Over the past few weeks I’ve been adding festive touches—from subtle accents to over-the-top details—throughout our home. Today I’m sharing our 2019 holiday home tour. This year Arlo seems to truly understand Christmas and he lights up at seeing trees and lights, which has made decorating together so much fun. He even took the lead on a few projects and helped shape the overall look.
Colorful Living Room Christmas Decor
With the new arch in place I couldn’t resist dressing it up with garlands. I wrapped pine garlands around the arches and layered them with battery-operated star twinkle lights for a warm, magical glow. The result is exactly the playful, colorful vibe I was hoping for.
Space is limited in our house, so we usually put the tree in the master bedroom. That worked well when Arlo was crawling and couldn’t reach it, but now that he’s excited about Christmas we wanted him to enjoy the tree more. We shuffled furniture and placed the tree between the arches so he can see and interact with it. It’s not perfect, but it’s working for now—one year at a time!
We chose a trendy, sparse Silvertip tree, but Arlo insisted on adding every garland and ornament he could find, so it ended up delightfully chaotic and imperfect—which I adore. We usually play the Nutcracker while decorating; it’s become our tradition and makes the process feel extra festive.
Now that we have a media console I spread my growing bottle brush tree collection across it and the mantel, arranging them in a rainbow this year. The room is still in progress—we’ll be adding a gallery wall around the TV—so the trees help fill the space and add personality in the meantime.
Pastel Dining Room Christmas Decor
This year we added two new buildings to our Christmas village: a castle and a saloon. I also found a box of wooden cars in my craft supplies and decorated them with glitter to include in the scene. Arlo is so proud of the new pieces and points them out every night at dinner.
I love how soft and pastel this room feels for the holidays. Each room in our home gets its own theme: pastel in the dining room, rainbow in the living room, and neutral tones in the bedroom. It’s a fun way to give every space its own holiday personality.
Kitchen Christmas Decorations
This was our first Christmas with the new kitchen, and I’m happy to report that my red ribbons look fantastic against the blush-pink cabinets. My mom used to wrap cabinets like presents, and I’ve continued the tradition—wrapping the cabinet fronts with ribbon creates a simple but impactful festive touch. I’ll share a tutorial on how I do it soon since I get asked about it a lot.
Arlo gasped the morning he saw the kitchen all decorated and immediately asked where Santa went. I’ll take the credit for the decorations, not Santa—at least for now!
I found an all-white house cookie jar and turned it into a gingerbread house with a little gumdrop pathway. It’s a small, cheerful detail that fits right in with the kitchen’s playful holiday mood.
Kids Room Christmas Decor
For a while Arlo refused to help decorate his tree, but after we read one of his favorite holiday books he eagerly added every ornament and wrapped garland around it. When he asked for a star like in the story, we promised to make one the next day—he requested a blue star—so we crafted a simple handprint star topper together. It’s a sweet keepsake I plan to label with his name and the date.
This year an Elf on the Shelf joined our household and it’s been amusing to see where he shows up each morning. Arlo is also thrilled with his advent calendar and checks it every day.
Arlo’s excitement about the advent calendar and the little holiday rituals we’ve started makes this season feel extra special.
Christmas Decor in the Bathroom
The bathroom felt like a great spot for a small themed tree, so I created a minimal animal-themed tree and added tiny Santa hats to some of Arlo’s animal toys. It’s a small, whimsical corner that adds holiday cheer where you least expect it.
Master Bedroom Christmas Decor
Our master bedroom leans toward a calm, neutral holiday palette—if you count every shade of pink as neutral. I kept the decor simple and soft, with small trees and understated accents for a cozy, restful feel.
A playful tradition I borrowed from a friend was to add tiny Santa hats to photos and artwork. You can make these from paper or felt and let the kids help place them around the room—it’s an easy way to inject humor and charm into the decor.
Arlo’s Room Holiday Decor Sources
Rainbow Pom Pom Garlands | Wooden Car Garlands | DIY Wooden Tree Forest | Elf on the Shelf | Jingle Bell Garland | Christmas Light Sheets | DIY Advent Calendar | Holiday Books
Master Bedroom Holiday Decor Sources
Fa La La Garland | Bottle Brush Trees | Marble Tree | Feather Trees | Christmas House | Mini Star Twinkle Lights | Ornament Pillows
Living Room Holiday Decor Sources
Pine Garlands | Star Twinkle Lights | Giant Nutcrackers | Tree Basket | Felt Ball Garland | Bottle Brush Trees | All is Calm Banner | Rainbow Pom Pom Garlands | DIY Felt Striped Stockings | Ornament Pillows | Weighted Blanket | DIY Felt Tree Wall Hanging
Dining Room Holiday Decor Sources
DIY Christmas Village | Wool Animals | Tassel Garland | Flocked Santas
Kitchen Holiday Decor Sources
House Cookie Jar | Magnetic Letter Board | Pine Garland | Colorful Wood Trees | Candy Cane Tea Towel | Santa Tea Towel
Bathroom Holiday Decor Sources
Feliz Navidad Garland | Mini Tree | Fairy Lights | Animal Ornaments
That’s how our holiday decor is shaping up this year—cozy, colorful, and full of little moments that make the season special. If you try any of these ideas or recreate any of our DIYs, I’d love to see your photos—tag me so I can enjoy them too. Happy decorating!