Christmas Decor Trends: 14 Looks Everyone Will Want in 2026 and How to DIY Them for Less
Christmas Decor Trends 2026 are already all over YouTube, and this year the list is full of looks you can pull off at home for very little money. Have you noticed more brown velvet, huge bows and pine cones in the shops? You are not imagining it. Designer Rebecca Robeson’s video Christmas 2026 Trends That Will Inspire Your Decorating passed 805,000 views in about a month, and plenty of other creators are chasing the same topic. The catch is that store bought trend pieces get pricey fast. So below are 14 of the biggest Christmas decor trends 2026 has to offer, each with a cheap DIY version, a short supply list and simple steps. Which one will you try first..
Christmas Decor Trends 2026: The Hot Cocoa Palette
The biggest color story in Christmas decor trends 2026 is what designers are calling the hot cocoa palette: chocolate brown, caramel and soft cream. It feels warm and cozy, like a mug of cocoa on a snowy day, and it looks expensive without trying hard. The good news is you probably own half of it already. Old gold or red ornaments get a fresh look with a coat of cream or espresso spray paint. Wide brown velvet ribbon from the dollar store makes big, soft bows. Add natural pine cones and a few frosted picks, and the whole tree comes together. Would you ever have guessed brown could feel this festive..
You will need: Brown velvet ribbon, cream and gold ornaments, cream or espresso spray paint, pine cones, frosted picks, floral wire.
How to make it: 1. Spray old ornaments cream or brown outdoors and let them dry. 2. Tie big brown velvet bows and wire them to the branches. 3. Fill gaps with pine cones and frosted picks.
Citrus Green With Classic Red
If you love red and green but feel a little tired of the same old look, this one is for you. The 2026 twist swaps deep pine green for a bright lime or chartreuse and pairs it with classic cherry red. It feels fresh, a bit playful and very cheerful. You do not need to replace everything. Keep your red ornaments and just add chartreuse ribbon, a few green glass balls and some red berry picks. Lime green velvet ribbon is easy to find at craft stores this year, often on sale. Try it on a small kitchen tree first if you are not sure. Does this bright combo make you smile or make you nervous?
You will need: Chartreuse or lime green ribbon, red berry picks, green glass ornaments, your existing red ornaments.
How to make it: 1. Run chartreuse ribbon down the tree in loose waterfall strips. 2. Add green glass ornaments near the lights. 3. Tuck red berry picks into the gaps.
Jewel Tone Christmas
Jewel tones bring an old world, almost royal feeling to the tree. Think deep emerald, sapphire blue, ruby red and amethyst purple, all glowing under warm white lights. This look can get very pricey in fancy shops, but thrift stores are full of colored glass ornaments for under a dollar each. Mix shiny and matte finishes so the tree has depth. Velvet ribbon in one of the colors ties it all together, and a few gold accents keep it elegant instead of busy. The secret is sticking to four colors and repeating them evenly. Squint at the tree from across the room to check the balance. Which jewel would be the star at your house?
You will need: Thrifted glass ornaments in emerald, sapphire, ruby and amethyst, jewel tone velvet ribbon, a few gold ornaments.
How to make it: 1. Sort the ornaments by color into four piles. 2. Hang the largest ones first, spacing each color evenly. 3. Weave velvet ribbon through and finish with small gold accents.
Christmas Decor Trends 2026 Bring Back Blue Christmas
Of all the Christmas decor trends this year, blue Christmas is the big comeback, and it feels just like grandma’s dining room in the best way. The look pairs blue and white china with icy blue ornaments, silver bells and plenty of white. It is calm, wintry and pretty from Thanksgiving all the way through January. Start with any blue and white plates, bowls or ginger jars you can find at the thrift store. Stack them on a hutch or open shelf, then tuck in a white or frosted garland and some pale blue glass balls. A bowl of blue ornaments on the dining table makes an easy centerpiece. Many people already have a few blue and white pieces tucked away. Do you?
You will need: Thrifted blue and white plates or ginger jars, pale blue ornaments, white or frosted garland, plate stands.
How to make it: 1. Set the largest plates on stands at the back of the shelf. 2. Drape frosted garland across the front. 3. Fill bowls and gaps with icy blue ornaments.
Soft Pink, Done Grown Up
Pink Christmas has been around for a few years, and it is still going strong in 2026. The difference now is that it looks more grown up. Instead of bubblegum and glitter, think soft blush, dusty rose and deep berry pink paired with warm gold. Dried hydrangeas are the secret weapon here. If you have a hydrangea bush, cut a few heads in early fall and let them dry in a vase with a little water. They fade to the prettiest antique pink. Tuck them into a mantel garland with pink ornaments and gold ribbon. It is soft, romantic and still feels like Christmas. Would you try pink in the living room or keep it to a bedroom?
You will need: Blush and berry pink ornaments, gold ribbon, dried hydrangeas, a faux garland, floral wire.
How to make it: 1. Lay the garland on the mantel and secure it. 2. Wire in dried hydrangea heads every foot or so. 3. Add pink ornaments in clusters and loop gold ribbon through.
Huge Bows Are Everywhere in Christmas Decor Trends 2026
Bows have been big for a while, but this year they are huge. Think giant ribbon bows on the tree topper, the front door, the backs of dining chairs and even the headboard. One oversized bow can turn a plain wreath into a showpiece. The trick is using wired ribbon, which holds its shape and lets you fluff the loops. Dollar stores carry wide wired ribbon in plenty of colors, and you can buy a few rolls for the cost of one store bought bow. Make the tails long and cut them at an angle so they look finished. A bow on every dining chair makes the holiday table feel special. Where would your biggest bow go?
You will need: Wide wired ribbon (4 inches or more), floral wire, sharp scissors, a measuring tape.
How to make it: 1. Make two large loops about 12 inches each and pinch the center. 2. Wrap a short strip of ribbon around the middle and secure it with wire. 3. Fluff the loops and cut the long tails at an angle.
Oversized Christmas Ornaments Indoors and Out
Jumbo ornaments are one of the most fun Christmas decor trends 2026 has brought us. Picture giant ornaments piled in a big wooden bowl, lined up on porch steps or hanging over a dining table. They make a big statement for very little money. Large plastic ornaments are cheap and shatterproof, so they are perfect for porches and homes with kids or pets. If the colors are not quite right, a coat of spray paint fixes that fast. Matte cream, sage or brown fits the new palette nicely. Add wide ribbon loops at the top for hanging. Group them in odd numbers, like three or five, for the best look. Big, bold and budget friendly, right?
You will need: Jumbo plastic ornaments, matte spray paint, wide ribbon, a large bowl or basket.
How to make it: 1. Remove the caps and spray paint each ornament outdoors. 2. Let them dry, then replace the caps and add ribbon loops. 3. Pile them in a bowl or line them up on the porch steps.
Pine Cones Steal the Show in Christmas Decor Trends 2026
Pine cones are having a real moment this year. Instead of a few tucked into a wreath, they are the star of trees, garlands and big bowls on the coffee table. Best of all, they are free if you have a few trees nearby. Collect them on a dry day, soak them in a sink of warm water with a splash of vinegar to clean them, then let them dry for a few days until they open back up. Leave some natural and brush the tips of others with white or gold paint for a snowy look. Wire them into a garland or pile them in a dough bowl with greenery. How many pine cones are waiting in your neighborhood?
You will need: Collected pine cones, white or gold craft paint, a paintbrush, floral wire, faux snow (optional).
How to make it: 1. Clean pine cones in warm water and vinegar and let them dry fully. 2. Brush the tips with white or gold paint. 3. Wire them into a garland or pile them in a bowl.
Texture With Picks and Sprays
Designers have a simple trick for making a tree look full and expensive: they tuck picks and sprays into every gap. Frosted pine sprays, berry picks, dried grasses and glittery branches add height and texture, so the tree looks layered instead of flat. In Christmas decor trends 2026, the look is a little more natural, with dried stems and wheat mixed in with the berries. You do not need many. A dozen dollar store picks can change the whole tree. Push them deep into the branches at an angle so they look like they are growing out. The same picks work on wreaths, garlands and in vases. Do you have dried grasses in the yard you could use?
You will need: Frosted floral picks, berry picks, dried grasses or wheat stems, wire cutters.
How to make it: 1. Trim the picks to different lengths with wire cutters. 2. Push them into the tree at an angle, working from top to bottom. 3. Step back and fill any flat spots.
Nostalgic Deer, Birds and Santas
Nostalgia is one of the warmest looks this year. Think vintage style woodland deer, little clip on birds perched on the branches and old world Santas in long velvet coats. It feels like Christmas at grandma’s house, and that is exactly the point. These pieces are easy to find at thrift stores, estate sales and maybe even in your own attic. If a figurine looks too shiny or dated, a little brown craft paint wiped on and off gives it an aged finish. Group them on a mantel with some greenery or set them in a row on a shelf. Clip birds look sweet tucked into a wreath too. Do you have a box of old figurines waiting for a comeback?
You will need: Thrifted deer, Santa and bird figurines, clip on birds, brown craft paint, a soft rag, greenery.
How to make it: 1. Brush brown paint over shiny figurines and wipe most of it off for an aged look. 2. Group them in odd numbers on a mantel or shelf. 3. Tuck greenery around their feet.
Make Your Home Look Collected Over the Years
One of the most loved looks this year is the collected home, the kind that seems to be decorated bit by bit over many Christmases. The secret is mixing old and new on purpose. Pair a thrifted mercury glass ornament with a new velvet bow. Stack old books under a small brass deer. Put a vintage cake stand under a tiny bottle brush tree. Nothing needs to match, but repeating two or three colors keeps it calm. Thrift stores in November are full of these treasures, so go early and often. Then every piece on the shelf has a little story behind it. Isn’t that what makes Christmas feel like home?
You will need: Thrifted glass ornaments, old books, small brass pieces, a cake stand, a mini bottle brush tree.
How to make it: 1. Pick two or three colors to repeat. 2. Build height with stacks of books and cake stands. 3. Mix one new piece in with every two old ones.
Christmas Decor Trends 2026 Go Natural and Foraged
If bright colors are not your style, you will love this one. The natural and foraged look is calm, simple and very Scandinavian. It uses dried orange slices, cedar sprigs, eucalyptus, bare twigs and plain twine. Almost everything can come from the grocery store or your backyard. Dry orange slices in the oven at a low temperature for a few hours, then string them or tie them to the tree. Lay cedar and eucalyptus down the middle of the table as a runner. Bare branches in a tall vase make a free, modern Christmas tree. Keep the colors soft and let the textures do the talking. What could you forage on your next walk?
You will need: Dried orange slices, cedar and eucalyptus sprigs, bare twigs, jute twine, a long wooden tray.
How to make it: 1. Dry orange slices at 200 degrees for 3 to 4 hours, turning often. 2. Lay cedar and eucalyptus along the table as a runner. 3. Tie orange slices to twigs and branches with twine.
Warm Brass and Gold Accents
Warm metals are back in a big way. Brass and gold feel cozy and classic, especially next to deep green garland. Brass bells on a ribbon, brass trays full of greenery and little brass deer all fit the look. Thrift stores are full of brass, often for a few dollars, and a little polish brings back the shine. If you want the look on a tighter budget, gold spray paint can turn dollar store bells and trays into something that looks vintage. Choose a soft, warm gold instead of a bright yellow one. Hang a cluster of bells on the front door or fill a brass tray with cedar and pine cones. Do you have any brass hiding in a cupboard?
You will need: Thrifted brass bells, trays or deer, brass polish, a soft cloth, warm gold spray paint, velvet ribbon.
How to make it: 1. Polish thrifted brass with a soft cloth. 2. Spray dollar store pieces with warm gold paint outdoors. 3. Tie bells on velvet ribbon or fill a tray with greenery.
Christmas Decor Trends 2026: What Feels Dated Now
Every year a few looks start to feel a little tired, and 2026 is no different. Heavy tinsel, perfectly matching ornament sets from one box, neon colors and plastic signs with sayings are fading out. That does not mean you have to throw them away. Swap tinsel for a soft wood bead garland or a simple ribbon. Break up a matching set by mixing in a few thrifted ornaments. Paint plastic signs a solid color or turn their frames into chalkboards. The new look is relaxed, layered and a little imperfect, which is great news for anyone on a budget. Small changes really do go a long way. Which of these is still hanging around your house?
You will need: Wood bead garland, ribbon, a few thrifted ornaments, chalk paint, a soft brush.
How to make it: 1. Take off old tinsel and drape a wood bead garland instead. 2. Mix thrifted ornaments into any matching set. 3. Paint old plastic signs a solid color or reuse the frames.
