Christmas decor shopping guide: How to find the right decorations for you | Home & Garden



Here are four tips for avoiding the hazards of holiday decorating.







Even though Christmas has been celebrated for centuries, you’re not restricted to decorating in the classic style — unless that’s the style you prefer.

You could use modern Christmas home decor with sleek, clean lines and a pared-down design. Rustic is another option; think simple, distressed pieces in soft, neutral colors. A quirky design scheme uses memorable items that have a unique flair, and a humorous style incorporates funny elements into the decor scheme.

If you have children, you might want to tailor your Christmas home decor to them, making it more whimsical.






Christmas lights




Decor category

Since Christmas is one of the most popular holidays, there’s a wealth of Christmas home decor items that fall into many categories.

Widely available types of decor include:

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Material

The materials that compose Christmas home decor make a significant impact on its appearance. Material options include metal, wood, ceramic, porcelain, resin, glass, crystal, silk, plastic and straw.

Functional decor






Christmas stocking

iPEGTOP 18” Burlap Christmas Stocking, $16.99, Amazon




No holiday home decor scheme is complete without Christmas stockings.

All you need is a secure place to hang them.

Of course, this decor is functional in addition to aesthetic, as Santa Claus fills the stockings with small treats during his stop at your home.

Size

The size of Christmas home decor should always suit the dimensions of the space in which it’s displayed.

If you try to squeeze a large piece into a small area, it’ll look overstuffed. And if you display a small decoration in a large space, it’s liable to disappear into its surroundings.

These scenarios demonstrate why size matters when it comes to Christmas home decor.

Christmas decor FAQ

How much should I spend?

The good news is that Christmas home decor is available in a vast price range that makes it accessible for virtually everyone. Pieces can start as low as $8 and can cost upward of $100.

How soon can you reasonably display Christmas home decor?

The window of time for reasonably displaying Christmas home decor has expanded greatly in recent years. Now, many people typically set up their Christmas decorations immediately after removing their Thanksgiving decor.

And rather than rushing to put the items away the day after Christmas or New Year’s Eve, some people choose to enjoy them for days or even weeks longer. Leaving the decorations out until February might be pushing it, but you don’t have to remove them the second the holidays are over.

What kind of Christmas home decor is most versatile?

Certain characters, animals and elements have been associated with Christmas for centuries. While they’re interpreted differently according to the designer, they represent Christmas nonetheless.

— Rudolph/Santa’s reindeer






Christmas wreath

Tiny Land Christmas wreath, $31.49, Amazon




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Megan Oster is a writer for BestReviews, a product-review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.