michigan), things usually turn from manageable to “holy crap it’s cold” pretty quick. Coming up with your outdoor decorating plan is much easier when the weather is warmer.
Even if you delay putting up the actual holiday decor, you can get the ladder out now and install all the hooks and screws that will be required when you do want to hang it all. Once again, doing this when your fingers aren’t freezing is a definite bonus.
Shopping vintage now
Before all the good Christmas vintage is gone, get out early and snatch up the items you want to add to your Christmas decor. I try to shop year round for vintage Christmas ornaments and decor, as many people aren’t thinking about it throughout the year. The first week in January hits, and I start looking again!
Scout for the good stuff now
Fresh foliage
Before the weather changes where you are (if it does) check out the fresh foliage that you have access to. This is the best free and easy way to get fresh greens to make decor for your front porch and more.
The last house we lived in, I only had boxwood and some arborvitae on our property. I didn’t have any pine trees to clip tree branches for greenery decor. I was able to ask a friend who had several acres of evergreen trees, if I could cut branches at her place. She was more than happy to oblige.
Here are a few other ways you can get fresh greens for free or cheap:
- Ask a friend, neighbor, or family member who might have trees, pinecones, or other plantings that could be useful. Barter and trade if needed.
- If you buy a fresh tree, ask if they offer free cuttings that are usually cut when they are trimming the bottom of trees. Some places will sell them cheap, while others offer them up free.
- I once came upon tree trimmers at my local park and asked if I could have some branches. They were happy to let me take as much as I wanted.
- Gather pinecones and scout out berries, twigs or other items within your neighborhood. It might be a way to meet a neighbor and make a new friend. Obviously, always ask permission and offer a fun trade for clippings.
Ribbon and paper
Shop early and buy in bulk. Hobby Lobby is my fave ‘go to’ for wrapping paper. They always have great basics and on trend patterns.
Costco carries large ribbon bolts around the holidays, but you need to grab them NOW! Buy large spools of ribbons online or check estate sales for great vintage spools.
Display ideas
Now is the time to go ‘window shopping’ and take lots of photos for decorating inspiration. Store windows and displays, vintage shows, craft shows, and antique malls are great places to get creative ideas of how to arrange displays for Christmas.
Never be shy about taking photos, but always ask or look for signage in case shops don’t allow photography.
Getting in the mood
I never thought I’d say this, because most years I admit, I am a scrooge. Like, I seriously can’t listen to Christmas music for more than two weeks. But that is precisely what I am going to suggest.
Something has changed, and this year, my heart needs Christmas music, and early. So I will plan a playlist, and start listening to get in the mood.
My Annual Holiday Cookie Exchange
Nothing says holiday decorating like Christmas carols, a fire roaring in the fireplace, some hot cocoa, and dragging out all the large bin boxes of crap from the basement.
Whatever gets you in the mood, start to do it. Make a list, check it twice. Decorate one corner each day. Decorating everything for the holidays can be a lot of work, but it is joyous work and should help you feel the ‘reason for the season’.
Each year I host a cookie exchange party for my friends. The house will be decorated, I serve lunch, and the TO DO list is already completed. Starting tasks and making plans early always helps me to enjoy the season much more.
If we plan small things ahead now, when December rolls around, we can be on our way to enjoying the holiday with loved ones!
Be realistic
Between now and the holidays, you will run into a million great ideas. Just remember, you can’t do them all! Do what best fits into your life.
Let’s go into the season embracing the feeling of it all, and not just feeling all the HAVE TO items that we think we must do. Planning your Christmas home decor now is a great way to get ahead of the things and enjoy the season more. It might even get you onto Santa’s “nice” list.
If you’d like to get inspired about more stuff for your home, let’s hang out more. Follow along on these platforms. Check back for more Christmas prep and design tips, along with lifestyle hacks. There’s more fun coming soon.
Pinterest | Amazon | Facebook | Instagram | LTK
It’s such a good way to repurpose them!
I love this! Still to this day, I’m always on the lookout for a cute vintage slip. 😂 Beautiful!