Welcome to this Blogger’s Best Holiday Home Tour organized by Kelly from The Tattered Pew. If you are joining me from She Gave It A Go, thank you. I hope you’ll take the time to see all the beautiful Christmas homes that are part of this tour. In this post, Beautiful And Simple Christmas Décor, I share ways to create beauty, comfort, and joy in your home this holiday season. There are time-saving tips, simple DIY’s, and affordable ways to add charm and sparkle.
This holiday season I felt the need to create simple and meaningful Christmas décor. In our busy world of rushing here and there and everywhere, I wanted to create a sense of calm and restfulness balanced with the twinkle and enchantment of the holiday season. Time is precious, and I didn’t want to devote all my time and energy decorating, perhaps missing out on family fun and much-needed relaxation time.
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Inspiration
This year, my unifying theme is simplicity and comfort. However, I was inspired by many things from the past and present. For our living room, I wanted a glittery, glamourous Christmas tree with lots of gold and mercury glass. My grandparents had a beautiful home and always had a spectacular tree, and I always have them in mind when I decorate our tree. This year, our tree was inspired by vintage glamour style and it is the one place in our home where I did focus my time and effort. For our family room, I was inspired by the beauty and authenticity of handcrafted décor. And throughout our home, nature was, and will always be, my main source of inspiration.
Budget
This is the first year that I didn’t spend a single cent on Christmas décor. I used only things that I already owned and I felt good about this from a financial, environmental, and storage standpoint. How was I able to do this? It cannot be overlooked that in previous years I did buy a fair amount of Christmas décor. We had almost no Christmas items when we first moved into our home so I purchased several trees, garlands, ornaments, signs, and decorative items. However, I tried to purchase items that could be used at other times of the year or that could be used in a variety of colour schemes. Upcycling, crafting, and using natural elements such as branches, pinecones, and plants are other ways to keep costs down.
Beautiful And Simple Christmas Décor
Front Porch
For our porch, I used greenery and natural materials with a couple small touches of festive red. First, I wrapped a faux pine garland around the front door and dressed the door with a magnolia leaf wreath and a cute wooden sign I attached with floral wire. I also added a cluster of bells to the front door because jingle bells just make everything better!
In front of the door, I layered a “let it snow” mat over a larger buffalo check mat. Next, I added a lit faux spruce tree beside the door to really set the scene for Christmas. My favourite part of this setup is my newly refinished sled! You can read all about how I upcycled an old sled in just a few hours here. The red trim and bow add a cheery touch. I also added a small red ribbon to a black lantern on the opposite side of the door. With red, a little goes a long way. A basket of birch logs completes this understated yet festive look.
Front Hall
I kept the décor in our front hall neutral and natural, using only white, green, and wood tones. The rustic wood sign, mini Christmas tree, cozy stockings, and bells somehow remind me of an old fashioned sleigh ride through the forest. Even the shade of the bench is slightly sleigh shaped!
Living Room
I wanted our living room to be a little more glamourous than the rest of our house. To achieve this look, I used a considerable number of ornaments and ribbons in shades of white, gold, and mercury glass. I used a few other gold accents in the space but otherwise kept the look neutral. I utilized a couple of my favourite easy and understated Christmas décor ideas here. Adding a garland around a mirror creates a nature-inspired festive look in only a couple of minutes. And filling apothecary jars or clear glass urns with glass ornaments that coordinate with your décor is another way to instantly add a touch of sparkle to any table. You can read more about how I decorated our tree this year in my post here.
The piano area is decorated with mercury glass Christmas trees, faux snowballs, and a faux fur throw. I love using accents that create coziness and tell a bit of a story. The holidays mean music recitals and concerts for our family and the piano gets lots of use over the Christmas break. If you’re interested in reading about how I painted our piano white with Fusion Mineral paint, click here.
Kitchen
The kitchen is the one room in our home where I use a very light hand with Christmas décor. I do this to avoid clutter in this very busy space. The décor that I do use has to be either out of the way, tiny, or something functional. Adding a wreath to the kitchen is one of my favourite festive touches. I added a simply handmade magnolia leaf wreath above our hood fan. You can add a red ribbon to any all-season wreath to make it festive. Another favourite place to add wreaths is in front of windows- make sure to use one for each window for a balanced look.
I added a mini tree, a couple of galvanized metal trees, and a tea station with pretty festive mugs. My monstera plant has truly become a beautiful monster of a plant and I didn’t want the holiday décor to compete with its presence. In the spring, I completed the One-Room Challenge, updating our kitchen in just a few weeks. I’m still at the point where I just want to enjoy it and not clutter it up with a lot of décor.
I’m just starting my holiday baking, and food is one of my favourite things to decorate with. A jar of gingerbread cookies or a gingerbread house is the perfect addition to the kitchen at Christmas.
Family Room
I wanted our family room to keep its casual and cozy feel as this is where our family spends a lot of time together. It’s all about blankets, pillows and comfortable places to sit. I added a small tree beside the sofa and decorated it with all handmade ornaments. We will add to it as we create more treasures. My handcrafted ornaments are currently available in my Etsy shop, Willow Bloom Market. The Christmas Tree sign was made locally by my friend Kim at KT Inspired Home.
Below our open shelves, I added a Christmas Eve inspired sign and added a few wooden snowflakes to the open shelves. The colour scheme for our beautiful and simple Christmas décor in this room is black, grey, white, and green.
I kept the mantle décor really simple. On top of the mantle, I added a row of white ceramic buildings that really pop against the dark grey fireplace. Below the mantle, I hung a garland made of faux spruce, eucalyptus, and mercury glass bulbs. I tucked a few wooden snowflakes in to tie in with the snowflakes elsewhere in the room.
Summary
Thank you for joining me for this Beautiful And Simple Christmas Décor Home Tour. I hope you enjoyed the post and found some of the ideas inspiring. Up next on the tour is Shiplap And Shells with some gorgeous holiday decorating ideas. Enjoy this beautiful holiday season.
Bloggers’ Best Holiday Home Tours
This week my friends and I are sharing our homes all dressed up for the holidays. We hope you will have fun visiting each of the tours below!
Monday’s Tours
Tuesday’s Tours
Wednesday’s Tours
Thursday’s Tours
Friday’s Tours
Lora Bloomquist Create and Ponder
Your home looks beautiful decked out for Christmas, Shawna! I really enjoyed every picture that you shared.
Thank you so much Paula! I love these home tours, so much fun.
Hi Shawna,
What a gorgeous Christmas home tour!
I love how pretty your tree is; all the details are so inspiring.
It’s a joy to be on tour with you.
xoxo,
Brendt
Thank you Brendt! This is a fun and inspiring tour.
All your Christmas decorations are so pretty, Shawna! I love the way you combined elegant and cozy together, absolutely beautiful!
Thank you, I really appreciate the kind comments. Cozy and comfortable is so important to our family.
I always enjoy touring your beautiful home, Shanwa. I love that you used what you already had, too. Smart! Happy to be touring with you this week. Pinned!
Thank you Jen! Yes, I’m saving for our basement renovation which I’m so excited about.
Shawana your home is simply stunning all dressed up for the holidays! Love the different styles of your trees and those houses on your mantle are just so cute. Pinned!
Thank you so much! Our family room is less formal and more cozy so I just kind of went with that for the tree decor.
Shawna,
Everything is so lovely. I enjoyed the entry and that cute tree in the basket was adorable. So fun doing these together.
Thank you Rachel! Yes, these are so fun to do with new and old friends.
Your home is so beautifully decorated for Christmas Shawna. I especially loved your sweet Christmas tree, every detail was just perfect. Happy holidays!
Thank you Kim! I’m so glad you liked our tree!
Shawna,
Your home is so cozy I want to invite myself over!! Happy Holidays. 🙂
Thank you Libbie! I’m so glad you feel that way. Happy Holidays to you too!
Everything looks comfy and cozy! I love your color scheme and all your cozy blankets and pillows. The tree is adorable!
Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much Amber! It was a pleasure to read your sweet comments.
Shawna I love your peaceful Christmas decor! Not spending a penny is pretty darn impressive. You have created a beautiful home and I just love your style! Thanks for joining me this week!
Thank you Kelly! It was easier than I thought it would be, and I’m liking the simple look this year.
Shawna your home looks so gorgeous all decked out for the holidays! Pinned! xo
Thank you so much Stacy!
What a treat to see your beautiful home decorated for Christmas. Every space is simply gorgeous and I especially love your hand made ornaments! I need to check out your shop! Happy Christmas!
Thank you Michelle, that is much appreciated! I’m excited to have almost a whole month to keep making handmade items before Christmas.
Your home is so pretty dressed for Christmas. I love your front porch! It’s great touring with you!
Thank you Cindy!
Your home looks beautiful decorated for the holiday, Shawna! Both your trees are gorgeous and the details in each room so festive! I always enjoy seeing your home!
Thank you so much Kim!
Hi Shawna! All of your Christmas decor is lovely! I especially love the sweet house collection on your mantel–pinned! Blessings, Cecilia @My Thrift Store Addiction
Thank you so much Cecilia! Happy holidays!
Your home is so beautiful!! I’m so jealous of that big gorgeous window for your Christmas tree!
! I love the gray fireplace and the white little houses…awesome contrast!!
Thank you Jennifer! Happy holidays!
Your home is so beautifully elegant! Love the wallpaper in the entry. Love the subtle Christmas color tones throughout. Thanks for the lovely tour!
Thank you so much Lora!
Your giant flocked tree is just gorgeous Shawna! Such a festive tour!
Thank you Ana. Happy holidays to you and your family!
Wow your house is beautiful , I love all your Xmas decorations . Thank you so much for sharing Shawna !!
Thank you so much Fran! Happy holidays!
I love your kitchen, Shawna! That gives me serious Inspo for my own! And that wreath on the vent hood is just so pretty! Loved seeing how your home is styled for the holidays! Wishing you the merriest of Christmases!
Thank you for your sweet comments Jennifer.
Your home is lovely and so beautifully decorated for Christmas. I love the neutral colors and that you have multiple trees. And I’m jealous of your green thumb! That Monstera in your window is huge! Hope your Christmas season is wonderful. Happy to hop with you this week. pinned
Thank you Cindy! I just had to move my Monstera to a new spot today as it was interfering with our tap. It’s so big it practically needs its own room now!
Your home look so beautiful and festive, Shawna! I love the colors you chose and how peaceful and elegant it all looks. It was fun to be on this tour with you. Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much Lynne!