17 fun Christmas decoration ideas to add sparkle to your home

It is the season to decorate your home in all the splendor of Christmas. Personally, I love decorating for the holidays… pulling out all those bins of forgotten decorations… discovering new items I’ve bought throughout the year… and falling into a deep nostalgia. Decorating for Christmas is almost as much fun as Christmas Day itself. It truly is a special time of year and making your home special will warm the hearts of your family and friends…and create wonderful memories.

I love decorating for Christmas, Christmas seems to have exploded in my house… but in a good way! 🙂

So… I have listed 17 ideas to decorate your home for the holidays. I hope you find at least one new idea for yourself… and maybe some will inspire you with a whole list of original ideas!

1. Light up your Christmas tree

It’s easy to put lights on your Christmas tree…but take tree lights very seriously at my house. My husband wraps each individual branch and branch with lights. Yes, it’s a bit tedious… but the result is impressive. Hey, you’re going to be looking at that tree all month… take the extra time and really make your tree shine… literally.

2. Decorate the railing of your stairs

This is a given, but it amazes me how few actually do it. Every time you see beautifully decorated homes in magazines, you see this grand staircase draped in garlands and lights. Is awesome. And it can have exactly the same effect in your home. It is easy! Wrap your handrails with garlands. You can go cheap and use the standard green garland on a box… or you can go all out and get a more realistic garland. Regardless of what your budget can handle…do what’s best for you. Now, wrap the garland with white lights. It doesn’t matter what kind of garland you use…because once those lights are on…wow! But don’t stop there! Tie a pretty bow of Christmas ribbon to the bottom and top of the handrails. And if you have enough tape, wrap the tape loosely around the rail. Don’t wrap the ribbon exactly like you wrapped the garland…offset it a bit. Now, you are really decorating!

And if you’re inspired… grab some sparkly Christmas ball decorations and hang them on your garland all the way up the stairs. Bet you didn’t know your house could look so luxurious!

3. Add Christmas bows

I add bows made of all kinds of Christmas ribbons all over my house. On the stair rail, on my wreaths…on the ends of my draped garland. On doorknobs. I attach them to my outdoor house lights. I add a big Christmas bow just below my angel on my Christmas tree. And for my second tree (yes, my second tree) I have a great 2-ribbon tree topper bow.

4. Hang wreaths in windows

It is common to hang wreaths on the front door. But I love hanging wreaths on my windows. I’m not talking about just on the outside of your house. I also mean inside. I don’t hang wreaths on all of my windows…I select a room that needs a little more Christmas spirit and hang one on each window. I also hang a wreath over the fireplace. And another on my book shelves. And guess what… I add ties to all of them.

5. Greet visitors with some fun

All formal decorating stuff is nice… but don’t forget to add some character and fun to your rooms. Especially in your house. Find something that makes you smile and put it where people will see it as soon as they walk into your house. I found this Christmas centerpiece that is made of holly leaves, berries, and 3 stacked gingers. It is adorable! It makes me smile and I put it on a table in my foyer. Now, I enjoy it when I get home… and others can enjoy it when they visit. It’s silly and I love it!

6. Create memories with small decorations

Growing up, I always remembered my mom’s little Christmas baubles. Like snow globes and funny snowmen. I didn’t really follow the tradition when I had my first children. But my mother gave me silly little items every year. And over the years, my children ask about some of these items when we decorate the house. I have a little igloo with snowmen that has a little light that makes a fire. My daughter remembered this from last year and she was so excited when she saw it. It’s the little things… literally… that can be the most special.

7. Decorate your mantelpiece

My mantelpiece varies from year to year. I have draped garlands and lights and hangs stockings. I have displayed a variety of different sized candles dressed in pine cones and garlands. I have shown framed photos of the family. Whatever you decide… just have fun. Experiment. Try different heights of a few different items. Try simple… try messy. Find your style.

8. Add garland

Like crowns, add garlands everywhere! I wrap garlands on the railings… I frame the doors. I hang fruit garlands over my French doors. I place a garland along the top back of my capes. I even wrap my columns in garlands.

10. Add some character to your front yard.

I used to do the “pretty” decorating in my front yard. White lights in the bushes. Garland and white lights around my door. And it IS nice. But now, I try to add a little fun. Not too much… I still don’t want my yard to look like I’m having a garage sale! This year I lined my front drive with light up candy canes. So beautiful! I still have my white lights on everything else… but it’s the candy canes that make me smile. And my kids love them!

11. Place wrapped gifts

Wrap the boxes in glossy paper… tie them with a ribbon… and place them around your house. What fun! I place wrapped gift boxes on my book shelves, some in a blank corner… some under the tree… anywhere you need to add a little holiday cheer. What an easy way to decorate!

12. candles

Ah, the soft flickering of candlelight can really add to the ambiance of a cozy home. I love the look of candles in the windows. Obviously, don’t use real candles for this. I also like to light a few candles around my house. The smell of cinnamon and holly is delicious.

13. Fill glass vases with blueberries and glitter.

Pull out those glass vases that just sit in your closet. Fill them with fake blueberries, clear glass rocks, salt, pine cones, and/or Christmas balls. Layer and be creative. And then leave these full vases outside. This is a professional decorator trick. It’s fast and it looks amazing!

14. Bowl of Ornaments

Take a large bowl and fill it with a few of your extra Christmas balls. Or collect a few unique ones that you personally love…and place them in your bowl. Place this bowl in the center of your coffee table or dining room table.

15. Photos of Christmas memories

Pull out some of those precious keepsakes from Christmases past and place them in some decorative frames. Shiny silver frames… frames painted red. Whatever you want. And place them around your house. You will find that you will begin to remember stories and share these moments with your friends and family.

16. Holiday Hand Towels and Bath Mats

Don’t forget the bathrooms! Add a cute hand towel and a Christmas doily. I have a box of fireplace tissues that I put on the back of the toilet in the hall bathroom. It just adds a little something.

17. Set your dining table

You may not be expecting dinner guests, but it’s always nice to have a table decorated and set. Bring out your favorite Christmas dishes. I have these fun white plates that have reindeer, Christmas trees, and Santas painted on them. I love them! Dress up your table with colorful placemats…place random baubles on the table…place a dramatic centerpiece…and light some votive candles.

As I write this article, I can already think of a few more Christmas decorating ideas. But I have to finish this list at some point. Decorating your home for the holidays can create many wonderful memories that you’ll relive each year you take out those containers. So go ahead! And happy holidays!

Oh…and don’t forget to hang bells on the doors…and mistletoe above the doors…ok, ok, I’ll stop!