Decorating for Christmas is one of my absolute favorite activities - only second to opening the presents on the actual day. Wondering how to spruce up your space with affordable traditional Christmas decor? Check out these quick and easy tips!
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Looking for traditional Christmas decor?
It's finally time to start preparing for Christmas! The minute Halloween is over, I'm secretly bringing out/buying Christmas decor and turning on the holiday tunes when no one is listening.
For me, it's all about *traditional* Christmas decor. Red, green, & maybe a small bit of gold, with a few "old world touches," like my ultimate favorite - tartan. I've accumulated a fair bit of decor over the last 5 years, and I couldn't be happier with it.
So let's do it! Where do I find perfect, tasteful Christmas decor? Can we find all of this without breaking the bank and without pine?
Traditional Christmas decor can be expensive. High-end places charge a premium for classic decorations, and people are definitely willing to pay. I'd encourage you to shop around, don't buy the first thing that you see, and think strategically about budgeting. I've laid out some tips on where to spend money and where to save. Coming up with tasteful decor that will keep you satisfied over the years means spending in the right places, not on everything - and also not scrimping on everything. Avoid disposable, cheap items that add up monetarily over time and are not eco-friendly.
Traditional Christmas Decor TipsTraditional Christmas Decor:
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Of course, for my allergy-free friends, the "downside" to having a fake tree is the lack of that "real tree smell." But, never fear, you can buy scented products to "spruce up" the house! |
Finding an artificial Christmas tree
We opted for a really nice tree from Balsam Hill, the quintessential artificial tree manufacturer. I *love* our tree, and I'd really recommend them. Balsam Hill has different verity levels of trees - from "traditional" to "most realistic." We selected the middle level, realistic, and have been very happy with it. The ends of the branches look extremely real. I'm embarrassed to admit there have been several times I've stopped myself mid-decorating and thought "I shouldn't be touching this!!!" (Ugh!). As you dig back toward the trunk of the tree, the greenery filling the branches starts to look more like a "normal" artificial tree."
If Balsam Hill isn't in the cards, I'd recommend going to Target and selecting a faux tree that you can see in person. It's so hard to judge online whether the tree will look good when it actually shows up (I would trust Balsam Hill, however), and for less expensive options, Target has a great selection.
That said, learn from my mistake and do not get a pre-lit tree. Eventually, no matter how expensive the tree, the lights will go out...and repairing them if hard, perhaps impossible. So, opt for a "normal" fake tree - and put the lights on yourself. Isn't that part of the fun anyway?
Decorating for Christmas without a tree
Traditional Christmas Decor:
Perfect Christmas Ornaments & Tree Skirts
Traditional Christmas Ornaments
I love tasteful ornaments as souvenirs on vacation - for more on buying the right souvenirs on vacation, check out: Making Smart Vacation Purchases.
Monogramed tree skirts
Traditional Christmas Decor:
Wreaths and garland
Our original garland and wreaths were from Wayfair, which I was happy with, but this year, we upgraded with new purchases from Costco. WOW. Their garland is amazing - slightly more of an investment than the Wayfair option, but it's pre-decorated and the greenery is so much more lush. We put garland on all of the stairs from the basement all the way up to the top of the house, and across the fireplace (in a non-fire-hazard-creating-way). It really adds an extra touch and brightens up those dark winter nights.
Traditional Christmas Decor: Scented candles
Yet again, Marshall's really comes through for me on candles! I've had good luck finding candles that actually last a long time and keep their fragrance, and the prices are incredible. I like to go in person and smell them, but maybe that's just me!
Traditional Christmas Decor: Tartan
After our first trip to Scotland, Christmas tartan positively took over our house - and it's not going anywhere! I found a ton of tartan, in my Husband's family's proper color scheme, on Etsy. I got the table runner and coordinating pillows - all for a steal!
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Traditional Christmas Decor:
Stocking, holders, & final touches
Don't forget the stocking holders! Our doubles as a Christmas card holder, which is great for containing some of the Christmas clutter. If you can, I'd recommend buying some slightly larger holders, as opposed to flimsy metal hooks. I love this set of reindeer from Amazon.
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Traditional Christmas Decor:
Avoiding clutter during the Holidays
To keep everything organized during this time, invest in some sturdy storage bins that actually stack well together in your garage/storage area. The ones I linked to area clear, but if they aren't, be sure to label them, so you know which decorations are which, as you're setting them out!
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Aww this makes me so happy! I love Christmas and decorating for Christmas. I start the Christmas music in our house on Nov 1. This year we're living abroad in Prague so we don't have our box of Christmas decor. I don't think we'll do a tree (wild that you're allergic to pine!) but hoping to pick up some small decorations. We usually get ornaments when we travel and we're planning to hit the Christmas Markets in Europe this year so I'm sure we'll grab a few new ones. Looking forward to the season getting into full swing!
Thanks for sharing such a detailed article about Christmas Decor keep up the good work!
Thanks for your suggestions on how to decorate a Christmas tree with ornaments. I'll be sure to mix in some more "out there" ornaments in order to give my tree some character. I've always wanted to get a unique look with my home's decor but somehow my tree has always felt a bit generic to me. I think having some Cody Foster Icon Christmas ornaments might just be the trick I'm looking for to give it some personality to stand out against the rest.
Decorating for Christmas is fun and confusing at times, but I think it would be amazing to see if we can work through the best lighting.
It is good to know that you should avoid clutter when decorating for the holidays so you can feel happy with your decor. Christmas is my mom's favorite holiday, and she wants to make sure that she is fully prepared for decorating this holiday season. I think it would make it so much easier for my mom if she would hire a professional decorating service to keep the decor simple and uncluttered.
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