Looking to make your home feel festive & cozy this holiday season? Adding these 8 simple elements into your home this holiday season will help you easily transform your home this Christmas.

Have you started to decorate for the holidays yet? We’re well on our way filling our home with all things Christmas around here. The trees have been up for a few weeks now and we’re slowly working our way through the bins of decorations that are currently piled up in our storage room. On top of that, I may have ordered up a few new pieces to add to the mix (I just rolled this super cute plaid rug out in our mudroom area!).
Seeing the twinkling lights on the few things we’ve put out so far really got me thinking about how little it takes to make a home feel cozy + festive for the holidays. It’s amazing to me how warm + full of Christmas spirit a home can feel just by adding a few essential pieces. Sure, we’ve collected several bins of decor over the years – some nostalgic pieces gifted from my Mom and Grandma, some special treasures made by Carson over the years and of course, many beautiful items we’ve purchased through the 15 Christmases that we’ve celebrated together in our own home. And, though I treasure all of these pieces for the beauty, warmth and nostalgia they add to our home through the holidays, I also know there really are just a few essential pieces that really make Christmas feel like Christmas. So, whether you’re just starting out, tend to take a minimalistic approach to decorating, or just don’t know what’s missing in your own holiday decor collection, today, I thought I’d share a collection of those essential pieces that really make a home feel warm + inviting through the holiday season.
Christmas Decor Capsule
One: A Tree

If I had to pick just one item to decorate for the holidays with, this would be it. The quintessential symbol of the holiday season, I can’t imagine Christmas without a Christmas tree. Even just strung with lights, no ornaments or extra decor needed, there’s just nothing like the warm glow of a Christmas tree to make your home feel cozy and festive through the holidays. I shared some of my favourite faux trees here just in case you find yourself on the hunt for a new one this year (faux trees have come SUCH a long way!).
You can see some of our Christmas trees past linked up below, or check out this round up of inspiring Christmas tree decor if your looking for even more inspiration.




Two: Lights


Whether indoors or out, nothing is cozier than the warm glow of Christmas lights. If you do nothing else to decorate through the holidays, add a simple tree with lights and your home is sure to feel cozy + festive for Christmas. For more Christmas light inspiration, you can tour our Christmas lights at night here.
Three: Trimming the Tree

It’s true, a Christmas tree looks festive + beautiful all on its own, but what makes it feel really special through the holidays is filling it with lovely garlands, ornaments and of course, finished it all off with a topper and skirt. Trimming your tree is a simple way to add your personality and style into your holiday decor. And even more, when those ornaments have been collected through the years, hanging them on your tree invites the nostalgia of Christmases past to your home year after year. You can find a round up of all of our favourites for trimming the tree here.

You can see a step-by-step breakdown of how I decorate our Christmas tree each year here.
Four: Garlands & Wreaths



Whether it’s hanging on your front door or over a window, a holiday wreath is a simple way to make your home feel warm + inviting through the holidays. I love to add them to our decor both outside and inside our home – I don’t think our home ever looks as inviting as it does with a wreath in each window at Christmas and our range hood has long been a favourite place to hang a wreath, no matter what season we’re in. I rounded up some of my favourites here, or I’ve linked up a few more below.



A simple garland tied with a bit of ribbon goes such a long way in making a space feel cozy + festive for the holidays. I love the classic touch of a garland draped down a stair railing, over a mantel or around a doorway – it’s so simple, but I really think it adds so much. You can see some of my favourite garlands here, or I’ve linked a few up below for you as well.
Five: Stockings

Stockings are the perfect way to dress up a fireplace mantel or staircase. They add a pop of cozy texture and what would Christmas morning be without a stocking full of fun little gifts (we always save ours for last because it’s my very favourite part!). You can find a round up of all of my favourite stockings and holders here.
Six: A Cozy Blanket


Whether it’s draped over a chair, folded nicely onto a vintage ladder, or simply tossed into a basket, adding a beautiful throw blanket is one of the easiest ways to make any space feel cozy + and inviting. I mean it’s practically begging to be curled up under! I’ve linked up a few of my favourite blankets below, but you can find all of my favourite holiday blankets here.
Seven: Festive Pillows



Pillows are such a simple and relatively inexpensive way to add some fun and festive pops of colour to your holiday decor. As you can see, I’m pretty partial to plaid this time of year, but I love working it other cozy textures like knits and faux furs in some solid colours just to break things up a bit. You can find a few of my favourites linked up below, and even more in this year’s holiday blanket and pillow round up here.
Eight: A Holiday Scented Candle

Day or night, lighting a candle adds a warm, soft glow that you can’t help but feel cozy sitting next to. Better yet, burning a candle with a lovely, holiday scent fills your whole home with even more of that festive holiday feeling. Lighting a new holiday candle is always the first thing I start with each year, so it can fill our home with the cozy smells of Christmas as we decorate for the holidays. Find some of my favourites linked up below and even more in this year’s holiday candle round up here.

I hope today’s post helps to take some of the guesswork out of your holiday decorating and leaves you feeling inspired to put together your own Christmas decor capsule. I really think the nostalgia of surrounding yourself with all of the decor items you’ve collected through the years is such a big part of what makes this time of year feel so cozy + special. I’d love to hear some of your own favourite holiday items you’ve collected over the years in the comments below!
Wishing you SUCH a lovely day my friends!
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Hi,
Everything looks so festive! Can you please tell me where I can find the Christmas Candle that looks like a bell..it’s lovely and would make a nice gift.
Happy Holidays! Cynthia
Hi Cynthia! It really would make a lovely gift – it smells heavenly and looks so beautiful on a coffee table or shelf. Here’s a link for you: https://rstyle.me/+AdsIHUE5LkJzj6AdOQVFVQ. Happy holidays!