This holiday season, it has felt especially needed to fill our apartment with copious amounts of Christmas cheer. After a long and difficult past eight months, and much uncertainty about the future, creating a cozy and comforting environment to come home to has brought me a lot of joy.
This will be my husband and I's second Christmas married, although last year was such a whirlwind, that this really feels like our first holiday season together! We got married just two weeks before Christmas, so didn't have much time to get our apartment in order, or decorate. This year, I was excited to pull out the Christmas decorations, and cozy up our living room! We had a few Christmas decorations gifted to us last year, but mainly had to start from scratch. It felt like everything was out of budget, until I discovered Target's Wondershop, and Hobby Lobby's 50%-off-all-things-Christmas sale in early November. Our home is now filled with candles, lanterns, fake snow, and little Christmas villages--and many items were $10 or less! I've linked my favorites below for easy holiday shopping. I am in no way endorsed or compensated for this post! I am just sharing some things I love, and think you will, too.
Christmas Villages
Lately, I have been borderline obsessed with Christmas villages. I love these ones from Target, because they're simple, minimalist, and so affordable! I have two of the black metal buildings, and four of the smaller ceramic style. I love them all, and they're perfect with some added decorations like bottle brush trees and mini reindeer!
Along with my village, I had to add some fake snow. Again, Target's Wondershop came through!
Lighting
Warm, soft, inviting lighting really helps create a cozy atmosphere. I like to grab my favorite Hudson's Bay blanket (it always reminds me of home!), light some candles, and browse Netflix's latest selection of cheesy Christmas flicks.
IKEA Tealights (best deal!)
In addition to candles, strands of lights hung around the room are a beautiful way to add subtle Christmas cheer and soft lighting--they don't have to be just for your Christmas tree! Be sure to choose warm/yellow lights to achieve that candle-like glow.
Greenery & Decor
Wreaths, garlands, and arrangements add classic holiday style to your home, and help liven up your indoor space during the cold winter months. I love to choose fresh when possible--we scored an amazing wreath at Costco for just $18 last week--so be sure to check out your local grocers & stores to see what they have. Oftentimes, you can find a great deal on fresh boughs and wreaths!
Faux greenery has the bonus of not shedding all over your carpet, and being reusable year after year. Here are some of my favorites:
These are just some of the things I've been loving the past month. We have lots of other handmade or hand-me-down Christmas decor that we love, and the history behind the pieces make them extra special. See what you can reuse or give new life to this holiday season--one hack I loved was to replace my existing throw pillow covers with some Christmas ones I found on Amazon. Much cheaper than buying a whole set of new pillows, and as simple as unzipping a pillow case.
I hope this gives you some new ideas--I'd love to see how you decorate your home for Christmas! Share a photo with me here or on Instagram, and follow my Pinterest board for more cozy Christmas inspiration. See you next time!
