Today I am joining five other bloggers to share ideas to get your home feeling festive for the holidays. My decorating vibe is light, natural and less. I love natural materials mixed in with the holiday decor to give a California feel that looks chic.
My front porch
I always go with a basic wreath adding my own touches to it. It is easy to make a $30 wreath look amazing with cuttings from the yard and bits and bobs found in your home. This year I grabbed this noble fir wreath with juniper accents at my local garden center. When I got home, used a green grosgrain ribbon in a sort of a lime color and wired it on with a bell I have from a trip Switzerland. We had hydrangeas in the yard so I added some of those in just by pushing them in and securing them. You could use any dried flowers. A few years ago, I added succulent cuttings too. It’s so easy to make it your own. Trader Joes has these nearly identical noble wreaths for even less money I think.
I have two poinsettias on each side of the door in the Target baskets I love. The lanterns are also Target (out of stock now, but similar here), and the mat was bought last year at one of my favorite small shops in Los Gatos, Campisi & Co. If you get a chance to go there, it’s like a jewel box at the holidays and worth a trip for those special gifts and beautiful decor. We have so few independent home and gift stores left, so I try and get to them this time of year.
If you aren’t into making your own wreath there are some particularly lovely options at Terrain and some are reusable over the years like the Serena & Lily Pinecone. There are also a lot of cute mats …
The Tree
A few years back I finally bought a faux tree after a lifetime of fresh. My tree was found at Home Depot. I selected it for it’s mix of light green and white and natural not too bright lights. I love it!
Each year I change the theme and I did greens and blues this year. I was inspired by the Serena & Lily Holiday Open House I wrote about here. I also saw that trees with ribbons are trending. On Instagram I saw the prettiest English home where they used all sorts of ribbon remnants and it looked so joyful and homey, so I was going for that.
To make the tree feel a bit more natural, I added in branches and some pinecones and more dried hydrangeas. I like it not to look so perfect. I forgot to snap a photo after I added these, but I tuck them around the bottom in open spots.
I used mainly green and a few blue ribbons. Many are just leftover from my wrap drawer. Griffin helped me decorate and we decided to not use every ornament, but just the ones we loved, and put those with green or blue near the front.
I have my dark blue and green velvet pillows out for winter. The yellow ones sort of pop with the greens of the tree.
My tree is still available here and nearly same tree collar here.
Scatter natural elements about
I think it looks great to sprinkle some pinecones and greenery or fir cuttings about. I like to have something with greenery on my coffee table and I did that here plus a few berries left over from the Thanksgiving bouquet repurposed. I also add them to my ginger jar with some faux pine branches.
They also look nice in a bowl on some books. I added a driftwood tree bought in Santa Cruz I love too..
If you want to give the kitchen a holiday feel, add pinecones to the fruit in bowls or a sprig of evergreen sticking out of the bowl. I found these green bowls from Italy at Homegoods and bought one for Juliet and I couldn’t resist getting one for myself when I saw more of them later. I adore this shade of green.
Lastly, my entry is still a work in progress, but I added a wreath to this mirror for a little dazzle. It has tiny lights that go on at night and make the entry look cozy.
The patchwork pillow I’ve had a few years. I am sharing a few with that look below. My Carson Bench (on sale now), is perfect in this entry space if you need a good bench!
Some things on this post, and others that are similar or just pretty. Many are on sale now..
I also add some poinsettias to my dining table in an old soup tureen, or silver punch bowl, but I haven’t gotten to that yet, or my pink tree. Hopefully I’ll find some time and energy to get those together and zsush up my kitchen a little too.
See what you can find in the yard! I also love greenery tucked around mirrors and wall art, and anywhere you feel you need a little Christmas. Relax more with your decor, get creative, and don’t feel like you have to use the same ornaments and decorations you always do. Leave some for another year. Rotate things out, and use less. Most of all, try and buy less. Thrift stores are brimming with unique Christmas decor right now, and things found in nature always beat anything bought.
Please visit my talented blogging friends for more holiday home ideas…
CINDY HATTERSLEY DESIGN
CLASSIC CASUAL HOME
MOST LOVELY THINGS
MAKE MINE A SPRITZER
UNE FEMME D’ UN CERTAIN AGE
Happy Holidays!
Kim
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Your tree is beautiful, Kim. And such a pretty entrance! The simple ribbon adds so much. Just lovely!
Your tree is so lovely, Kim! I love all the natural elements for Christmas decor. So sweet of your son to help you decorate the tree. Happy Holidays!
I love the natural elements.
Wow! Your tree is a work of art!! 🙌🏻
Oxox
Dawn
Kim, you pulled it off! Your tree is gorgeous! I am not a bow person, but I love the tied ribbons!! It looks so beautiful in your room…perfection!!
Kim, I love all your Christmassy touches throughout your home! I think my favorite is that pillow on your Carson bench! Such a unique find!
xx
Hi Kim, I love the tree and all of your nature-inspired decor! Your home looks so warm and welcoming.
Beautiful touches Kim. I love your tree with its pop of greens and blues and the yellow is spectacular!
Beautiful!! Just a reminder poinsettias are not cold weather plants and are happiest 65-75 degrees. Only inside where I live.
Thanks Caroline! It’s been pretty warm, but I will keep an eye on them. They are in a covered porch now, so I hope they survive..x
Hi Kim,
It’s so meaningful that you and Griffin decorated the Christmas tree TOGETHER, you both created a gorgeous tree. I bet at night time it shows beautifully. A peaceful vibe.
The wood bowl is fabulous, and the driftwood tree you purchased in Santa Cruz is unique. I love everything you created. The patchwork pillow that says, “Happy Holidays,” is unique and so very
special.
xo 🌲 xo
Katherine thank you so much! xo
Everything looks so pretty, Kim. Very laid back, California Christmas. I’ve been thinking about our Serena & Lily visit too and the beautiful combination of greens and blues. I love your idea to tuck hydrangea blooms into your wreath. Our hydrangeas bloomed late so there’s plenty for me to work with. I remember when you bought your tree … what a great choice. It looks so pretty and just the right amount of treasured ornaments. How fun to have your son home to decorate with you. Looks like you’re all set for the holiday’s and I hope it’s a relaxing and enjoyable season for you and your family. Cheers! xo
Juliet, Thank you! I know just about now we’ve got the hydrangeas and lemons ! I loved those colors too. xo
SO many fun ideas! I love your tree especially. So elegant, yet unfussy. Natural. It’s great inspiration!
Thank you so much Jenny!
Kim, everything looks beautiful! I love your flocked tree and all of the colorful touches.
I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your dad and the boys.
Have a wonderful week.
xo
Thanks so much Elizabeth! I hope you did too.x
Beautiful, and to my mind, very “California” looking. I particularly like your idea for embellishing a basic wreath. I bought a nice wreath this year at a charitable auction so I’m set but I think I will save the ribbons and bells on it for future use.
Thanks so much Cathy!
Hi Kim,
Your tree is so beautiful as well as all the natural elements you’ve added to your holiday decor. I love pinecones and branches too, enjoying them year around in my home, along with some repurposed old ribbon and trims to add a little extra charm this time of year. The entryway wreath, poinsettias and your Happy Holidays pillow…very welcoming. So sweet of your son to help you decorate the tree. Thanks for sharing and for the inspiration! ♥️
Thank you so much Cheryl! I love that you use those year round. I may do that too. I think using old ribbon and trim is such a charming idea also!
I used to have vintage ric-rac trim from my grandmother and used that on gifts for many years. x
Wrapping gifts with vintage ric-rac from your grandmother is just the best! 💗 Reminds me of sending Christmas cards using up ALL of the vintage postage stamps my mother-in-law had collected over the years. Back then they were only a few cents per stamp, so I used however many necessary to equal the current mailing cost, and large envelopes to fit them all. I didn’t know what else to do with them….and the recipients enjoyed seeing those colorful old stamps again. It took three years to use them all up!