A farmhouse Christmas: My holiday home decor

Updated: Dec 8, 2020

What is it about Christmas decor that makes it feel so magical? Maybe it's all of the twinkle lights...or the trees and wreaths...or the sparkling ornaments...or the cozy stockings hung over a warm, crackling fire.

What I love most about Christmas and decking my halls is the heart-warming, winter wonderland I've created that I get to come home to every day. I mean,who wouldn't love to be welcomed home after a long day at the office (or driving the kids around town) by a home all aglow with white twinkle lights? Or to have a beautiful, sparkling tree to admire, snuggled in your coziest sweats with a Christmas cookie (or two) and a mug of hot cocoa?

To inspire you and help you decorate your own home for the holidays, here's a few of my Christmas decorating tips, plus peek at our farmhouse inspired winter decor:

White twinkle lights are a must! Since our home is a traditional Colonial style, I like to stick with neutral colored lights and a few touches of greenery to add more of a historical holiday look. And I'm loving these mini evergreen trees (hint: I added a brick behind each one to keep them from blowing over in the wind. You could also fill the planters with heavy stones to keep them in place):

I carried the rustic, traditional style onto our back porch. Since the porch is only partially covered and totally open to the elements, I kept the decor simple and with pieces that would stand up to rain and snow - a wooden bench (that my husband actually made me as a Christmas gift five years ago!), a vintage Christmas tree tin filled with birch logs and branches, a few white lanterns, and a simple green wreath with berries:

Our mantel is where I love to add sparkle and shine with mercury glass votive holders, metallic accents, and rustic charm with the wood star stocking hooks...and the little Elf doll is a cute addition for our daughter! While I love the look of coordinated stockings, I actually had each of our family choose their own, so each person's stocking is a reflection of their own taste and style:

Here’s another one of my favorite little secrets of decorating for the holidays...jingle bells! I love to add little silver bells to lanterns, vases, or candle holders for some extra sparkle (and the bells are also toddler-friendly...#momwin). These are a simple and pretty addition to a coffee table, console or buffet table, or dining room centerpiece.

Adding holiday themed signs around your home is another simple way to dress up your home for the holidays and add a little cheer to unexpected places:

You can add more greenery by placing wreaths on windows, adding a mini tree to a coffee or side table, or a garland to your mantel or stair banister. Even little Christmas trees placed on tables, shelves, or window sills can give your home all the holiday feels. The more, the merrier!

For a holiday tablescape, I started with this ivory and silver table cloth, and layered with the natural lanai place mats and beaded metallic chargers we use throughout the year. For a sleek holiday look, I filled glass bowls and vases with silver ornaments and placed them down the middle of the table as centerpieces:

And finally, our Christmas tree! Since I wanted our tree to feel like "us," and we've started to collect ornaments as a family, I decided to not do a themed Christmas tree and instead just decorate it with ornaments that reflect our family, our memories, and just make us smile. To still keep the overall palette neutral though, and styled with the rest of my decor, I stick with a base of white Christmas lights, a sparkling, glowing star tree topper, and a vintage looking, burlap inspired tree skirt:

And finally, our "#blessed" banner that was purchased for my daughter's Christening celebration (but has remained up in our dining room ever since), is an especially significant reminder during the holidays...of what the Christmas season really is all about!

Shop the look:

Target: Mini evergreen trees

Lowe's: Vintage metal Christmas buckets

Target: Birch branches & birch logs

Pier One: White lanterns

Williams Sonoma: Magnolia wreath

Pottery Barn: Mercury glass votive holders

Joann Fabric: Wooden star stocking holders

Swoozies: Snowflake elf doll

Target: Sugar Paper jingle bells

Etsy: PikeCreekFarmhouse gingerbread bakery sign

Etsy: LuxeandMePrints Have yourself a Merry Christmas sign