Our Christmas Home Tour + 12 Effortless Decorating Tips
Photographing our home at Christmas has become one of my favorite traditions I do here every year.
When I scroll back through our old Christmas home tours, I can see how much our house, and our family, has changed over the years. Different rooms. Different furniture. Different phases of life. And yet, somehow, it always still feels like us.
This year’s tour looks a little different than I originally planned. Earlier this week, we experienced a water leak that led to some very messy water mitigation in part of our foyer. So while I wasn’t able to photograph the entire space before the chaos started, I still wanted to share the rooms that were finished along with a few simple, effortless decorating tricks to pass along to you.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: Christmas decorating doesn’t have to be complicated to feel meaningful.
Today I’m sharing our Christmas home tour along with 12 easy decorating tips you can steal for your own home.
(You can also click any photo in this post to shop our home, if you want to know where to find decor I used.)
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The Dining Room
Our dining room is where so much of the magic happens during the holidays: school projects spread across the table, family dinners that linger longer than usual, and family board game nights that get super competitive around here.
Effortless Tip #1: Use rechargeable table lamps instead of candles.
I love the cozy glow of candlelight, but rechargeable table lamps have become my new favorite for the dining table. They’re less messy, don’t need batteries replaced constantly, and they’re not a fire hazard like candles can be, especially when you’re hosting or juggling kids at the table.
Effortless Tip #2: Tie ribbon around your napkins as DIY napkin rings.
This might be one of my favorite low-effort tricks. Just a simple piece of ribbon tied around folded napkins instantly elevates the table. No special supplies. No storage necessary. Just easy and pretty.
Effortless Tip #3: Use faux roses instead of winter-only florals.
Rather than poinsettias or super seasonal flowers, I love using realistic faux roses mixed with greenery. They feel classic, not theme-y, and the best part is you can keep them out well past Christmas. (I fully plan to reuse ours for Valentine’s Day.)
Effortless Tip #4: Reuse porch planters indoors for Christmas trees.
Instead of buying a special tree collar, I brought in planters we already owned and used them to display our Christmas trees. It adds weight, texture, and a collected feel and it’s one less thing to store the rest of the year.
The media room is where our family spends so much time together during December. Movies, games, Christmas break sleepovers, holiday crafts.
Effortless Tip #5: Don’t stress about matching ornaments; make them intentional.
You do not need a perfectly curated, designer ornament collection. Our tree is full of handmade, sentimental, mismatched ornaments we’ve collected over the years all the way back since Robert and I were kids.
The trick is tying it all together with ribbon in one color. I used leftover khaki-colored ribbon on our family tree this year, and I absolutely love how it turned out.
Effortless Tip #6: Stack Christmas books or games under the tree.
We love this tradition we do every year: we scatter Christmas storybooks underneath the tree so the girls can grab one each night before bed. (We’ve stacked board games under the tree in past years too.) When they’re visible, we’re far more likely to put down the screens and actually use them together.
Effortless Tip #7: Double the twinkle with mirrors.
I placed battery candles on the mantel and positioned them in front of a mirror. The reflection instantly doubles the glow and makes everything feel extra magical without adding more décor.
The Primary Bedroom
I keep Christmas in our bedroom very simple. Just enough to feel special without overwhelming the space.
Effortless Tip #8: Lay garland across your headboard.
I had an extra piece of garland and simply placed it along the top of our headboard. No hooks, no securing; it just rests there thanks to the wall behind the bed. Easy, cozy, done.
Effortless Tip #9: Use lighted branches for instant glow.
If you want that magical Christmas light feeling without hauling in another tree, lighted branches are the answer. I placed some in a vase on our dresser. Paired with the garland, and that was honestly all the Christmas décor the room needed.
The Living Room
Our living room is where Christmas feels the most lived-in and that’s exactly how I like it.
Effortless Tip #10: Display a game board on your coffee table.
I found a beautiful burgundy velvet backgammon board that doubles as décor and entertainment. A chess board works just as well. When games are already out, we’re more likely to actually use them.
Effortless Tip #11: Use letter keychains as stocking tags.
Years ago, I found lettered keychains at Michael’s and spray-painted them to use as stocking tags. They’re simple, reusable, and personal and I still love them just as much now as I did then.
Effortless Tip #12: Tie ribbon onto light fixtures.
I added burgundy bows to the sconces above our mantel, and it instantly made the whole room feel dressed for Christmas. It’s such a small detail, but it makes a big impact. Fair warning: once you start adding bows to everything, it’s hard to stop.
A Note About the Foyer
I had planned to share more of our foyer in this year’s tour, but real life had other plans. Between the unexpected water leak and the mess that followed, photographing the rest of the space just wasn’t in the cards. But honestly? That feels fitting.
Homes are meant to be lived in, not frozen in time for photos.
A Grateful Heart This Season
As always, thank you for being here. For reading, for following along year after year, and for welcoming me into your homes through a screen. This little corner of the internet with you means more to me than I can put into words.
As we head into the heart of the Christmas season, this verse feels especially fitting this year:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5
May your homes be filled with light, warmth, and the reminder of the greatest gift of all, the Light of the World.
Merry Christmas, friend. 🤍
More Christmas Decorating Resources
