Our Favorite Holiday Decorations
I love to decorate for the holidays, and one of my favorite things about decorating is revisiting old favorite decorations (this goes hand-in-hand with decorating sustainably!). While we add an ornament or two to the collection each year, the majority of our decorations are carefully stored from year to year and used again. Here are some of our favorites!
Table linens
I love to set the table (you can view our Easter table here), and it’s so special to bring out our Christmas linens year after year. While I might splurge on a new tablecloth this year, it has been so special to be able to use the beautiful Irish linen napkins that I inherited from my grandmother, complete with her monogram.
Greenery
This is (obviously) purchased again each year. My mother and my grandmothers relied heavily on natural decorations for Christmas, and I have fond memories of winding garland around our staircase and carefully placing it on the mantel. The house always smelled so lovely, and it’s a special way to bring the outdoors in during the seasons. This year, I am supplementing the garland with pinecones and berries. While we usually purchase garlands from our local tree stand, during the pandemic I really loved the Williams-Sonoma garlands and wreaths*.
Red ribbons and bows
My paternal grandmother, in particular, loved tying bows around various items in her home. She had a large collection of Staffordshire spaniels, and each would receive its own red bow for the holidays! While we don’t have any Staffordshire at the moment, my godmother continues this tradition, and we use bows in other decorations.
Heirloom ornaments
I really don’t like the trend of changing up your tree each year to match whatever’s currently in style. Each and every one of the ornaments on our tree has sentimental value–ornaments to mark first Christmases, handmade ornaments from school days, ornaments from various places we’ve lived, ornaments that have been passed down. I find that, even starting small, a collection of ornaments is a wonderful way to remember Christmases past. They are also a great gift to give!
Advent calendar
We have this advent calendar*, which is almost identical to one we had when I was a child. It is so fun to talk about each day and the role that the person or animal had during the first Christmas. I love that we can reuse this every year!
What are your favorite holiday decorations?
