Deck the Halls Naturally: 5 Steps to Simple, Natural Christmas Decor

Making your home warm and festive is one of our favorite parts of the holidays. But doesn’t it feel like there is an extremely fine line between festive and over-the-top? One way to balance it out is to use simple and earthy elements in a natural Christmas decor theme.

Less is More for Simple, Natural Christmas Decor 

It can be fun to see the glitzed and glammed homes, but that doesn’t mean you need to go all out on your own home. A few meaningful, symbolic pieces can celebrate the holiday while keeping cleanup and storage easy.

Save the money you’d spend on 20,000 twinkle lights or a dozen poinsettia pots sprinkled all over the living room to instead pay down debt, save for vacation, or give a family in need a holiday of their own that they couldn’t otherwise afford.

Another important reason to choose natural elements in your decorating is the toxic load of many conventional holiday decorations. From lead to harmful plastics to the dangers of glitter, here’s why you should be mindful of what toxins are in many decorations.

Here are the best ways to avoid expensive (and unsafe) decorations and opt for the beauty and simplicity of natural materials.

Bring the Outdoors In

Pine cones and acorns make warm and cozy additions to centerpieces, candles, and even ornaments. Here’s a simple tutorial for making eco-friendly snowy pinecones. They’re free to source and can be used in dozens of creative ways for nature-inspired decorating.

You can also mix whole, unshelled nuts as natural elements to your natural Christmas decor.

Create your own landscapes inside an old apothecary or mason jar… spread cotton on the bottom and get creative with your still life. Simple, beautiful evergreens make a statement and can be planted outside for year round greenery.

Here are some more easy natural Christmas decor ideas:

• Magnolia leaves for table tops or twined around chandeliers
• Artfully arranged pine logs
• Bark candles
• Moss wreaths and topiaries (Topiaries make great year round decor so you don’t have to throw them out or pack them away)
• Cinnamon sticks
• Cranberries – Fill a clear glass vase with cranberries and nestle a pillar candle within
• Boughs of holly and pine
• Mistletoe
• Rosemary sprigs
• Make your own festive swag or wreath from evergreen branches, secure cut ends with florist wire and tie with holiday-themed ribbon

Add a Pop of Color to Neutrals

There may be a few tweaks you can make with your existing style that add holiday cheer. Can you gather a collection of pillows and add them together into Christmas themed groups? Are there white candles and silver stands in your china cabinet or packed away? Pull out some of those timeless items and see how they might work.

Back to the less is more tip, the simplicity of minimal ornaments and garland is really powerful in this entry way.

I recently gave away my cute-but-difficult-to-store set of reindeer dessert dishes that were used maybe once or twice a season — they were fun and whimsical and took up way too much space. My everyday white dishes look just as lovely holding those desserts, and I don’t have to figure out where to keep them for the other 11 months of the year.

Decorate with Ornaments

Glass ornaments are inexpensive at craft stores, and easy to personalize with paint, stickers, or rub-ons. Leave them empty or fill them with fake snow, glitter, or other small objects.

Or try the Seven Blessings Ornament — simply decorate a plain glass ornament, then fill it with 7 strips of paper with written blessings for the coming year (Love, Abundance, Good Friends, etc. — make them personal!)

Declutter Your Decor

Each year, we get the chance to evaluate and declutter our decor. Limit your holiday decor to a certain number of boxes or bins. If it doesn’t all fit, it’s time to reduce. As you’re decorating, pay attention to any decor that doesn’t make the cut this year — it may be time to donate it before the holiday season, so it can give someone else joy without taking up any more of your valuable storage space.