Our little farmhouse is looking quite festive dressing in all of its Christmas attire! I immensely enjoy how our home looks at this time of year. Stockings, twinkle lights, candles, cinnamon sticks, cranberries, and garlands all work together to create a cozy environment like no other.
Living in a 100 year old farmhouse has inspired me to fit my Christmas decorations to the style of this particular home. If you think rustic, simple, old fashioned, homespun, and primitive then you’ve hit the nail right on the head! That’s exactly what this small house is…in the very best way possible.
I’ve also discovered that this primitive style of of Christmas decor fits me quite well too. Glitter, bright lights, animated figures, and the like just don’t seem to play well with our house or me. Muted greens, reds, and blues on plaid fabrics, knitted stockings, homemade ornaments, copper, gingerbread cookies, beeswax candles, and simple greenery fit like a glove.
I’ve yet to completely perfect my style of Christmas decorating, but I have gathered a pretty good idea of what I’m aiming for. I’d like to share some of the ways I decorate for Christmas in a primitive, rustic, and simple kinds of way. Perhaps you can bring a few of these ideas into your own home this season!
Let me show you how I decorate our home for Christmas in a simple primitive style. Almost every idea listed below are very inexpensive, free, or homemade! If you enjoy a natural look for your home at Christmas time, I’ve got some great inspiration in this entry. Christmas decorations don’t always have to be over-the-top, expensive, or gaudy. Let’s enjoy bringing some Christmas cozy into our homes this year!
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.”
— Laura Ingalls Wilder
Fruit
Seasonal fruit is a wonderful way to bring natural and useful elements into the home as Christmas decorations. They also add a pop of subtle color as the bleak winter days arrive. Each of the fruits listed below can be displayed either fresh or dried, making them very versatile. I enjoy pairing these fruits with antique bowls, jars, plaid runners, pinecones, or fresh greenery.
- Oranges
- Dried: make dried orange slices by slicing thinly and drying out in the oven for a few hours on the lowest setting. String multiple on a strand of twine for a garland, use as ornaments, or place in a jar or bowl.
- Fresh: display fresh, whole oranges in a bowl on the counter or table and surround with greenery.
- Pomanders: add cinnamon and cloves to a whole orange to create a deliciously smelling pomander. Many a great tutorial is on the web for this.
- Pomegranates
- Allow fresh pomegranates to dry naturally and continue displaying them on the table or counter, or purchase pre-dried pomegranates.
- Cranberries
- String them as a garland
- Use as a bowl or jar filler
- Jars of Jams and Jellies
- A jar of homemade jam or jelly is such a delicious and inviting sight to see in the kitchen. Store on an open shelf, nook in the kitchen , or right on the table.
- Cut small squares of plaid fabric and cover the tops of the jars for a homespun and old fashioned look.
Fresh Greenery
Fresh greenery isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and I can understand why…it’s quite messy! Sap, pine needles, and insects aside, you’ve got to admit that there’s nothing like the smell or look of fresh greenery on the mantle. It adds a touch of cheer to every corner!
- Pine
- Cedar
- Mistletoe
- Holly
- Juniper Berries
Use greenery to fill spaces behind jars or bowls, make garlands, swags, or wreaths, or standing in old fashioned crocks.
Bowls and Jars of Goodies
Bowl fillers are a simple way to display natural and useful items that give a Christmasy feel as well. Use antique crocks, ironstone bowls or vases, glass jars, or old baskets to house any of the following items.
- Cranberries
- Popcorn
- Dried orange slices
- Dried apple slices
- Pomanders
- Pinecones
- Chestnuts
- Cinnamon sticks
- Candy canes
- Gingerbread men
- Dried gourds
- Peppermint sticks
- Marshmallows
- Hot cocoa mix
- Allspice
- Cinnamon sticks
Edible Garland
This type of garland is such an inexpensive way to decorate for the holidays! String the garland across the mantle, around a tree or in the window. How cozy would it be to string one together as a classic Christmas movie plays in the background?
- Popcorn
- Cranberries
- Orange slices
- Apple slices
- Gum drops
Miscellaneous
- Beeswax Candles
- What is it about a yellow beeswax candle in a candlestick holder that instantly changes the atmosphere of a room? The grant a wonderful warm glow on these dark winter evenings.
- Aged Tin or Copper Elements
- Measuring spoons, serving utensils, buckets, cups, pots, pans, cookie cutters, cheese graters, or other old kitchen tools.
- Hang on a pegboard shelf, lay on the counter amidst cookies or other like items, or fill a crock for the table centerpiece.
- Artwork
- Vintage prints of snowy landscapes, children skating, quaint mountain villages, and such add a splendid touch of the arts in the Christmas season.
- Plaid Fabrics
- Use in a tree skirt, table runners, pillows, throw blankets, kitchen towels, curtains, garlands, bows, or wrappings.
- The muted plaids such as green, red, or blue pair so well with greenery and fruits.
- Stacked Wood
- Place in a study wooden or tin box by the fireplace or wood stove, or place a pile on the porch.
- Knitted Items
- Mittens, scarves, garlands, stockings, ornaments, or a tree skirt.
- This is a great way to add some texture to your Christmas decorations!
- Books
- You can never have too many books lying around. Set them here, there, and everywhere for aesthetic appeal and also for guests to flip through as they wish.
- These can be Christmas themed books such as A Christmas Carol, The Long Winter, The Nutcracker, and more, or books in Christmas colored bindings.
“She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
— Matthew 1:21
More Christmas Inspiration
- Old Fashioned Christmas Pot Pourri
- DIY Embroidery Hoop Ornament for Christmas
- 10 Handmade Christmas Gift Ideas
- DIY Ornament for Christmas
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