There’s something exciting about decorating for Christmas.
Whether you’re hosting family and loved ones this year, or simply love to turn your house into a beautiful Christmas haven, it’s time to whip out the decorations.
From the traditional Santa Claus to reindeer and sparkling lights, there’s no lack of Christmas motifs to choose from.
However, as trends come and go it’s a good idea to carefully curate a range of essential items to make decorating easy every year.
Here are some of our top picks for essential festive decor that you’ll definitely need for your collection.
Christmas Wreath
There’s some truth to the fact that first impressions last, which is why your front door is so important –after all, it’s the first thing your family and loved ones will see.
That makes a Christmas wreath a crucial decoration to have!
Christmas wreaths have been used on front doors for centuries and were originally made from evergreen tree materials.
The evergreen represents everlasting life and the circular shape has many interpretations, from the constant presence of faith, to hope of new life.
While Christmas wreaths were originally made of evergreen and other natural materials (and still are), there are also a wide variety of artificial wreaths you can choose for your front door, from green, to bauble, snowy, or even all of the above.
Wreaths aren’t just limited to the front door, you can also hang them on your internal doors for a bit of extra colour and festive spirit.
Christmas Tree
This one is obvious, but it does need to be said: a Christmas tree is an essential decoration for your collection.
Christmas trees share a similar history to wreaths, however their use didn’t become popular or global until the 19th Century.
Similarly to wreaths, Christmas trees were made of evergreen materials, such as pine, fir and yew, and were decorated with candles, small gifts, and even food.
If you want to go all out, opt for a real tree, which provides an authentic look and comes with comforting natural scents.
However, there is nothing wrong with an artificial tree, which is budget and allergy-friendly, comes in a variety of materials, and is easier to place and store.
Hanging Ornaments
While Christmas trees in themselves are beautiful, you leave them bare!.
The Christmas tree hanging ornament staples are tinsel and baubles due to their budget-friendliness, availability, and variety in colours and designs.
They’re also not just limited to hanging off and around the tree, you can dangle the baubles off doorknobs and put tinsel around your walls to add some more festive colours around the house.
As well as traditional tinsel and bauble, they are many other types of hanging ornaments you place on your tree, such as shaped ornaments (e.g. snowflakes, snowmen, Santa, etc.), which can make your tree look more artistic, DIY ornaments made by loved ones, and novelty ornaments (e.g. ones that play music).
Christmas Lights and/or Candles
As well as hanging ornaments, Christmas lights and/or candles are another essential to add ambience to your festive haven.
Christmas or fairy lights can be hung around your tree or your staircase (if you have one), or on the walls.
There are plenty of lights on offer that not only make your Christmas haven look brighter, but are also energy efficient, and can be used year-round for other holidays or celebrations.
Candles are also another great lighting option for your Christmas get-together as they don’t require power, and you can choose from either plain, scented or novelty varieties.
Candle holders also offer another opportunity to add to more decoration your place. If you have pets and/or little ones visiting, you can opt for flameless candles, which will provide ambience without the fire hazard.
Christmas Tableware
Christmas tableware is a key decorating item for any host – no matter how big or small the meals.
Everything from the plates and cutlery, to glasses, mugs, napkins, serving platters, and even cake stands, can be easily found in a Christmas style.
Once you’ve got your festive dining table set, you can finish the look with a Nativity scene centrepiece and Christmas crackers for everyone to admire and open.
With these essential decorations in your collection, you’ll easily transform your house into a beautiful Christmas haven that will welcome your loved ones starting with the wreath on the front door, enhance their Christmas spirit through the beautiful tree and decorations, and provide a cosy atmosphere via the twinkling lights and festive scented candles.
After eating a delicious meal with your festive tableware and admiring your centrepiece, it will be a Christmas to remember forever.
Plus, with these essential decorations in your collection ready to go, you can easily host another unforgettable Christmas again in the future.