Nothing makes a house feel cozier for the holidays like a few simple decorations — especially when it’s the first Christmas in a new home. Along with decorating the front of the house and setting up our tree, we like to photograph how we bring holiday cheer to the rest of the rooms. This year felt extra special because we finally have new spaces to work with: a different fireplace mantel and a staircase after seven years without one.
For most areas I reused what we already owned, but the stairs needed a quick trip to JoAnn for faux garland and an evergreen sprig for my green HomeGoods jug. The garland plus the sprig were about $14 with a 50% holiday sale. To secure the garland to the railing I used red ribbon saved from gifts (yes, I keep every ribbon), tied one at the top, one in the middle and one at the bottom, and added a clear zip tie under the top ribbon to keep everything in place.
The bench in the foyer is a HomeGoods find that will eventually live at the foot of our bed once I reupholster it, so for now I draped a furry blanket over it. The whole garland-and-bench look was inspired by a Country Living photo someone shared with me — the color and placement were just right for this little holiday vignette. But the biggest new favorite in the foyer is our Christmas Moose.
We picked up the silver moose at HomeGoods back in September for $9 — it was actually John’s idea. He immediately named him Morris the Moose and insisted we hang him every Christmas so he can fulfill his destiny as the official Christmas Moose. Clara adores him; he’s become her favorite holiday decoration. I didn’t have to make any new holes in the wall to hang him — I used the same screw that held an Ikea frame, so swapping the picture for Morris each December is easy. I added a few bits of ribbon, pom-pom fringe and some small pink ornaments around his neck to finish the look.
The living room mantel stayed relatively traditional with a few long-loved pieces. The green feather trees (hand-me-downs from John’s sister) sit nicely on the ledge next to a stack of faux wrapped presents — an easy way to look like a great gift wrapper without the effort. Our stockings are labeled “Mommy & Daddy,” “Clara,” and “Burger” for now. We’ll likely get five stockings next year when the new baby arrives so everyone has their own.
One of my favorite small touches is the cardboard Burger — a reader made him at a book tour signing last year — and this year he’s even sherpa-ing a present on the mantel. It’s a detail that makes me smile every time.
Some readers asked where our outdoor star pendants ended up. We finally hung them in the corner of the sunroom-turned-veranda so we can enjoy them from the sofa in the living room every night. The subtle glow adds a cozy, layered effect to our evening lighting.
The foyer console got a casual holiday refresh with leftover ribbons and a sentimental handmade reindeer. I keep a set of letterpress “love” blocks out year-round, and a pink ribbon plus two tiny ornaments make them feel festive without being fussy.
The reindeer was crafted by John’s grandpa and is especially meaningful to us — it stands proudly on a small pile of ribbon at the foot of the stairs whenever we come downstairs.
Our leaning chalkboard in the office got a seasonal message too. Clara asked me to add birds and snow while she helps with the snowman at the bottom — she loves chalking little drawings and bunnies lately, so the board is turning into a collaborative holiday canvas.
Clara and I also tackled a messy and delightful craft: filling two glass boxes with fake snow, tiny trees and mini ceramic dogs to make miniature snowy scenes. We bought the glass boxes from TJ Maxx and the little trees and dogs at Michaels. Clara named the dogs (Elmo is one, and Gru is the one in the top hat), and she stands inches away staring at them for the longest time.
We used a hand vacuum to clean up all the glittering fake snow that flew across the table during the project, so it was messy but completely worth it. The finished boxes now sit on the media cabinet and bring a bit of winter charm to the living room.
That’s how we added a few fresh holiday touches around the house this year. Stockings, ribbons, a silver moose and a bit of DIY craft time with a toddler made our home feel extra festive. Are you decorating your stairs or mantel this year? It’s hard not to smile every time you walk by once they’re finished.
Psst — still in the holiday spirit? Here are nearly 40 other holiday posts from past years:
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Christmas Table Settings |
Adding Holiday Sparkle |
Making Dried Citrus Ornaments |
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A Huge Holiday Idea Roundup |
Making Ornament Magnets |
Planting Holiday Paperwhites |
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Making Glass Ornaments |
A Few Simple Gift Ideas |
More Cheap & Easy Gifts |
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Our Baby Girl Themed Tree |
Our Citrus Themed Tree |
Our Silver Themed Tree |
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Making Faux Presents |
DIYing A Holiday Welcome Mat |
Two “Baby’s 1st” Ornaments |
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Our Paint Chip & Ribbon Tree |
Exterior Holiday Decorating |
A Holiday Gift List For DIYers |
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A Festive Tabletop Tree |
A Homemade Advent Calendar |
38 Homemade Ornaments |
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Holiday Art Tweaks |
Free 2012 Calendar Download |
Our 2011 Holiday Card |
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What We Got Each Other |
Clara’s Christmas Play Kitchen |
Easy DIY Secret Santa Gifts |
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Giving Sentimental Gifts |
A Gradient Christmas Tree |
Making Every Corner Festive |
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Toddler Gift Guide 2012 |
Ladies Gift Guide 2012 |
Guys Gift Guide 2012 |
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An Easy Ornament Garland |
Our 2012 Christmas Card |
Hosting Christmas Dinner |
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Storing Holiday Decor |
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Update: You can check out all of our favorite holiday decor finds here — many of them are under $15!