The hottest Christmas decor trends you can’t miss

The most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching and what better time to share a few new Christmas decor trends with you than now!  Elevate your festive celebrations with innovative and stylish decorations. From luxurious designs to nostalgic vintage vibes, explore a world of inspiration to make this holiday season truly extraordinary.

“The Designing Women Tell All” have a very special announcement

Before I jump into all the new trends, let me first welcome you to the Christmas edition of ‘The Designing Women Tell All’.  I am thrilled to announce we have an incredibly special guest joining us!  We are so thankful and pleased to welcome KariAnne Wood of Thistlewood Farms.  

KariAnne is a best-selling author of four books.  She also has a decorating and lifestyle blog that she writes from her project-filled historic home in the Dallas Metroplex area where she lives with her husband and four children.  I met KariAnne through Instagram where she offered instruction and mentorship on how to blog and be successful.  KariAnne is the nicest person I have ever met and she brings a room to life as soon as she walks in.  Make sure to check her out – you will not be sorry!!!

Why is it important to decorate for Christmas?

Decorating your home for the seasons is one way to add excitement and change to your home and life.  All through the year, but especially at Christmas it is a way to show your family and friends you care by creating a welcoming, cozy atmosphere with Christmas lights twinkling, a fire crackling and soft seasonal tunes playing in the background.  We are reminded of the excitement we felt as children as this festive season approached and that feels so good!  

My mom loved decorating for Christmas and I am grateful that she has handed down not only her Christmas spirit to me but also many of her beautiful ornaments.  I cherish them now but also realize what a wonderful gift and legacy they will be to hand down to my children when the time comes.

My dad strung lights all around our home and on all the large lamp standards lining our driveway so that our home was Christmas ready.  They weren’t the designer color palette of lights that you see today.  

Do you remember those outdoor lights that had big multi-colored bulbs – red, yellow, green and blue.  Each year we would check all the lights before dad put them up to make sure that none had burnt out.  Secretly, I always wanted tall of the yellow ones to have burnt out so I could replace them with blue ones.  As an older teenager, I did not like the aesthetic at all but now thinking back to them, I love them.  They were so warm and cherry.  They remind me of “the good ole days”.  

Gosh how I miss those days.

As I think back on it, I appreciate all the efforts my parents made to make Christmas so special.  Due to their efforts and my wonderful memories, it is no wonder that Christmas is my favorite time of year.  Thanks mom and dad!

So if you are pondering whether to make the effort this year to deck the halls, think of the young ones in your life whether it is children, grandchildren or even the neighbourhood kids.  Show them you care by decking the halls and don’t be a grinch!

**Disclaimer: Throughout this post you will find links to products. As a LTK Creator, I earn a small commission should you wish to purchase, at no extra cost to you. These sales are what enable me to continue to bring you free content.

Gingerbread houses

I am sure this one will come as no surprise as they are absolutely everywhere.  Now I am not talking about the gingerbread houses you make with real gingerbread and hold together with icing, I am talking about the trend of Christmas houses taking on the style of gingerbread houses.

Look how pretty this new style of gingerbread houses are!

Do you have a collection of Christmas houses that light up and look pretty?  I have a massive collection but they don’t necessarily go with my more neutral Christmas color scheme these days.  The new look with the gingerbread areas being a very light tan and all the swirls of white piping fit in perfectly now.  Coming up soon, I will be taking a few of my old Christmas houses and transforming them into this color scheme.  I will link the project here as soon as I have it complete.

Mushrooms

Another very popular trend is mushrooms as ornaments.  They came in strong in the spring and now they are here for Christmas too!  Look how cute this Christmas mushroom is. If you want more information on this ornament, simply click on the photo below.

Blush anything

Every year, I wonder what the hot new colors are going to be and it does not surprise me that blush is the winner this Christmas season! It has been a trend setter all year starting in spring, flowing through into summer and then even into fall.  Do you remember my post on all the pretty pink fall decor items I found this year?  If not, here is a link.

Do you think the big success of the Barbie movie is responsible for all this pink decor?  I think it is a definite possibility.  There also seems to be a sweet treat theme with ornaments looking like deluxe pink faux cakes, cookies, etc. and perhaps that started to arise from the Bridgerton series were pink decor was a main stay.

Not only are there pink tree ornaments, I also saw pink nutcrackers, pink stuffies and pink feather trees.

Earthy naturals

In recent years, natural elements were popular and they have only grown in popularity this year.  Last year, I shared a whole post on how to create ornaments out of natural materials made of dried fruits, pine cones, and chestnuts.  The tree turned out so beautifully and was one of my most popular posts.  Click here for all the details.

This year, dried florals are very popular.  You can find them at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc., or you can go out to your own garden and see what could double as a Christmas decoration.  Dried allium was perfect as a tree topper and provided such a unique focal point for the top of the tree.

Woodland creatures are also a playful trend and it is so much fun and so sweet to tuck them into a tree here and there as if they are living in the tree and joining you for Christmas.

One of my favorite woodland creatures is this perfectly round sweet little owl.

A beautiful combination with earthy natural ornaments are suede ornaments that are all the rage this year.  

Alternative trees

While we are on the topic of natural elements, an emerging trend is thinking outside of the box when it comes to the actual tree.  Dried branches sprayed in white, silver or gold hung with simple ornaments can be a minimalist but stunning statement tree.  

Hanging a bobble here or there or some pretty lights on plants is also a way of including our every day plants into the Christmas season.

​Sparsely decorated trees

Are you more of a minimalist?  Then this trend will be right up your alley.  You don’t even need a traditional tree because you could use a Norfolk tree that you have in your home year round.  Simply add a some twinkle lights and few ornaments on the smaller side and you are done.  What an easy way to add some holiday cheer to your contemporary home.

This ornament below would be absolutely perfect on a sparsely decorated tree.

Luxurious decorations

Luxurious ornaments have always been a thing, but this year they are even more desirable.  Whether it be glitzy glass ornaments, decor in rich jewel tones, faux furs or understated hand-painted ornaments, as long as it looks like it belongs in a mansion, then it is in style!

A simple way to add a luxurious touch to your Christmas tree is by choosing simple ornaments in rich tones such as deep greens, magenta, deep blue, or champagne.  

Metallic accents, lush greenery and ornaments encrusted with glass beads also say luxe living. Just look at this exquisite ornament I picked up at The Hudson’s Bay Company two years ago.

Vintage mercury glass ornaments are also desirable.

Rather than putting a traditional tree skirt under your tree, wrap it in a faux fur.

​Bells will be ringing

​Whether it be old-world-aged gold Tibetan bells or oversized sleigh bells, bells are hot, hot, hot this season.

​Personally, I adore my old Tibetan bells and always make sure they are center stage in my decorations.  This year, they are hanging off my prize vintage sleigh with greenery and some old figure skates.  This is one of my favorite displays.

​Paper accordian trees

Bottle brush trees are still in style but an emerging trend are paper accordion trees.  They come in all sizes are really are quite pretty! The ones below are from West Elm and are 3 to 4 feet tall. Just click on the photo for a link to the product.

If those ones are too big, there are also tabletop ones. Just click the photo for more details.

What everyone wants but no one can find!

Have you been seeing the commotion of everyone heading to Aldi grocery stores to try and get these lovely reindeer that are knock offs of the Pottery Barn reindeer? I have seen women travel into other states just to try and find them. They really are lovely and at a great price so if you have an Aldi store near you, go check them out. A linked photo of the Pottery Barn real ones is below. Just click the photo for more details.

What really matters though

​Trends come and go, sometimes very quickly.  Other trends are predicted but never actually catch on.  The main thing is for your own home to be an expression of yourself.  If you love a vintage Christmas theme but all the trends say modern, don’t listen to them.  Do what makes your heart sing.

​Plus do not waste money chasing trends especially trends that do not speak to you.  It is far more important to do things that matter the most, like:

• tell your loved ones how much they mean to you
• bake your loved ones their favorite sweet treat
• watch your family’s favorite Christmas movie together
• visit loved ones or send cards to friends/family far away
• be charitable by donating, assisting with meal preparations for the homeless, visiting elderly people in homes who do not have family near by.

Just doing one or two of these items above will fill your heart with gratitude and love. These are the things you will be talking about in the years to come.

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Now it is time to see the inspo from the rest of the Designing Women

First up is our special guest, KariAnne Wood from Thistlewood Farms who I introduced earlier. A few more things about KariAnne that you should know are:

• her blog was awarded The Country Living Decorating Blog of the Year award;
• Better Homes and Gardens awarded her as one of the Top 10 Decorating Blogs;
• her home has been featured in sooooo many magazines, but her are just a few Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas, Country Living, Flea Market Decor, HGTV Magazine, The Cottage Journal, etc., etc., etc.
• She has made numerous television appearances; and
• She won The Haven Inspiration Award in 2023. I can 100% say that KariAnne is so deserving of this award. She has volunteered at the conference for so many years. She is the first person you will see when you enter because she wants everyone to feel welcome and like they belong. KariAnne is one of a kind!

After all of that, I am sure you cannot wait to see what she is sharing. I know I can’t! Her post is something everyone wants because we all need a little refresh of our decor now and then right? Click here to read KariAnne’s tips for “17 ways to make last year’s Christmas decor look brand new”.

Kristy from At Home with Kristy is from Texas, is a homebody at heart and very passionate about creating a warm & welcoming home environment for family and friends. Kristy has a BS Interior Design and has worked as an Interior Designer for 35 years specializing in Residential Interior Design. She is a planner, perfectionist, & big picture thinker, but also loves getting lost in the weeds perfecting every detail. Kristy loves sharing her knowledge and expertise to inspire, encourage and empower others.  This month Kristy is sharing how to bring the best of vintage and modern holiday decorations together to create a one-of-a-kind nostalgic Christmas atmosphere.

Sheri from Savvy in the Suburbs is also from Texas and owned and operated a successful interior design business for most of her adult life.  Now she is enjoying fluffing her own nest, spending time with her family – three married children and five grandchildren, and growing in her relationship with the Lord. As she joyfully enters the last season of her life, she relishes family time and believes in the old adage: God first, family second, all else third. She is enjoying the opportunity to share this truth as well as her years of design expertise and love of all things home.  This month Sheri is sharing how to turn your guest room(s) into a cozy festive Christmas retreat with a few simple holiday touches.