Your Guide to Simple, Stress-Free Holiday Decorating

Thanksgiving has come and gone.  You’re staring at a giant heap of Christmas decorations you have no idea what do with and your kids have toys strewn all over the house.  All is calm right??

I actually love decorating this time of year, but used to feel so overwhelmed when it came down to getting started with it all.  In my mind I was Martha Stewart, but in reality I had inspiration overload and didn’t know what to do with all the random, yet totally sentimental, Christmas decorations we had accumulated over the years.  

Now I’ve developed a system and it really makes the process so much easier and so much more enjoyable.  So if you’re like me and waiting until December to finally decorate or you’re a busy Mom whose real life is getting in the way of your Pinterest-inspired holiday decorating dreams, then these simple tips for stress-free holiday decorating are for you!  

 1.  Start with greenery

Pick a spot for the tree (or two or three if you have the space), and then decide if you’re real or faux.  We do one of each.  I love the ease and convenience of our fake tree but you can’t beat that fresh evergreen scent! Next decide on placement of your garland and wreaths – mantels, banisters and large window & door frames are a great place to start.  Hate the mess fresh garland leaves as it dries?  Use faux as your foundation and mix in some fresh greenery (I’ve got a little tutorial on how I do this in my Instagram story highlights). 

2.  Layer on the trimmings

On your tree, add your lights, ornaments, tree skirts and toppers.  For your garland, it may be some bead strands, ribbon, bows or other floral accents like magnolia leaves or berries.  Decide on the overall look you want – are you more traditional, layered & sentimental or do you prefer uniformity and more polished?  Then take stock of what you already have and purchase more to fit the look if necessary.  Even for a more traditional tree that includes family hand-me-downs and kids homemade decorations, mixing in ornaments of similar color, style and shape will help unify your most treasured decorations.  

3.  Arrange a few vignettes

Select a few spots around the house that could use a little extra holiday sprucing – maybe a table centerpiece, entry console or display cabinet. It could be as easy as a few evergreen sprigs in a vase or something more elaborate, like a collection of nutcrackers. No matter where you choose or what you decide, always keep my next tip in mind.

4.  Keep it simple 

Just because you own it, doesn’t mean you have to use it.  For me, many holiday decorations stay in storage.  And if I find I keep passing over some items year after year, they get donated.  Holiday decorating should be about joy and sentiment, if what you own doesn’t conjure up either of those emotions it may be time to purge and add pieces that truly bring you joy.  Also, it can be tempting to cover every empty surface with decorations, but often less is more.  

5.  Store strategically

Smart, organized storage is hands down the best way to make holiday decorating easier.  I use clear bins (these are my favorite) and group all of my decor by room/purpose.  Then, everything is clearly labeled (and viewable without opening the box) with what room it belongs to and what contents are in the bin.    While you might not have a storage system in place now, don’t skip this part when the decorations get put away.  It will be key to maintaining your sanity when next year’s holiday season rolls around.  

**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase using the link.  This is at no additional cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made from following links on this site.