A collection of the most important items to include in your Christmas decor to easily transform your home for the holidays.

Have you started to decorate for the holidays yet? We’re just starting to pull out a few things around here, mainly the outdoor decorations (because who wants to put up Christmas lights in -20℃) and a bit of greenery indoors (because, well I just couldn’t resist!). Though it’s not much really, it’s already feeling SO cozy (you can see more in this Beginnings of Christmas post I shared last week).

Seeing the twinkling lights on the few things we’ve put out so far got me thinking about how little it really 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 13 Christmases that we’ve celebrated together in our own homes. And though I treasure all of these pieces for the beauty, warmth and nostalgia they add to our home through the holidays, I 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

Check out last year’s Christmas home tour here

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’m rounding up some of my favourite faux trees in tomorrow’s post, but you can catch a sneak peek of a few of them linked up below.

two: lights

See our cozy lights at night tour here

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.

Three: ornaments

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 ornaments.

Filling your tree with beautiful ornaments 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 passed to your home year after year. You can see how I decorate our Christmas tree here.

four: a wreath

Last year’s Christmas porch

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 absolute favourites here, or I’ve linked up a few more below.

five: garland

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.

six: a cozy blanket

See our cozy Christmas bedroom here + last year’s nostalgic living room here

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!

seven: holiday 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 a bit.

eight: a holiday 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 home with even more of that festive holiday feeling.

I’m planning to make my own holiday candles this year using this easy tutorial and my favourite holiday essential oil scents, but I’ve linked up a few others I’ve been eying up below.

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!