Decorating for the holidays is as much about the journey as it is the end result! If you want to give your house that warm, cozy feel for Christmas, you have to put a little heart and soul into the decorating process. Put on some vintage holiday music, set a simmer pot on the stove, or light a festive candle, and make it an opportunity for the whole family to help. The next step? Mix old and new pieces for a lived-in, vintage feel. The Christmas decor ideas in this post are ones that I like to use to give my own home a bit of old-world charm for the holiday season. Let’s see the tips in action!
1. Light the Way with Sconces
bows | candles | sconce | sprigs
When you think about giving your home that charming, cozy feel for the holidays, lighting is everything! Turn off the “big light” (any harsh overhead lighting) and focus on adding more ambient sources like candles, lamps, and sconces. I love to use candle sconces (whether real or fake) to lean into that old-world feel. The flickering flame and warm light that candles provide make any space feel extra warm and cozy.
Of course, candle sconces are also a great opportunity to add a little extra decor. To add a festive touch, incorporate a small sprig of garland and top it off with a decorative ribbon. You can choose whatever color of ribbon you like, but I usually stick to a neutral palette for a classy look. Dark green, burgundy, classic red, ivory, black, or chocolate brown all work well!
2. Thrift and Save Where You Can
I think we can all agree that holiday decorations don’t come cheap… and they seem to be getting exponentially more expensive by the year. That’s why I like to thrift and save where I can on my holiday decor. Then, if I want to switch things out from time to time, I don’t feel bad knowing I shopped sustainably or took advantage of what was already around my home. (And when a kid breaks a glass cup, I don’t get too upset.)
For example, most of the glasses pictured above are thrifted. This is a great way to get cool glasses with character for hosting and entertaining. Ornate crystal pieces are some of my favorites! And if you can’t find any thrifting or prefer to shop new, there are so many inexpensive sets you can find online as well.
As for the branches in this photo, these were all clipped from my backyard – free and natural (not to mention environmentally friendly). Along those same lines, I like to use real food as a prop. The bonus is that you get to use it later! The oranges could be used as a snack, for baking, in a simmer pot, or in cocktails or mocktails. They can even be baked and dried to create garland or turned into small ornaments. I’ve also used pears and pomegranates as decor, and we make sure to eat any real food before it goes bad, so nothing goes to waste.
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Crystal Water Goblet Set
3. Decorate Your Existing Decor
You don’t have to make over your whole home to get the cozy European touch. You can take existing decor (like a statue) and tie a bow around it. These small touches make all the difference in creating a magical Christmas feel! And you don’t have to go out and buy a new roll of ribbon either – you can use leftover pieces from gift wrapping, which is what I did above.
Adding ribbon is also a great way to soften the look of your year-round home decor. Velvet and silk can give a hint of warmth and texture to your stone, wooden, or metal pieces. That’s why you should make sure to pay attention when wrapping paper is thrown out at the end of the holiday! Set aside any extra ribbon and save it for next year’s decorations.
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Sculptural Bust
4. Use Cherries for a Pop of Red
If you’re getting ready to host a party, a bowl of cherries is an easy and inexpensive way to add a pop of color to your tablescape or bar. This makes any decor layout look more interesting and adds color to a spread of neutral or crystal glassware. And they’re functional, too! You can add cherries (or berries if you prefer) to your drinks for a sweet, aesthetic touch for extra flavor in your cocktail or mocktail recipes.
Here’s a little history lesson for you: In old-world European Christmas traditions, cherries and cherry branches have significant meaning. They’ve been used to symbolize rebirth, prosperity, and divinity during the holidays. This type of decor has evolved over time based on medieval religious plays and other folk traditions, and takes on slightly different forms across various countries in Europe.
5. Use Simple Linens
To get an old-world touch of European charm in your home for the holidays, go back in time and get inspiration from practical pieces of the past. For instance, forego one-time use napkins in favor of ticking fabric or cloth napkins for your linens. Not only are these pieces sustainable, but they’re also what would have been used in the past to celebrate the holidays, adding an authentic air to your vintage-inspired decor.
I like to use neutral shades or muted, traditional holiday colors for my linens. Colors like red and beige, forest green and beige, and cream and green are the perfect pairings for napkins and place settings. You can line baskets of rolls with this type of linen, wrap up goodie baskets to send home with guests, or set the table with them.
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Cotton Striped Square Napkins
6. Fill a Blank Space with a Swag or Garland
Swags or garlands bring the outdoors in for an elegant feel that also feels traditional, and aligns with the European design principle of incorporating natural materials in an area. If you want that charming, cozy look in your home, fill any empty spaces with a swag or garland to bring the outdoors inside – even if it’s freezing outdoors.
A swag has a curved, draped look to it, which made it the perfect piece to hang above my stovetop. (Just be careful of any potential fire hazards if you do this.) This piece is large but simple, and it is all I needed to make my cooking area feel more festive. You can use the same strategy to decorate your mantels, windows, and doorways, too.
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6′ Luxury Cyprus Norfolk Pine Swag
7. Use Cherry or Greenery Sprigs
I love using cherry or greenery twigs to fill in any little details around my home at the holidays. They’re so easy to manipulate and use, not to mention inexpensive. They can be put nearly anywhere in your decorations for a subtle pop of Christmas cheer.
In the photo above, I added a few cherry sprigs to fill in my champagne bucket. I like to do the same thing with a planter that needs a little bit of color on the front porch, or any vessels on the mantel. You can also use them to fill in any empty spaces in your Christmas tree.
8. Add Elegance with Your Candles and Candlestick Holders
If you want to add elegance and class to your Christmas decor, replace your string lights with traditional candlesticks. When it comes to simple Christmas decoration ideas, this is a cost-effective way to instantly transform your space with a vintage-inspired feel. Brass is durable and robust, which historically made it the ideal choice for holding a candle’s flame in European homes.
Add a touch of warmth to the look of your candlesticks by swapping out bright white candles for burgundy versions instead. I like the darker, classy look of burgundy to add contrast against my white walls and any light-colored decorations.
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Tabletop Candlestick Set
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Gabriella Stoneware Cake Stand
9. Group Decor Together with Vintage Trays
Silver trays have a long history in European design, which is why I love to use them in my classic holiday setup. They were historically a sign of wealth and status, as well as trust – food was presented on silver trays as a sign that it wasn’t poisoned (thankfully, that’s not typically an issue these days!). In the Victorian era, these trays were used to serve coffee, tea, and desserts. Since then, these pieces have been passed down from century to century as family heirlooms.
European designs often incorporate a lot of layers, which is yet another reason why I love to use metal or silver trays to group together decor pieces. A tray adds visual depth and can also help to make a group of items look more intentional and organized.
Above, I styled a metal tray with glassware sitting on my antique dresser. The combination of the different textiles and materials makes the space look more interesting! Plus, it’s easy to pick up the tray and move it to wherever my guests have gathered.
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Varnum Metal Tray
10. Hang Wreaths on Mirrors
I have a number of antique mirrors in my house – and they’re the perfect place to hang wreaths and garland. This is another way that I like to take advantage of my current decor and add a subtle touch of the holidays to make it look more festive. The mirror above the fireplace is a focal point in my living room, so it needed something to make it stand out for Christmastime. A wreath tied with a red ribbon was the perfect solution.
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Green Soft Touch Mixed Faux Pine Wreath
11. Decorate Any Lanterns
Lanterns are a popular choice for lighting in Europe. Although they might typically hold lightbulbs now instead of candles, they’re a great way to add a vintage touch to your space.
If you have lanterns in your home, bend greenery twigs around them. This adds warmth to wooden and metal fixtures for a cozier look at the holidays. You can also choose sprigs with berries if you want to add an extra pop of color.
12. Utilize Secondhand Furniture in Your Decor
Authentic antiques and secondhand furniture give your home a sense of history and a warm, lived-in feel…. that’s why I’m always on the hunt for vintage European-style pieces! Shopping for secondhand furniture is one of my favorite ways to add old-world charm to my home. Not to mention, it’s usually more cost-effective.
I like to take advantage of my secondhand pieces that can double as decor pieces for the holiday. A small dresser like this one was the perfect piece to move to my entryway, and has just the right amount of space for holding a tray of drinks to welcome guests as they come in the door.
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Franeker Solid Wood Accent Chest
An Old-World European Style Christmas
If you’re always trying to get that classic, cozy feel at Christmas time, the right decor can set the stage for your most charming holiday season yet. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or just relaxing with family, an Old-World European-style Christmas might be your most memorable one yet!
Speaking of holiday parties… are you already looking forward to planning your winter outfits? Up Next: Paris Winter Fashion: 10 Cold-Weather Looks to Recreate for the Season
Hi, a Czech here. Cherries are indeed used for Christmas decoration but in a slightly different way. Cherry trees are bare at this time of the year, however if you pick a few branches in the beginning of December (Saint Barbara day to be exact, which is on the 5th) they will very likely start blooming by the Christmas day. For an unmerried girl it is a sign she would find her groom the coming year. At least that is the Czech tradition. What will bring the pop of red and what I see in the pictures and what I happen to have in a vase at home myself is hawthorn.
Thank you for sharing this!
Just delightful to read, take ideas from etc.
Can’t wait for your next contribution! Thank you
So glad you got ideas from this!