The first Christmas in our new home was a special one. We had been pouring our blood, sweat, and tears into our remodel for months and the main living space was 90% done. We were so looking forward to Christmas as a time to relax and reconnect, and I wanted our space to be filled with that special holiday magic. I chose to go with neutral Christmas décor.
Up to that point in our marriage, our Christmas décor mostly consisted of hand-me-downs from my Mom (for which I was so grateful) and maybe a few items I had picked up during after-Christmas sales and at the dollar store. I had always been able to make it work, but it was a hodge-podge of items at best.
Investing in Neutral Christmas Decor
For the first Christmas in our new house and our newly remodeled space, I decided to take the plunge: it was time to plan with intention and invest in Christmas décor that I LOVED, but still while sticking to a budget.
I knew I wanted to go with neutral colors and ended up scoring a great set of bulbs from Michaels for 90% off. The sizes and colors in the set varied, which is key. My next stop was actually the dollar store. It is amazing what you can find there if you go early enough in the season. There were snowflakes, deer, icicles, and different ornaments that were neutral, sparkly, and added variety to the bulbs.
Minimalistic Christmas Mantle
I knew I wanted my mantle to be simple and not too cluttered. I fell in love with these little houses as soon as I saw them in the Target dollar spot. Layering them in with these different colored and sizes of bottle brush trees (also from Target) and centering all of it around this Merry Christmas sign (from Kirkland's) that I love was all that needed to be done.
You can find bottle brush trees almost anywhere. Home Goods often sells bigger ones for great prices. Crate and Barrel also has a line of beautiful ceramic homes like mine that are perfect for this look. I love to craft when I have the time, and these stockings are homemade.
Simple Christmas Table
An easy way to add festive décor to any table is to simply find a holiday runner that you love and place some winter-looking trees or plants on top of it. The trees are from Target. If you have a vase on your table, you could swap out whatever is in it for some holly berry branches or pine branches.
Quick and Simple Holiday Decor Updates
Swapping out your everyday throw pillows for holiday ones is one of my favorite things to do each season. The pillows pictured below are just Christmas pillow covers, slipped on right over my usual pillows.
A tall wooden tree, varied sizes of bottle brush trees, and some greenery were all it took to complete this look on the piano.
I love my Willow tree Nativity and put it on our entryway table. I love the neutral colors that blend in so well with the rest of my decorations.
I wanted a nativity that my kids could handle and touch as well. Having one right in between our couches at the heart of our living area helps to ensure that my nicer one, placed farther away, stays intact.
This sign and tree are both from the Target dollar spot. I love this small festive touch on my counter, and I also love that it doesn't take away from the function of my kitchen at all.
Simple Holiday Garland
A pine and holly berry garland tied in the red and green in our office space perfectly. And my everyday items that go in this spot are waiting for me in one of my Christmas storage bins. It will be so easy to swap things out when January comes.
Most of these decorations are a few years old and will be hard to find again. But if you're wanting to shop similar styles, I curated a list for you from Target as well as a few items from Crate and Barrel. Shop the scrolling bar below. Holiday styling can be simple, classy, and even fun! In fact, I love it so much that I offer it as a service with Reset Your Nest. It's one of my favorite things to do!
Above all, I hope the holidays are a time of love, peace, and connection for you and your loved ones. I know a beautiful and orderly environment can help bring that magical Christmas spirit into your home, and I know you can do it! Happy Holidays!
Jen is the founder of Reset Your Nest, a Professional Home Organizing Business in Utah (servicing Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Alpine, Highland, Mapleton, and St. George). She loves creating order and systems out of chaos and is known for bringing a beautiful aesthetic as well as easy to maintain function to any space. She shares her tips and tricks on Instagram @reset_your_nest.
