30 Simple, Festive Holiday Decor Ideas

Ditte Isager

Looking for new ways to deck the halls? Check these inspired holiday decorations.

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Twist on a Traditional Wreath

Ditte Isager

Instead of the traditional evergreen, try a homemade wreath of citrus fruits. Start with a circular piece of florist’s foam, then use wooden florist’s picks to secure large items, such as oranges, first. Continue with smaller fruit―kumquats, clementines, limes. Tie with a thick velvet ribbon.

Looking to update your holiday decor? Find more easy holiday decorating ideas here.

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Sparkly Ornament Display

Antique ball ornaments on a cake stand platter

Melanie Acevedo

Place vintage ornaments on a cake stand nested with leaves for a stunningly simple centerpiece.

Try: Red and Green Glass Ornaments; $7 each (crateandbarrel.com).

Try: Wood Marble Cake Pedestal; $55 (crateandbarrel.com).

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Personalized Place Settings

Stack of dishes wrapped in parchment paper and ribbon

Annie Schlechter

Serving holiday dinner buffet style? Wrap each dish in a sheet of parchment paper and tie with a length of ribbon before stacking it. Guests will be rewarded with a pretty presentation (not to mention a little gift-opening practice).

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Invite Greenery Inside

Christmas Decoration Ideas: Garland in Doorway

Konstantin Postumitenko/Getty Images

Lush greenery draped around the house, especially doorways, creates an inviting atmosphere and a woodsy aroma.

Try: Pre-Lit Norway Garland; $30 (homedepot.com).

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Garland with a Natural Touch

Lucas Allen

Or use a string of pinecones (available at garden centers) to make an easy swag: Tie a big bow in the middle so you can center it perfectly over a doorway, then tack it up with nails.

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An Understated Mantel

A row of white votives on a fireplace mantel

Melanie Acevedo

For an elegant look, trim the mantel with a row of white votives and dramatic white amaryllises. Amaryllis bulbs can be repotted and forced to bloom again next winter.

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Monochromatic Color Palette

Artificial white tree with candy canes and bows

Annie Schlechter

Spare can be beautiful: Decorate a small, artificial white tree with objects that share a color scheme―say, candy canes, peppermints, and red bows―and place it on a side table or a coffee table.

Try: Pre-Lit Stick Snowy Christmas Tree; $50-200 (potterybarn.com).

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Stylishly Suspend Ornaments

Francesco Lagnese

A grouping of old-fashioned ornaments hung from the ceiling makes a whimsical “chandelier.” For how-tos, click here.

Try: Mixed Vintage Mercury Ornaments; $26 for 12 (potterybarn.com).

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Front Door Flair

Lucas Allen

Let visitors jingle all the way into your home: Tie big silver bells to the front doorknob with festive ribbon.

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Frosting on the Door

Ditte Isager

With a bit of spray paint, you can transform a wreath into something befitting a winter wonderland.

Try: Blossom White Satin Spray Paint; $4 (homedepot.com).

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Embellish a Wreath

Ditte Isager

An even simpler way to make a pinecone wreath your own: Decorate it with colorful ornaments.

Try: Multi-Color 40-Count Ornament Set; $20 (target.com).

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Festive Flair for Stemware

Champagne flutes with ribbon tied to them

Annie Schlechter

Use leftover ribbon to tie around the stems of your Champagne flutes or wineglasses for an extra bit of festivity. Bonus: Choosing a different color for every glass will help guests keep track of their drinks.

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Mix and Match Centerpiece

Centerpiece with clementines and peppermint balls in glass jar

Miki Duisterhof

A five-second centerpiece: Mix clementines or oranges and peppermint balls in a single glass compote (or a grouping of three).

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Wintery Mix

Annie Schlechter

A window ledge allows for plenty of decorating opportunities. Pine boughs look charming in a large vase, while white starfish can create a feeling of snowy weather even if flakes aren’t falling from the sky.

Try: White Starfish Wall Decor; $13 (pier1.com).

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Modern Mobile Chandelier

Lucas Allen

Use wooden quilting hoops to create a mobile that floats over a table like a weightless chandelier. Turn the inner ring 180 degrees and wood-glue it to the outer ring at the top. Choose various sizes and hang the spheres at different lengths with clear fishing line and thumbtacks.

Try: Wood 14-Inch Quilt Hoop; $18 (overstock.com).

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Everything is Illuminated

Lucas Allen

Light up a room with twinkling topiaries (they look especially magical flanking a fireplace). Buy them ready-made, or insert five-foot-tall bamboo plant stakes around the perimeter of a potted evergreen, tie them at the top with florist wire, then twine white lights all around.

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Showcase a Vintage Collection

Francesco Lagnese

Make a “curtain” of vintage ornaments: Cut a length of ribbon one foot longer than the length of the window; tie to a tension rod fitted in the frame. String on ornaments, knotting them in place about 5 inches apart. Repeat across the window, staggering the ornaments.

Try: Vintage Ornaments; $28 (etsy.com).

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Creative Place Settings

Francesco Lagnese

Personalize your ornaments: Fill clear glass orbs (find them at craft stores) with glittery garland, pine needles, or special trinkets.

Try: Glass Ornament Set, Clear; $6 for nine (target.com).

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Update Outdoor Decor

Annie Schlechter

An idea for a newel post (or your front door): Take several lengths of heavy-gauge wire, knot one end of each, and string through a clementine and a jingle bell (your hands may get a bit sticky). Twist all the wires into a cluster and secure with a large bow.

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Wreath Filled with Wishes

Twig wreath with holiday wishes on small cards

Melanie Acevedo

Hang an unadorned twig wreath in a spot where guests can’t miss it. Set out red Magic Markers and small plain cards on a table next to it. Post a little sign asking visitors to scribble a greeting or a wish for the upcoming New Year, along with their names, and have them slip the notes into the wreath.

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An Arrangement of Silver Bells

Lucas Allen

Add a little sparkling style to your dining room table by filling a snifter to the brim with an array of shiny silver bells.

Try: Vase Filler Jingle Bells; $10 (target.com).

Try: Libbey Craft Spirits 4-Piece Cognac Glass Set; $22 (homedepot.com).

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Casting the Perfect Glow

A mantel with tealights in frosted-glass vases

Lucas Allen

To create soft, flickering light for a mantel or a table in a dark corner, group inexpensive frosted-glass vases of different sizes, add tealights, and enjoy the glow.

Try: Frosted Pinched Glass Vases, Small; $20 (westelm.com).

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Colorful Banister Display

Annie Schlechter

Show off eye-catching ornaments by threading them with different lengths of thin ribbon or string, then tying to a long, wide grosgrain ribbon wound along a banister.

Try: Harmony Glass Ball Ornaments; $28 for set of five; sundancecatalog.com.

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Light the Way

Banister decorated with feathers and fairy lights

Lucas Allen

Create a heavenly stairway by stringing a banister with fairy lights entwined with a length of feather trim. Either twirl the swag around the banister or attach it every few inches or so with ribbon or clear fishing line.

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Decorative Photo Collage

Annie Schlechter

Up on the mantel, collect your family’s holiday picture cards from previous years and clothespin them to a long, slim stick suspended between two vases. Put them in chronological order and, if you want, date the pins.

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Light it Right

Holiday lights coiled in bottomless hurricane lamps

Annie Schlechter

When coiled in bottomless hurricane lamps, strands of holiday lights make a glowing addition to a mantel or a sideboard. Run both the socket and plug ends of each strand out from underneath its cylinder, connect the cords to one another, and insert the last plug into a wall outlet.

Try: Firefly String Lights; $22 (urbanoutfitters.com).

Try: Glass Chimney Hurricanes Glass Shades Globe; $14-62 for six in various sizes (etsy.com).

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Electrifying Wall Decor

Francesco Lagnese

For an electrifying wreath, wrap a wire wreath frame with a string of lights, making sure to leave enough slack to reach the plug; otherwise, use an extension cord.

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Faux Fabulous

Francesco Lagnese

Plastic greenery tends to look, well, plastic. But place boughs of holly, evergreens, or mistletoe in clear glass jars or vases and they make for a glossy yet understated table decoration. Group various sizes and shapes together for a stronger statement.

Try: PB Classic Glass Apothecary Jars; $29-55 (potterybarn.com).

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Lush and Natural Greenery

Melanie Acevedo

A staircase looks lovely with a garland of greenery. Easier than looping it around and around: Lay evergreen on top of the banister, fasten in place with floral wire, and wrap with extra-wide ribbon.

Try: Pre-Lit Norway Garland; $30 (homedepot.com).

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Fresh Tree Trimmings

The Real Simple tree with berries and ornaments

David Prince

When it comes to the main event―the big tree―berries, fresh and dried fruits, and flowers offer up a completely organic way to decorate it without the fuss of hanging lights or delicate glass ornaments.

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30 Simple, Festive Holiday Décor Ideas

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Twist on a Traditional Wreath

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Sparkly Ornament Display

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Personalized Place Settings

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Invite Greenery Inside

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Garland with a Natural Touch

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An Understated Mantel

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Monochromatic Color Palette

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Stylishly Suspend Ornaments

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Front Door Flair

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Frosting on the Door

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Embellish a Wreath

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Festive Flair for Stemware

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Mix and Match Centerpiece

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Wintery Mix

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Modern Mobile Chandelier

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Everything is Illuminated

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Showcase a Vintage Collection

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Creative Place Settings

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Update Outdoor Decor

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Wreath Filled with Wishes

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An Arrangement of Silver Bells

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Casting the Perfect Glow

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Colorful Banister Display

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Light the Way

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Decorative Photo Collage

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Light it Right