Elegant Christmas Decorating Ideas (No Designer Required)

Here's the secret the decorating magazines won't put on the cover: elegant Christmas decorating takes less, not more. Fewer colors. Fewer little things. More greenery and better light. Then you edit.

The houses that look like a magazine spread didn't get there by buying more. They got there by choosing. One color palette. One big wreath instead of eleven little Christmas figurines standing in formation.

Warm lamps instead of every overhead light blazing. Start with what you already own, follow these ideas, and stop before you think you're done.

The Five Rules of Elegant Christmas Decorating

Everything else on this page comes back to these.

1. Pick Two or Three Colors and Stick to Them

This is the single most effective decorating trick there is. Choose a palette and use it everywhere: the tree, the wreath, the mantel, the table. Start with the room you have. Warm wood, cream and brass go with gold, red and green. Cool grays and blues go with silver, white and blue.

The sentimental stuff gets a pass. You aren't signing a legally binding Christmas color agreement.

2. Clear Before You Decorate

Before one ornament comes out, take the everyday stuff off the mantel, coffee table, console, dining table and a few shelves. Christmas decorations layered on top of your regular decor is how a living room turns into the North Pole's regional distribution center.

Pack the everyday pieces in the empty decoration bins and bring them back in January.

3. Use More Greenery and Fewer Small Decorations

Garland, branches, wreaths and evergreen cuttings make a room look full and lush without looking cluttered. One substantial arrangement beats a tabletop of tiny knickknacks every time.

Mix real and artificial: a good artificial garland as the base with fresh cuttings tucked in gives you the look and smell of fresh with half the upkeep. Use artificial anywhere near heat. (Here's how to keep garland fresh and how to keep wreaths and centerpieces fresh.)

4. Light It Low and Warm

Light does more for a room than any decoration. Turn off the overhead lights and turn on the lamps. Add warm white lights (look for 2700K on the box) to the tree, the mantel garland and a window or two, and flameless candles on the table and the mantel. Think glow. Not airport runway.

5. Group Things and Vary the Height

Elegant Decorating, Room by Room

The Christmas Tree

The tree is the star. The Christmas tree did not audition for an ensemble role, so don't crowd it with three more displays nearby, especially in a small room.

Decorate in this order:

1.     Lights first, and plenty of them. About 100 lights per foot of tree height. A 7-foot tree takes about 700. Test every strand before it goes on. Weave them in toward the trunk, not just around the outside, so the tree glows from within.

2.     Ribbon or garland. One wide ribbon, 2½ to 4 inches, wired so it holds its shape. Drape it in loose swags or tuck it in vertical ribbons from top to bottom.

3.     Big ornaments, some tucked deep into the branches for depth.

4.     Medium ornaments, spread evenly.

5.     Sentimental ornaments front and center at eye level, where people will see them.

6.     Small ornaments last, to fill the gaps.

7.     Step back and stop.

You don't have to hang every ornament you own. Pick your favorites, the sentimental ones, and the ones that fit your palette, and rotate the rest next year. They'll look new again. A Christmas miracle involving no credit card.

Real tree? Keep it fresh and safe, and keep the water reservoir reachable under the tree skirt.

The Mantel

The mantel is a focal point. Not Christmas storage with excellent visibility. The formula: greenery + height + light + one focal point.

1.     Pick one star: a big wreath or mirror, a piece of art, a garland, or a row of stockings. Weighted stocking holders make sense here.

2.     Add greenery along the length.

3.     Add height with candlesticks or small trees at one or both ends.

4.     Add light: warm lights in the garland, flameless candles.

5.     Leave some empty space. Then stop.

Your mantel does not require symmetry precise enough to survive architectural review. Lopsided on purpose, with a tall group on one side, often looks more relaxed and more expensive.

If you use the fireplace, treat it like the heat source it is. No fresh garland, nothing hanging down toward the opening, and stockings hung only when the fire's out. Use weighted stocking holders instead of nails.

The Entry

Guests see the entry first, so spend your effort there. A wreath on the door, a little greenery, a bowl of ornaments or pinecones on the console, a string of warm lights. Then stop. Keep the floor clear for coats, boots and the people wearing them.

The Dining Table

A beautiful table nobody is permitted to eat at until January is not elegant. It's a museum exhibit.

• Keep the centerpiece low, under about 12 inches, so guests can see each other.

• Use greenery, flameless candles, a bowl of ornaments, pears or clementines, or a few branches in a long, low line down the middle.

• Leave room for the food.

• Use the dishes you own. White plates, clear glasses and simple serving pieces look elegant with greenery and good napkins. Christmas dinner tastes exactly the same on white plates.
  

Small Spaces

In a small home, pick four spots: the tree, the entry, one main surface (the mantel or a console) and the dining table. Leave the rest alone.

Use vertical space: a wreath on the wall, garland above a doorway, a tabletop tree on a side table instead of a big tree on the floor. One substantial arrangement works better than lots of small ones.

Elegant Christmas Color Palettes (Beyond Red and Green)

Start with what you already own in that palette before you buy anything new.

How to Make Christmas Decorations Look Expensive

How to Make Christmas Decorations Look Expensive

• Fewer colors, used over and over.

• Fewer, bigger pieces. One big wreath beats six small ones.

• Real-looking greenery, or real greenery tucked into faux.

• Wide wired ribbon instead of lots of little bows. Imperfect bows are fine. They are bows. They will cope with individuality.

• Hide the cords and the packaging. Green zip ties, cord covers and cords tucked behind furniture make a big difference. A visible orange extension cord undoes everything.

• Soft light, from lamps and warm white strands.

• Old mixed with new. Your grandmother's ornaments next to fresh greenery looks collected, not bought.

• Edit. Possibly the most underrated part of decorating.
  

On a budget? Shop your own house first. If you buy anything, buy things that work every year: wide ribbon in your palette, warm white lights, greenery, unscented white candles, a good plain wreath and a couple of table linens.

Skip the trendy stuff. "Why did I buy 14 rose-gold reindeer?" is not the question we want Future You asking.

What Makes Christmas Decorating Look Cluttered?

Usually it's not one ugly decoration. It's:

• Too many colors
• Every surface decorated
  
• Christmas stuff piled on top of everyday stuff
  
• Lots of small things instead of a few big ones
  
• Visible cords, tags and packaging
  
• No focal point
  
• Every decoration you own, out at once
  

The fix is almost always the same: take something away. The room needs Christmas. It also needs somewhere to put a coffee cup.

Keep It Livable and Safe

There is no decorating prize worth explaining to the fire department.

• Candles: keep real candles at least 12 inches from anything that burns, including greenery, curtains, paper and ribbon. Never leave them burning in an empty room. December is the peak month for home candle fires, according to the NFPA. In greenery, on the tree and on the mantel garland, use flameless.

• Greenery and trees: at least 3 feet from fireplaces, radiators, heat vents and space heaters.

• Walkways, doors and stairs stay clear. No garland wrapped around the top of the handrail, no cords across a walkway, and nothing blocking an exit.

• Breakables and berries go up high if you have toddlers or pets. Nature has produced many lovely things it does not want you to eat. Holly berries, mistletoe and some greenery are toxic to pets.

• Leave the kitchen counters and the coffee table usable. You still live here.
  

The One-Hour Elegant Christmas Reset

Already decorated and it feels like too much? Set a timer.

This is decorating. Not a corporate rebrand.

Elegant Doesn't Mean Perfect

The homemade construction-paper ornament. The stockings that don't match because they were added one kid at a time. The tree-topper angel with the slightly crooked halo. Those aren't flaws in an elegant Christmas.

They're the point. Give them a place of honor, grouped on purpose, front and center. That's what makes a house look loved instead of staged.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make Christmas decorations look elegant?

Pick two or three colors, clear the everyday clutter first, use more greenery and fewer small decorations, group things in threes at different heights, and light the room with lamps and warm white lights instead of overhead lights.

How many lights do you need for a Christmas tree?

About 100 lights per foot of tree height. A 7-foot tree needs about 700. Weave some in toward the trunk so the tree glows from inside.

What colors make Christmas decor look elegant?

A limited palette of two or three colors: cream and gold, silver and white, green and natural wood, burgundy and gold, or classic red, green and gold used with restraint.

How do you decorate for Christmas in a small space?

Pick four spots (the tree, the entry, one main surface and the table) and leave the rest alone. Use vertical space with wreaths and garland, and choose one substantial arrangement over several small ones.

How do you make cheap Christmas decorations look expensive?

Use fewer, bigger pieces in one palette, add real greenery, swap small bows for wide wired ribbon, hide every cord and price tag, and use soft, warm light.

Keep Going

The house looks gorgeous. Keep the rest of the holidays simple and beautiful with these related guides:

•      Easy Christmas Organizing Ideas: Gifts, wrapping and decorations under control, plus how to pack it all away in January.

•      Christmas Tree Care Tips: Keep a real tree fresh, safe and on its feet until it's time to take it down.

•      How to Keep Christmas Garland Fresh: Mantel, stair rail, front door and porch garland that stays green.

•      How to Keep Holiday Greenery Fresh: Wreaths, centerpieces and branches in a vase that last to New Year's.

•      Christmas Plant Care Tips: Poinsettias, amaryllis and Christmas cactus that stay pretty past the holidays.

•      Preparing for Holiday Entertaining: The countdown checklist, from a week out to the doorbell.

•      Easy Christmas Holiday Tips: Do less, enjoy more, and stop treating December like a competition.

•      Easy Home Decorating Tips: Simple ways to make your home look pulled-together all year.