20 Christmas Decor Themes and Ideas for Every Style

Choosing a Christmas decor theme sounds like a big decision. It isn’t. Most of the time, it’s just giving a name to what you already love.

Whether you love classic red and green, dream of a white Christmas, or want your house to feel like a cozy cottage, here are 20 Christmas decor themes to help you choose.

Some of these photos are from my 1920 beach cottage, and many are from local shops I visited during the holidays, which are some of my favorite places to find inspiration.

Looking for tree, mantel, and living room ideas too? I’ve gathered my favorites in my post, 32 Christmas decor ideas for bringing comfort and joy home.

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How to Choose a Christmas Decor Theme

Start With Your Personal Style

Are you drawn to traditional, classic decor, or something more modern and pared back? Your everyday style is the best clue. A theme that fights your home all year will continue to fight it at Christmas too.

Use What You Already Own

Pull out the bins and look. Do you have certain decor pieces or colors you reach for every year? Build your theme around those. It saves money and keeps your decorating feeling like yours. Here are more ideas for Christmas decorating on a budget.

Choose a Color Palette

Color does most of the work in a theme. Red and green feel timeless. White and silver read wintry. Pick two or three colors that suit your home’s existing decor, and add one metallic if you like a little shine.

Add Motifs and Patterns

Snowflakes, reindeer, gingerbread, Santa, plaid. Choose one or two motifs and repeat them in ornaments, wreaths, and textiles. Repetition is what makes a theme look intentional

Consider Your Home’s Architecture

Some themes suit some houses better. Rustic farmhouse feels right in a country cottage. A modern theme fits a contemporary apartment. Our 1920 cottage sticks with vintage and cottage every year, and it would look a little confused in gold and glam.

Still stuck? Browse Pinterest or magazines and save everything that catches your eye. A pattern usually shows up fast.

20 Christmas Decor Theme Ideas to Try This Year

Grab a cup of cocoa and see which one feels like you.

1. Classic Christmas

A classic Christmas theme is the one most of us grew up with: traditional ornaments, greenery, wreaths, garland, and twinkle lights.

Glass balls, bells, and icicles in red, green, gold, and silver fill a classic tree, and handmade or heirloom ornaments get the best spots. Add candles, real or flameless, in festive holders.

Hang stockings by the fireplace, personalized for each family member if you’d like.

Hang mistletoe and set a poinsettia on the coffee table or dining table.

Other classic touches:

2. Traditional Red and Green

Red and green is the pairing that says Christmas before anything else.

Lush greenery with bright red ornaments, or an evergreen wreath with red berries, and you’re there.

3. Rustic Farmhouse Christmas

A rustic farmhouse Christmas brings the countryside inside. Rustic sleds, snowshoes, and vintage windows are the backbone of this look.

Add reclaimed wood, burlap, and Mason jar candles, then finish with plaid accents and cozy blankets.

Set the tree in a wicker basket or a tree collar instead of a traditional skirt.

4. Modern Farmhouse Christmas

According to American Farmhouse Style, modern farmhouse combines classic rustic farmhouse elements with a sleek, simple twist of modern decor.

On the tree, use white or wooden ornaments, jute garland, and white string lights, topped with a simple star or wooden angel. Hang grapevine or reclaimed wood wreaths, and add greenery, pinecones, and white or silver accents.

For the table, start with natural wood, then add cream linens, wooden chargers, simple white dinnerware, and Mason jars of fresh greenery.

5. Whimsical Woodland

A woodland theme turns the house into a winter forest. Decorate with forest creature ornaments and pinecones, use a pair of snowshoes as a tree topper, and finish with plaid ribbon and bows. For more ideas, see natural elements for cozy Christmas decor.

6. Vintage Christmas

This is the one I come back to every year. Decorate with antique ornaments, retro decorations, and old holiday cards.

Display them on silver trays, in bowls, and in trophy cups.

Santa mugs are one of my favorite vintage pieces for the holidays. I tuck greenery and berries into them. They don’t have to be true vintage. Plenty of vintage-inspired reproductions look just as festive.

Vintage copper pots and kettles, rolling pins, breadboards, and ironstone look right at home on open kitchen shelves. 

Add tinsel to the tree, bring the ice skates inside, or hang a wreath from an old window. My full list is in my guide, 22 charming vintage Christmas decorations, and here’s how to mix vintage and modern Christmas decor.

7. Garden-Inspired Christmas

As a gardener, I love this one. Blend garden elements with traditional Christmas decor for something fresh.

Hang flower, bird, and butterfly ornaments, and tuck small watering cans and birdhouses into the branches.

Fill vases with poinsettias, amaryllis, or paperwhites. Use evergreen branches, wreaths, and garland as the base, trimmed with red berries, pinecones, and twigs. Hang a flower-and-greenery wreath on the door, and wrap gifts in botanical paper and twine.

8. Whimsical Candyland

A Candyland theme is pure fun.

Decorate with red-and-white stripes, candy cane ornaments, lollipops, and red-and-white garland.

Red-and-white patterned candles pull it all together.

9. Gingerbread Christmas

Gingerbread works as its own theme or alongside Candyland. Try gingerbread plates, napkins, gingerbread houses, villages, and place card holders. Real gingerbread cookies on a cake stand count as decor too.

10. Coastal Christmas

Living on Puget Sound, this one is close to home. A coastal Christmas uses seashells, starfish, and ocean colors like aqua and sandy beige.

Nautical ornaments like fish, crabs, and seahorses give your tree a coastal flair.

Seashell garland is the finishing touch. For the rest of winter, here are warm winter decor ideas with coastal styling.

11. Blue and White Christmas

Blue and white is crisp and a little unexpected at Christmas. I found the most gorgeous blue-and-white ceramic ornaments for this theme.

Blue and white ornament options:

The blue and white plates and ribbon on this flocked tree are the icing on the cake.

12. Winter Wonderland

A winter wonderland keeps the green tree but dresses it all in white: snowflakes, frosty ornaments, and a little faux snow.

White birds perched in the branches are a sweet detail.

White pinecones, stars, and faux amaryllis fill in the rest. Carry it through the house with white and cream pillows and throws.

13. White and Silver Christmas

A white Christmas goes all the way: a white tree, shimmering lights, snowy ornaments, frosted wreaths, and soft white textiles. It’s calm and quiet, like the morning after a snowfall.

Add silver for shimmer: vintage silver trays, silver mini trees, and a little sparkle on the tabletop.

14. Green and Gold Christmas

Gold is the base of any glam theme. Pair it with a rich color, and the room goes from cozy to dressed up.

Don’t be afraid to mix several shades of green. They all look good with gold. The trees shown here even work in dried orange slices.

15. Silver and Gold Christmas

Mixing metals used to be a rule you didn’t break. Now it’s one of the prettiest ways to decorate. Silver and gold together catch every bit of light.

16. Burgundy, Blue, and Gold Christmas

Gold ornaments hang throughout this tree, but the burgundy and blue are the real stars. I love these jewel tones for a more formal living or dining room.

17. Cottage Christmas

A cottage Christmas is warm and a little old-fashioned. Red and white, plaid ornaments, and simple vintage touches get you most of the way there.

Vintage ornaments, natural elements, rustic wreaths, and glass cloches are all cottage-style details.

Fill a wooden crate with ornaments and greenery, and you’re there. More cottage Christmas posts:

18. Neutral Christmas

A neutral Christmas uses whites, creams, beiges, and soft grays. Without bold color, texture, natural elements, and candlelight stand out.

See more in cozy rustic, natural, and neutral Christmas decor.

19. Plaid Christmas

Plaid is a holiday classic, from tree ornaments to table settings and throws.

Red and green tartan shows up on tablecloths, napkins, pillows, and blankets.

Plaid ornaments bring it onto the tree.

20. Nutcracker Christmas

Line up nutcrackers in different sizes and styles on the mantel, shelves, and tabletops. Hang ballet slipper, tutu, and ballerina ornaments on the tree, and add pastels, sugar plum fairies, and snowflakes.

How to Carry a Christmas Theme Through Your Home

Start with the rooms people see most: the entry, living room, and dining area. Keep the same colors and motifs throughout each space, and the whole house will look put together.

Christmas Vignettes

A vignette is a small grouping of decor that tells a story.

They’re the easiest way to bring your theme into small spaces. Create one on a shelf, a side table, or a windowsill.

Christmas Tablescapes

The tablescape is a theme in miniature. It works for a holiday feast, brunch with friends, or dinner for two.

Here’s how I add vintage charm to a classic Christmas tablescape with red-and-white transferware and glassware.

Or try a more whimsical snow village tablescape with mini Christmas trees.

Christmas Kitchen Decor

The kitchen is the heart of the home. I know ours is.

Themed dishes, festive towels, and a centerpiece on the table carry your theme into the room you spend the most time in.

Outdoor and Front Porch Christmas Decor

Let your theme spill outside. We light the garden path to the greenhouse with brass lanterns, and hang wreaths on the greenhouse door.

On a porch, drape a plaid blanket over a chair, wrap railings in garland and lights, and fill planters with fresh greens or a mini tree.

A vintage sled or an old wagon full of greenery fits almost any theme. See more in my post Small Front Porch Christmas Decorating Ideas.

Christmas Tree Themes

A Christmas tree is where a theme comes together best. Choose ornaments, garland, and a topper in your colors or motif, and mix sizes and textures so it doesn’t look flat.

Coordinate the tree skirt and lights too. Short on space? Try Christmas trees for small spaces.

Christmas Decor Themes FAQs

Final Thoughts on Christmas Decor Themes

When choosing a Christmas theme, pick what you love, mix themes if you want to, and don’t worry about getting it perfect. For more ideas, browse my 100+ Christmas decor ideas.

Which theme are you leaning towards this year? Tell me in the comments.

Until next time,

Happy Holiday Decorating!