Decorating for Christmas - 7 simple tips and creative ideas

When should you start decorating for Christmas?

Totensonntag (Sunday of the Dead) falls on the last Sunday before the first Advent and ushers in the end of the Christian church year. After this day, it is generally acceptable to put up Christmas decorations indoors and outdoors.

Of course, it is up to you to decide when you want to start decorating your own home. Nevertheless, out of respect for devotion, it is not advisable to start decorating until this day has passed.

Therefore, the first Advent, i.e. the last weekend in November or the first Sunday in December, is a good guideline for when you can start decorating.

Decorating for Christmas: 7 simple tips that work

Are you looking for Christmas decoration ideas to make your own four walls stylish and festive every year? Before you sink deep into the seemingly endless world of decoration possibilities, we would like to give you some general tips to help you on your way.

1. Decide on a concept: Although it's entirely possible to mix different styles, your home will look more cohesive if you stay true to a singular vision. Establish a concept that will run continuously through each room's elements before you start decorating. For example, you can use your concept to focus on simple decorations and minimalist paper stars as statement pieces. For a lavish decoration concept, combine velvet, gold and Bordeaux red in the different decorative elements.
2. Choose colours selectively: Among other things, colours can change perception, influence emotions and create a Christmassy mood! To determine the basic colours of a room, follow this simple rule of thumb - when decorating for Christmas, one to two colours are sufficient. Our tip: Go for green this year for a natural effect!
3. Use fairy lights and candles: In the dark season, fairy lights and candles come into their own and create a festive atmosphere. By using warm and subdued light sources, you can achieve exactly this effect. For example, decorate the dining table with artistic arrangements and attach battery-operated LED lights to the window.
4. Create a cosy atmosphere: Bring an additional cosy atmosphere into your home with matching textiles in the form of carpets, blankets and cushions. You can replace and change these as you like throughout the season. Christmas designs on the cushion covers, for example, provide more variety in the living room.
5. Less is more: When it comes to decoration, less is more. Therefore, it is advisable to find a focal point for your living room that stands out in terms of material, colour or shape. Carved fir trees or candlesticks made of wood, for example, are ideal for this as they catch the eye with their warm appearance.
6. Group decorative elements: Arrange accessories in groups as this makes them look more impressive than on their own. Odd numbers such as groups of three, five or seven have a more harmonious and natural look than groups of two or four.
7. Craft individual Christmas decorations with children: Christmas as a festival of love offers you and your family the perfect opportunity to spend a lot of time together. In many families, it has become a cherished tradition to decorate the home together and to make Christmas decorations with the children. Perhaps this ritual will become established in your family alongside other typical customs at Christmas. You can find more tips and ideas on how to spend the Christmas season with children in our article.

How can I decorate my home for Christmas?

Once you have decided on the right concept, choose the rooms you want to decorate. The dining room with its table is the ideal place for an Advent wreath. In addition, you can put Christmas decorations like fir branches on the bannister in the hallway, for example.

Ultimately, the living room is the place where the whole family gathers. For this reason, many of the following Christmas decoration ideas are particularly well suited for the living room. However, you can modify the ideas for different rooms as you please.

Classic decoration ideas for Christmas

Christmas trees, nativity scenes and Advent calendars are well-known classics and belong to Christmas like snow belongs to winter! Let our traditional Christmas decoration ideas inspire you.

Apples and sugar biscuits for the Christmas tree

Traditionally, the Christmas tree in the living room is decorated with apples, sugar biscuits and real candles. However, due to the risk of fire, it is preferable to use fairy lights. Decorate the Christmas tree according to a uniform colour palette for a stylish overall look. Popular colours you can use for the Christmas tree are red, gold, green and white. Add straw stars, tinsel, Christmas pendants, Christmas balls or a golden star at the top of the Christmas tree to complete the festive picture.

Nativity scenes: A family tradition

Under the Christmas tree in many families are elaborate nativity scenes with carved figurines depicting the story of Jesus' birth. This beautiful tradition is often passed down from one generation to the next in many families.

Nativity set

Nativity figures set

Nativity stables

Holy family statue

Discover a selection of nativity scenes in many different styles and sizes!

When it comes to setting up the nativity scene figures, i.e. the right time and order, each family follows its own traditions. Children love to play with nativity figures! To enjoy them for a particularly long time, you can set up the nativity scene as early as right around the first Advent. Nativity scenes are also fascinating for adults, as they leave room for interpretation regarding the meaning of the individual figures.

Not every nativity scene is necessarily suitable for children, however, as the figures are often made with delicate parts and can break during play. In this case, the Fairy-Tale nativity scene is the nativity scene of choice because the figures are made of smooth wood with rounded shapes that fit perfectly in the hand.

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Set 5 piecesfrom 50 €

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to Fairy Tale nativity scene

A classic Advent wreath

Using a basic wreath frame, you can create your own Advent wreath with individual decorations, natural materials and candles. An Advent wreath never fails - for more variety this year, you can repurpose your classic Advent wreath by hanging it on the wall or above the dining table.

Modern Christmas decoration trends and ideas

Whether traditional or modern, minimalist, romantic or natural, there are many different styles and ways to decorate your home for Christmas and current trends can give you the inspiration needed to make it as festive as possible.

Natural aesthetics

An emerging trend for this year is one that your home should not be without, and one that focuses on materials and texture. Renewable raw materials such as wood, grasses, jute, bark or cork are combined with marble or metal and are reminiscent of a walk in the woods. Here, surfaces with a rustic feel meet colours of nature such as fawn, copper beech, moss and basalt green. The most beautiful source of inspiration can be found in nature: as early as autumn, you can collect cones, twigs or branches in the forest for Christmas decorations.

Christmas decorations for elegance & charm

Romantic and playful elements, such as floral motifs on Christmas tree ornaments, add a touch of charm to your decorations.

Delicate and bright colours such as soft green, cloudy white, a light shade of rose and an airy blue have an uplifting effect and can be spread across individual decorative elements in your home.

Sustainability is more than a decorative trend

Sustainability has long since ceased to be a trend, but an absolute necessity. For this reason, approaches such as zero waste, upcycling and recycling permeate decorative concepts. Sustainable decoration ideas for Christmas are creative and colourful. This style seems extemporaneous and is special precisely for this reason.

Find your personal style when decorating for Christmas

Are you looking for a unique idea? Why not decorate your home with the Moravian star this year, for example, and introduce a traditional Christmas decoration into your house or flat. With the right music and Christmas carols, the Christmas spirit will start to come alive as soon as you put it up.

By putting the ideas together in a new way, your own personal style will automatically emerge. In the end, it all comes down to your creativity and taste. Because Christmas is precisely about that: feeling good and spending a contemplative time with your family!

Credits: main image: ©gettyimages/Westend61; image 1: ©gettyimages/Klaus Vedfelt; image 2: ©gettyimages/Cavan Images; image 3: ©gettyimages/Westend61; image 4: ©gettyimages/ Photography by Keith Getter (all rights reserved); image 5: ©gettyimages/ Il'â Parubenko / EyeEm; image 6: ©gettyimages/Ulianna; image 7: istetiana; image 8: Tatiana Soares / EyeEm